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“So This Just Happened…”: The Rolling Stones Surprise London Fans With an Unexpected Live Performance

The Rolling Stones are ushering in a new era. Days ahead the release of their latest album, Foreign Tongues, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood held a private London event for some of their most famous fans.

Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Sam Fender, Sacha Baron Cohen, John McEnroe, and more were all present at the St. Clement hotel for the bash.

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During the party, the rockers surprised the crowd with a performance of “Ringing Hollow,” a track that’s slated to appear on the LP.

The fun continued after the performance. The London skyline lit up with The Rolling Stones iconic tongue and lips in a striking 500-drone display.

The image shone over iconic landmarks like the River Thames, Big Ben, and the London Eye. Patrick Woodroffe designed the display, which was set to the new Stones track “In The Stars.”

What to Know About The Rolling Stones’ Foreign Tongues

Ahead of Foreign Tongue‘s release, Jagger spoke to MOJO about the meaning behind “Ringing Hollow.” He noted that it’s a song about “America as an idea.”

“The American Dream is intact for some people, and I’m sure we can find some wonderful immigrant stories that happened in the last 12 months, but we read about the decline of the American Empire,” he said, per Louder. “… It’s not the same place as it was. I lived in New York for 19 years. I’ve seen lots of America that no Americans have seen.”

In a separate interview, Jagger opened up about the process of making the Stones’ latest LP.

“Everything’s different because it’s, like, 60 years ago,” he said during an appearance on BBC Radio 2. “It’s not going to be the same.”

Even with that truth in mind, Wood said that the vibes in the studio haven’t changed over the band’s decades together.

“It’s always a laugh, always creative, That’s hard work in the studio because you got to get your part right in your mind enough to please the songwriter,” he said. “This album is Mick’s baby, really. He’s kind of been working on these tracks for a long time, just in a demo way.”

Foreign Tongues is due out July 10.

Photo by Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images