How the Stones' Licks Tour Made Deep Cuts a New Standard for Legacy Acts

Before 2002, classic rock bands touring behind a hits compilation usually played the same greatest-hits show every night. The Stones changed that with the Licks tour. For the first time, they deliberately rotated deep cuts and rarities across the 117 shows—songs like “I Just Want to See His Face,” “Loving Cup,” and “Moonlight Mile” that hadn’t been played live in decades. Each city got a different setlist, often with a handful of surprises culled from every era of their catalog.

This wasn’t just a nod to hardcore fans. It set a quiet precedent for how legacy acts approach touring. Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, and even younger bands like Pearl Jam later adopted similar “no two shows alike” philosophies on their own nostalgia tours. The Licks tour proved that fans over 40 don’t just want the radio staples—they want the deep cuts they never thought they’d hear live.