LONDON, England -- The Rolling Stones have rescheduled their European concert tour after guitarist Keith Richards made a complete recovery from his brain operation and apologized for "falling off my perch" while holidaying in Fiji.

Europe dates are rescheduled after 'fall off perch'

Friday, June 2, 2006

LONDON, England -- The Rolling Stones have rescheduled their European concert tour after guitarist Keith Richards made a complete recovery from his brain operation and apologized for "falling off my perch" while holidaying in Fiji.

Richards' fall from a palm tree -- and subsequent surgery in New Zealand -- forced the aging rockers to postpone their "A Bigger Bang" tour.

"Excuse me. I fell off my perch. Sorry to disrupt everyone's plans but now it's full steam ahead. Ouch," the 62-year-old Richards said in a statement.

The tour, which was to start in Barcelona, Spain last month, will now kick off in Milan' on July 11 and end in Horsens, Denmark on September 3.

The band will play 21 stadium dates in 11 countries.

"We are delighted to announce the Stones tour is back on track and thank all the fans and ticket holders for their patience," said tour promoter Michael Cohl.

"We have put in as many shows in as many countries as was feasible. This is still going to be the most incredible rock show ever." end

Richards was injured April 27 in Fiji. News reports variously claimed that he fell out of a palm tree or from a jet ski. Richards later had surgery in New Zealand to relieve pressure in his head.

The Stones' official fan Web site said in a statement that Richards later returned to the United States, where he lives, and was "feeling great, happy to be home and looking forward to getting back on the road."

The revised tour dates are:

July 11 -- Milan, Italy

July 14 -- Vienna, Austria

July 16 -- Munich, Germany

July 19 -- Hanover, Germany

July 21 -- Berlin

July 23 -- Cologne, Germany

July 28 -- Paris

July 31 -- Amsterdam, Netherlands

August 2 -- Stuttgart, Germany

August 5 -- Zurich, Switzerland

August 8 -- Nice, France

August 12 -- Porto, Portugal

August 14 -- Valladolid, Spain

August 16 -- El Ejido, Spain

August 20 -- London

August 22 -- London

August 25 -- Glasgow, Scotland

August 27 -- Sheffield, England

August 29 -- Cardiff, Wales

September 1 -- Bergen, Norway

September 3 -- Horsens, Denmark