Ageing and ailing, yet Rolling Stones rock Milan

MILAN - They may have a combined age of 248 years, and a guitarist who has just recovered from head injuries sustained when falling out of a tree, but the Rolling Stones proved that they can still entertain.

At the first gig of the European leg of their A Bigger Bang Tour, delayed for over a month after 62-year-old guitarist Keith Richards underwent surgery in New Zealand, the famous foursome rocked a packed San Siro soccer stadium in Milan.

Fellow guitarist Ron Wood, 59, also checked into a London rehabilitation clinic last month for treatment for alcohol abuse, but both men said yesterday they were feeling good and ready to get back on the touring bandwagon.

Lead singer Mick Jagger congratulated the crowd on Italy's weekend victory in the soccer World Cup, and two of the winning squad -- Marco Materazzi and Alessandro Del Piero -- were invited on to the stage at the end of the two-hour show.

Referring to Richards' accident and the infamous head-butting incident involving Materazzi and French player Zinedine Zidane in the World Cup final, Jagger, speaking in Italian, joked:

"Materazzi and Richards have something in common tonight -- they both recently had head-related problems."

The crowd waved thousands of Italian flags as the foursome performed many of their old classics and a smattering of newer material.

Richards was the first on stage, wearing his trademark headband and a shirt open at the chest.

The night began with Jumpin' Jack Flash and ended with (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, and, apart from short mini-breaks between songs, the ageing rockers showed few signs of slowing down.

Since the 2005 release of their latest album A Bigger Bang, the Rolling Stones have performed on three continents before a combined total of 4.5 million fans, according to their tour director.

Their biggest show was at Copacabana Beach, where they played before 1-1/2 million people, and they also performed in Beijing for the first time.

The group, with hits like Get Off of My Cloud, has sold an estimated 240 million albums since forming in 1962, and is regarded as one of the world's most popular and influential bands.

- REUTERS