Welcome back, you diamond geezers. We're lucky to have you

ONE has to be careful when tossing around phrases like "This may be the last time" in the context of Rolling Stones happenings. They have, for about 642 decades now, been making a mockery of such pronouncements.

They make their own rules. The first time I saw the Stones as a pre-teen, the jeering, about how preposterous it was for men of their age to be prancing around on stage playing rebel rock'n'roll music, was deafening.

That was 28 years ago.

And so... a press conference in Hackney. Well, why not? Nobody does press conferences anymore, least of all to announce that they have "cut" some "new tracks". Especially when everyone in the world already knows that you are releasing said tracks, as your first album of original material for 18 years, entitled Hackney Diamonds. Absence from the studio has certainly, Bowie-style, made the public's heart grow fonder. It is difficult to imagine the scenes that were occurring outside the Empire on Mare Street in brief: total pandemonium - greeting the announcement of 1997's Bridges To Babylon or 2005's A Bigger Bang.

But goodness, what a treat to see the three still-breathing Rolling Stones on stage together for the first time-outside of concerts - in God knows how long. They should do it more often because they are very, very good at this sort of thing. From the moment they were introduced by Jimmy Fallon, it was hysterically entertaining.

Oddly, although this was an occasion ostensibly arranged to announce the 26th Rolling Stones album, some perhaps important details were left out.