
Live footage of Dave Grohl and the late Chris Cornell is included in a newly released short film celebrating the 150th anniversary of London’s historic Royal Albert Hall.
The 90-second video, narrated by Rolling Stones legend Mick Jagger, anticipates the impending re-opening of the venue, which currently is closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The clip, titled “Your Room Will Be Ready,” features Jagger reciting an excerpt of the 1964 W.H. Auden poem “For Friends Only.” It’s accompanied by footage of an empty Royal Albert Hall, intercut with a montage of various events held at the venue over the years, including concerts by legendary stars like Grohl and Cornell.
Among the other various music legends glimpsed in the promo: Led Zeppelin, Oasis, Bob Dylan, Queen‘s Freddie Mercury, The Beatles, Diana Ross, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Cream, George Michael and Iggy Pop, as well as the Stones themselves.
“Empty and silent most of the year/This room awaits from you what you alone, as visitor, can bring,” Jagger reads. “Distance and duties divide us, but absence will not seem an evil/if it make our re-meeting a real occasion/Come when you can: Your room will be ready.”
As the film ends, a message appears on the screen that says, “We’ve missed you.” You can watch it now streaming on YouTube.
A number of events that were to have taken place at the Albert Hall in 2021 have been canceled or postponed, but dozens of shows remain confirmed. Visit RoyalAlbertHall.com for a full list of concerts.
By Matt Friedlander
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