Rolling Stones may face fine after violating London curfew

This post has been updated. See note below for details.

Maybe the Rolling Stones should work up Chuck Berry’s “Reelin’ and Rockin’ ” -- the proto-rock hit in which the singer keeps checking his watch -- now that the group may be facing a fine of more than $300,000 for breaking the local curfew Sunday at their 50th anniversary gig in London.

The show was scheduled to wrap at 10:30 p.m., but Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ron Wood continued playing encores until 11:05 p.m., according to the Sun newspaper in London. That makes the band subject to a fine the Sun reports at 200,000 pounds, or about $320,000.

“It means a big fine -- but the guys just do their thing,” the Sun quoted Stones agent Bernard Doherty as saying. “There wasn’t a janitor standing there, jangling his keys, saying. ‘I want to go home’.”

The Stones played numerous Berry songs early in their career, so “Reelin’ and Rockin’ ” would fit right in. “Well I looked at my watch, it was 10:28/Gotta get my kicks before it gets too late,” the song says in one verse.

The Stones join fellow classic rockers Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney in encountering curfew problems at recent concerts. In July, when Springsteen was joined by the ex-Beatle during his performance with the E Street Band at Hyde Park, concert promoters pulled the plug mid-song when the show started to run past a 10:30 p.m. curfew.

Update at 12:06 p.m.: The Rolling Stones U.S. spokeswoman said Tuesday that she has been told that a fine has not been levied on the group for playing past the local curfew.

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Follow Randy Lewis on Twitter: @RandyLewis2

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