The Rolling Stones talk Super Bowl

The Rolling Stones will be performing at this weekend's Super Bowl XL (40).

At a press conference the rock legends joked their way through the questions thrown at them by the assembled media members. Asked about their interest in football, frontman Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards confessed that it's not really their game:
[ click here to listen if you have a Backstage Pass] (Jagger) "I lived in, in New York for a long time in the '70s and '80s, you know, in those days, and I did follow football a lot. I mean, I go back -- I can remember Lynn Swann, I can remember him playing. But I must say, I haven't really been following football in recent years. I've been following soccer." (Richards) "Tiddlywinks is actually our sport." (Jagger) "That's Keith's game."

The discussion inevitably turned towards the controversy that followed Janet Jackson's ''wardrobe malfunction'' at the 2004 Super Bowl. Jagger said that the National Football League and ABC -- which is televising the game on Sunday (February 5th) -- shouldn't worry that the bad boys will try to do anything too provocative:
[ click here to listen if you have a Backstage Pass] "The network television is...they're always worried about how many times you're gonna say 'fuck' on the air, basically. (laughter) And then, and then, you know, they had a bit of a crisis this morning, because they heard that Aretha was gonna strip while she was doing "The Star Spangled Banner." (laughter) But all this is, you know, will all be worked out on the night, and I don't think -- you know, they needn't worry about it. Let's just calm down more, and take life as it comes."

Mick Jagger would not reveal what the Stones are planning to perform on Sunday but said it would probably be a three-song set. Super Bowl entertainment producer Don Mischer said that the Stones performance would be ''100 percent live'' -- no tape -- and that band would perform on a 5,800 square foot stage shaped like their famous lips logo. The stage incorporates two miles of aircraft cable and 67 tons of lighting equipment. Its 35 pieces will be assembled and disassembled in five-and-a-half minutes by a crew of 350 volunteers. The Stones rehearsed on Thursday and Friday at Ford Field, where the Super Bowl is being played.

There's been some controversy about the Rolling Stones being chosen as the halftime entertainers, because some people felt it slighted Detroit's rich musical heritage. The NFL rectified the situation by adding Stevie Wonder for a pre-game performance that will also feature John Legend, Joss Stone, and India.Arie, while Aretha Franklin will sing the national anthem with Aaron Neville, Dr. John, and a 150-voice choir. Jagger said that he felt the situation had been correctly resolved:
[ click here to listen if you have a Backstage Pass] "The thing about the NFL is that, you know, they run a good show but, you know, occasionally they make a mistake, like everybody. But they were quick to rectify it, you know, and I think that was pretty good, you know? And I think that Motown's pretty well represented as a label and a, you know, with Aretha as a representative, also, of people that still live here."

In the meantime, Paul McCartney is amused that the Rolling Stones are playing the SuperBowl, one year after Macca did the same in Jacksonville, Florida. He told us that, the way he sees it, the Stones have always followed the Beatles' lead:
[ click here to listen if you have a Backstage Pass] "It's not bitchy, but if you look at the career of the Beatles and the Stons, they always do stuff a year after we do. So we do Sgt. Pepper and about a year later they do Satanic Majesties, they do their psychedelic album. The Beatles come to America, about a year later the Stones do. So I like it. They're holding true to form."

McCartney didn't want to take theStones to task too much, however:
[ click here to listen if you have a Backstage Pass] "It's all a bit of fun, really, you know, that's the main thing. As long as everyone's enjoying themselves, and the audiences are, so it's good enough for me."