Musical trends may come and go but the Rolling Stones just keep on rocking. That is until next year, when it's rumoured that Mick, Keef, Ronnie and Charlie may bring down the curtain on the world's longest-running rock'n'roll revue for good (well, they are all pushing 70).
If true, this would lend 2011's planned world tour a valedictory air. No details of dates or venues have been announced as yet but it could be the last chance anyone will ever get to witness Jagger's swagger in the flesh, so expect this one to be the hottest ticket of 2011.
Not far behind the Rolling Stones in the endurance stakes, and still windmilling just as furiously as they did in the 1960s, are the Who. "We feel it's the role of the artist to go all the way through life 'til you can't do it anymore," evergreen singer Roger Daltrey told Billboard.com recently. He added that the Who's 2011 tour would probably comprise a revival of their cult 1973 mod-themed rock opera Quadrophenia, presented in a new way to make it feel more vital to concert-goers.
Another rock veteran fronting a multimedia extravaganza is Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, who brings The Wall Live to the UK in 2011, including six dates at London's O2 arena in May. Waters promises to play the 1979 classic album in its entirety, supported by 73-metre tall projections featuring new visuals by Gerald Scarfe.
It's certainly been a trend in recent years for established bands to host concerts revisiting classic albums in their entirety – fans are guaranteed to hear their favourite songs, while the events often help revitalise interest in the band's new material. Indie promoters All Tomorrow's Parties pioneered the concept with their Don't Look Back series, which stages its biggest show to date at Alexandra Palace in July 2011: psychedelic troupers the Flaming Lips will perform their brilliant 1999 album The Soft Bulletin, supported by Dinosaur Jr, who will play their seminal 1988 grunge effort Bug.
Primal Scream are getting in on the act, too. Having sold out four nights of their Screamadelica live show at London's Olympia this month, they take the live version of their blissed-out 1991 Balearic masterpiece on the road in March.
Catering to a different crowd is Lady Gaga's 2011 Monster Ball tour, which should be heading over to Europe after its North American leg in May. It's rumoured that Ms Gaga is lining up popular New York disco troupe Scissor Sisters for a support slot. Of course, Kylie Minogue's concerts set the standard for costumed extravagance long before Gaga came on the scene. The Aussie popstrel's Aphrodite: Les Folies 2011 tour sashays through the UK in March and April, with most dates already sold out.
Although nothing has been announced yet, Take That are almost certain to embark on their first tour as a five-piece since 1994 next summer. We can also expect to see Kings of Leon hit the road in support of their recently released fifth album Come Around Sundown.
Popular British acts returning to the live arena in 2011 include Elbow, who start their first ever arena tour in March to coincide with the release of their new album – given the working title of Lippy Kids – and Plan B, who's also got an arena tour booked for the spring on the back of continued strong sales for his Motown-tinged second album The Defamation of Strickland Banks.
"No one's shying away from putting shows into the marketplace this year," says an upbeat Steve Homer, of concert promoters Live Nation, who is lining up a glut of big-name announcements before Christmas. He won't reveal too much, but gives this tantalising hint: "There's possibly going to be the biggest stadium tour that's ever happened going out next year."
Homer's also keen to see which legendary bands may be persuaded to reform for live shows in 2011, as Blur or Led Zeppelin have done to great acclaim in recent years. "There are some key reunions that everyone always tries to chase, whether it be Talking Heads or the Smiths. Those two might seem unlikely, but a few years ago people thought there'd never ever be a Police reunion, and they toured successfully across the globe for two years. In a lot of these situations people will be swayed by money – it's just a matter of how much!"
