'Start Me Up' - Rolling Stones open store in London despite pandemic

LONDON - The Rolling Stones opened their first dedicated store in London's Carnaby Street, despite the coronavirus pandemic having drastically reduced footfall and the number of tourists visiting the city.

RS No. 9 Carnaby will sell clothes, merchandise and music and feature a video wall with a film of the band, a soundwave installation to represent part of the 1960s track "Paint It Black" and a super-sized version of the band's lips and tongue logo.

"Why would you open a shop during a pandemic? Well, you know, it's eternal optimism," said singer Mick Jagger.

"You could have put it off, I guess, till next year... but there will be a little bit of pick up, I think. And people will be curious and people are out and about a bit more than they were," the 77-year-old added.

The shop will also sell Rolling Stones face masks.

When asked why they chose to open on Carnaby Street, a road synonymous with the swinging sixties in London, Jagger said it is close to where the band used to work and rehearse.

This week the Stones released a remastered version of their 1973 album "Goats Head Soup", which contains unearthed tracks such as "All The Rage".

In July they released a previously lost track, "Scarlet", recorded at guitarist Ronnie Wood's house in 1974 and featuring Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.

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