Stones get latest tour rolling

The Rolling Stones launched into Start Me Up to kick off their latest North American tour at Boston’s historic Fenway Park, a fitting venue and fitting opening song for the ageing but irrepressible rockers.

Mick Jagger appeared as spry as ever, strutting across the giant stage.

“It’s great to be back in Boston,” the 62-year-old lead singer told the crowd last night.

It’s been 43 years since the Stones first took shape and three years since they launched their Forty Licks world tour, which many mistakenly believed would be the last for Jagger, Keith Richards and the crew.

Yesterday, fans across the age spectrum converged on the baseball stadium for the concert, many in T-shirts emblazoned with the band’s trademark lips and tongue logo.

“I tease them about geezer rock and now they’re seeing it themselves,” said Richard Tucker, of Chatham, who brought his 19-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter.

The Stones opened with classics Start Me Up, You Got Me Rocking, Shattered and Tumbling Dice, before playing Rough Justice, a song from their soon-to-be-released album, A Bigger Bang.

One song, Sweet Neo-Con, is already generating noise for its overt political tone. While controversy is hardly new for the Stones, the band has only sporadically dabbled in politics or current affairs during its long history.

The tour may well test the band’s stamina. The three remaining original Stones - Jagger, Richards and drummer Charlie Watts – are 62, 61 and 64 respectively. Guitarist Ron Wood, now going on 30 years touring with the band, is the baby of the bunch at 58.

At Fenway, they’re playing one of the biggest stages in rock and roll. According to a publicist for the band, it took about 70 trucks to bring it piece by piece from Toronto, where the band rehearsed for the tour.

While the Stones rocked the stadium last night, the noise police stood guard outside Fenway – noise meters in hand.

If the music surpassed 70 decibels on surrounding streets, the city was prepared to tell concert producers to turn down the volume.