

They showed few signs of wear and tear -- except on their aging, heavily lined faces -- as frontman Mick Jagger swaggered and strutted through a stellar 2 1/2-hour show. He looked remarkably trim and fit and was in top vocal form.










Mick Jagger, center, Keith Richards, behind Jagger, Ronnie Wood, left, and Charlie Watts, right, of the Rolling Stones perform at the O2 arena in east
Mick Jagger, center, Keith Richards, behind Jagger, Ronnie Wood, left, and Charlie Watts, right, of the Rolling Stones perform at the O2 arena in east London on Sunday, Nov. 25. The band are scheduled to play four shows to celebrate their 50th anniversary, including two shows at London's O2 and two more in New York. (Invision/Associated Press: Joel Ryan)



The Stones began their professional career imitating the Americans whose music they cherished, but they quickly developed their own style, spawning hundreds -- make that thousands -- of imitators who have tried in vain to match their swagger and style.


They didn't shy away from their darker numbers, including "Paint It Black" and "Sympathy for the Devil" -- Jagger started that one wearing a black, purple-lined faux fur cape that conjured up his late 1960s satanic image.

He even cracked a joke about one of the band's low points, telling the audience it was in for a treat: "We're going to play the entire 'Satanic Majesty's Request' album now," he said, referring to one of the band's least-loved efforts, a psychedelic travesty that has been largely, mercifully, forgotten.

He didn't make good on his threat.


"How are you doing up in the cheap seats?" he asked, motioning to fans in the upper rows of the cavernous 02 Arena. "Except they're not cheap seats, that's the problem."


He said 2012 had been a terrific year for Britain and that the Stones nearly missed the boat, playing no role in the celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the London Olympics or the new James Bond film.
