Sir Mick Jagger Narrates Short Film For Royal Albert Hall

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In celebration of The Royal Albert Hall’s 150th anniversary, Mick Jagger narrates a new film that pays tribute to live music and performances in the iconic venue. Directed by Tom Harper, the 90-second clip features the empty venue while Jagger recites a section of the poem “For Friends Only” by W.H. Auden. It’s a poignant and emotional reminder of all that we’ve missed since lockdown measures were implemented.

There are also archival footage of legendary gigs throughout the years including concerts from The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Adele, Queen, The Who, Jethro Tull, Iggy Pop, and Foo Fighters.

“Without doubt, the Royal Albert Hall is one of the greatest concert venues in the world,” Jagger said in a statement. “And so I was delighted to be asked to read a short poem by W.H. Auden as part of this excellent short film by Tom Harper. (Ultram) ”

“I have some wonderful memories of performing there with The Stones in the 1960s,” he continued, “when once or twice it did get a bit wild, with enthusiastic fans joining us onstage and almost bringing the show to an abrupt end – but we soldiered on and had a great time.”

He then wished The Royal Albert Hall “a very happy 150th birthday” and that he’s looking forward “to the future, seeing and listening to many fantastic artists and musicians performing onstage at this iconic venue.”

The pandemic has greatly affected live music. While most musicians took to social media to reach out and connect with fans via livestreaming, there’s just no replacing the whole experience of going to a concert and watching them perform just a few feet away from you. As such, The Royal Albert Hall had to cancel over 300 shows and in turn, lost £34,000,000 because of the lockdown.