Metro

The Rolling bones

AFTER 50 YEARS, STILL NO MOSS: The Rolling Stones, all pushing or past 70, had enough Geritol in their systems last night to make one wonder if the ambulance (inset) outside the Barclays Center was standing by for one of them or someone in the sellout crowd of 18,000. (
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You can’t always get what you want — but the Rolling Stones showed last night that they still had what they needed to thrill a screaming crowd.

The wrinkly rockers found a fountain of youth springing from the stage at the Barclays Center, where they played a sold-out mega concert that hit the crowd of 18,000 like a crossfire-hurricane.

Although most of his peers are worried about hip-breaking — the timeless, 69-year-old Mick Jagger opened the show with a red-hot rendition of “Get Off My Cloud” that was positively hip-shaking.

Behind him, guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood stood side by side, soaking up the screaming crowd. At the back, Charlie Watts played the drums with that familiar nonchalance that has long made him the coolest Stone.

The group may have looked older than a meeting of the Supreme Court — but they were able to summon the ghosts of sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll past.

There were a few, creaky, Metamucil moments at the start, such as when Jagger tried his hand at comedy.

“We came here by the subway,” explained Jagger. “I sat next to this really nice bloke who didn’t have a clue who I was . . . it turned out to be Jay-Z.”

After name-checking the Barclays Centers’ master of the house, the Stones appropriately laid into their iconic classic “Gimme Shelter,” which benefitted hugely from the addition of Mary J. Blige as guest vocalist.

Both she and Jagger combined to lift the sexual tension to staggeringly exciting levels.

Sadly, like grandpa at Christmas dinner, the Stones couldn’t quite keep up the pace through the latter courses.

New songs “One More Shot” and the riotously fun “Doom And Gloom” were used as bathroom breaks by many in the crowd.

By the time the leathery Richards took center stage to perform lead vocals on “Happy” and “Before They Make Me Run,” the show seemed to be going flaccid in more ways than one.

But, before the Stone’s old bones totally turned to dust, the show seemed to be hit with a sudden shot of Viagra, especially when they started laying into classics such as “Midnight Rambler” and “Start Me Up.”

On the former, Richards and Wood trade solos like delta blues brothers with Jagger howling up an evil storm whenever he could get a word (or a sound) in edge ways.

“Sympathy For The Devil” captured the band in their full satanic swing, before Jagger turned preacher man for a gospel choir aided “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

And if there’s a better one-two punch than “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” followed by “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” then it doesn’t exist in this world.

“Are you having a good time now?” asked Jagger as the show sped towards its conclusion.

It took us a little while, Mick. But yeah, we got there in the end.