Keith Richards explains the ‘incendiary moment’ that highlighted The Rolling Stones’ ‘cultural clash’

One of the many “cultural clash” moments for The Rolling Stones proved to be “incendiary” according to guitarist Keith Richards. The veteran rocker outlined the problem and cause when speaking with MOJO Magazine to promote his third studio album, Crosseyed Heart. The moment came early into the band’s history and outside of the studio. It occurred at Chichester Magistrates Court, where Richards and frontman Mick Jagger appeared after being found in possession of cannabis.

Richards and Jagger were busted at the former’s Redlands estate and it soured the mood for the both of them on the London music scene. It was the beginning of the end for “fun” in the country, according to the legendary guitarist. He said in 2003: “When we got busted at Redlands, it suddenly made us realize that this was a whole different ball game and that was when the fun stopped. Up until then, it had been as though London existed in a beautiful space where you could do anything you wanted.”

But further reflection from Richards pinpointed the Redlands bust as a moment where the cultural clash of the British powers that be and the music scene came to light. He said: “Yes, I guess it was. Sometimes I do think about that one. First off, the thing that surprises me is that I opened my mouth at all. It got me an extra six months!

“Luckily, the judge had already screwed the case up. But I remember standing there, and he was talking about ‘some ladies standing naked on couches’ – and I’m like, ‘I’m not interested in your petty morals.’ I was like (puts hand over his mouth), ‘Oh shit, did I just say that?’ But some things just have to be said sometimes. It was nothing to do with scrapings of a bit of weed here and there. It was to do with a cultural clash.”

Richards would share that the reason he stood up for himself in court was not because he fancied himself a martyr for drugs but because he sincerely believed that he and Jagger had done nothing wrong.

He explained: “Yeah. I thought, “Well, somebody’s got to stand up for it!” You don’t think, ‘That’s what I’m going to do, be an English libertine!’ You do it because you thought it was right and there was nothing wrong with it. What was wrong was the other side.

“It was saying, ‘I have no problem with drugs, I have a problem with policemen.’ I suppose suddenly being elevated to this position of ‘The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, da da da,’ I felt I could say that. Let me put it this way: I wouldn’t have said those things if I was Joe Bloggs.”