Rolling Stones legend Keith Richard films movie about growing up post-World War Two
Acclaimed director Julien Temple is steering the project
ROCK icon KEITH RICHARDS is one of the biggest caners in the history of music and continues to baffle medical science simply by being alive.
But decades of excess somehow haven’t affected his memory — far from it.
I can reveal the legendary ROLLING STONES guitarist has filmed a TV movie about growing up in Dartford, Kent, just after the war — and way before construction of the QE2 Bridge, which has probably raked in more from commuters than the Stones made from music.
Acclaimed director JULIEN TEMPLE, the man behind the SEX PISTOLS’ God Save the Queen video, is steering the project, which will get top billing next month in the BBC’s My Generation season.
Talking about the film, Keith Richards — The Origin of the Species, Julien said: “Hearing the Stones as a kid changed everything for me.
“I felt a new way of living emerging, a new kind of person becoming possible — something I wanted to be a part of. And without a doubt I thought Keith Richards was the Origin of the Species.”
Julien, who has also made videos for the Stones, DAVID BOWIE and WHITNEY HOUSTON, added: “This film sets out to explore how both he and the Sixties in England came about.”
Keith’s home town was bombed more times than any other during World War Two and he himself narrowly escaped a direct hit as a baby when his cot was sprayed with brick dust.
In the film he talks candidly about his experiences of rationing, the end of National Service and other cultural factors leading to the rock ’n’ roll explosion in the Sixties.
Keith, who is also curating a weekend of BBC Four programmes this autumn, said: “I certainly felt that my generation, with what was happening and the feeling in the air, made it a time to push limits.
“The world is ours now and you can rise or fall on it.”
The 60-minute BBC2 film is the latest celebration of the Stones following Exhibitionism, their highly successful London exhibition which opened in April.
There’s no stopping them.
Margot’s fumble in the jungle
MARGOT ROBBIE looks more at home on the red carpet than she ever did on Ramsay Street.
The former Neighbours star was the talk of Hollywood as she stunned in a kimono-inspired gown at the LA movie premiere of The Legend of Tarzan.
The Aussie actress plays feisty Jungle Jane alongside ALEXANDER SKARSGARD as Tarzan in the film, which opened in London on Tuesday.
In an interview with Men’s Health magazine, out today, Alexander told how he felt pressured to beef up for the role. He said: “I wanted to get bigger than I was but I didn’t want to look like a bodybuilder.
“It was important that every single fibre and every muscle was there for a reason.
“In the wild, everything has a purpose, otherwise nature gets rid of it.”
In one racy scene, after the couple are lured back to the African jungle years after setting up home in Victorian England, the hunk rips off Margot’s dress.
Alexander’s real-life girlfriend ALEXA CHUNG might want to slope out for some popcorn during that part.
First night: Beyonce at Stadium of Light, Sunderland
SHE has long been accused of carefully stage-managing her image.
But there is one thing BEYONCE can’t control – the weather.
Torrential rain delayed the opening show of her UK tour in Sunderland.
Almost an hour after she was due on stage, crew members were still brushing away with mops trying to get rid of several large puddles on the stage. The last thing they wanted for Queen Bey was a MADONNA-style slip.
Fans – many of whom had stood in the downpour all day to get the best view of their idol – urged her on with screams every five minutes.
It finally worked, and at 8.45pm Beyonce appeared on stage amid a haze of smoke. She opted for a sparkly black corset, tights, and her own umbrella in the form of a giant fedora.
Backed by tens of matching dancers, she kicked off the set with new hit Formation.
She told the 50,000-strong crowd: “If y’all came to slay tonight, say ‘I slay!’
“If you slay tonight and every day say, ‘I slay!’ If you are proud of who you are and where you come from, say ‘I slay!’”
It was more haway than slay from the Sunderland masses.
‘Empty’ a-Rih-na
HEARING RIHANNA’s top hits live isn’t the only plus point of her UK tour – there’s also space to stretch out.
The Bajan singer is one of music’s biggest superstars and one of my favourites, but sadly she’s not exactly selling out her arenas.
There were rafts of empty seats at her latest gig in Glasgow’s Hampden Park on Monday, leading some fans to claim the venue was only “a third full”.
It was a similar story at her previous gigs at Wembley Stadium and in Dublin last week.
Maybe she’s cut down on her twerking?
The CeeLoo Clean show
CEELO GREEN will know what to do if his career goes down the pan – his worst ever job before finding fame was cleaning loos.
The soul star revealed: “I did sanitation. I cleaned bathrooms, I cleaned loos for a little while.”
CeeLo, whose global smash F*** You saw him shut the lid on all that, was in the UK to honour PRINCE at the Autism Rocks Prince tribute concert at London’s Hammersmith Apollo.
Paying tribute to his idol, he added: “I believe Prince lives on in my soul. I want to carry on his sense of exploration, musical variation, style, consistency, quality and depth. (His death) has inspired me to be more prolific. Time is borrowed for us all.”
CeeLo also told of his love for the London lingo.
The GNARLS BARKLEY star said: “I come over to London quite a lot and have picked up words like cheeky, guvna’, bugger all and w***er.”
That potty mouth would go well with his old job.
Day trekker Macca
SIR PAUL McCARTNEY has been outed as a huge Star Trek fan.
The former BEATLE was so into the classic sci-fi series that he came up with the idea for a spin-off revolving around his band WINGS.
Susan Sackett, an assistant to the telly show’s late creator GENE RODDENBERRY, revealed the pair even co-wrote a movie – in which Macca and his pals emerged victorious in an intergalactic battle of the bands.
She said: “Paul hired Gene to write a story about the band and it was a crazy story. It was bands from outer space having a competition. Gene was open to things at this point.
“Star Trek wasn’t happening and he wasn’t getting his scripts produced – but he had a family to feed.”
They started work on the project during the late Seventies.
But as soon as there were whispers of a telly revival for Star Trek, it was shelved.
Sir Paul will have to make do with my mock-up including JOHN, GEORGE and RINGO.
Kelly’s dream come true
KELLY BROOK is going back to her roots. The man who made her the star she is today, uber agent JONATHAN SHALIT OBE, is once again masterminding her career after signing Kelly to his company Roar Global. And Kelly’s pretty happy about it, judging by her announcement yesterday on Instagram.
She wrote: “Very excited to be represented by this guy Professor Jonathan Shalit. Thank you for letting me be nothing more than myself and making my dreams come true. Here’s to many more fantastic moments.”
Jonathan helped turn Kelly into a brand, sorting lucrative fashion deals and orchestrating her dominance of the celebrity calendar charts.
They’re clearly a winning combo.
Cool-off for cat
NICOLE APPLETON and ex- hubby LIAM GALLAGHER put aside their bitter feud on social media yesterday – to mourn their pet cat Lady Our Kid.
ALL SAINTS star Nicole – who wrote the band’s comeback tune One Strike about the bitter collapse of her marriage – replied to Liam’s “RIP KID” tweet with a broken-heart emoji.
The posts were their first public interaction since their 2014 divorce.
Nicole earlier paid her own tribute, posting: “I lost my best friend of 19 years tonight.”