Keith Richards Looks Back At His Days Of Excess In Under The Influence Trailer

The Rolling Stones guitarist and songwriter isn’t slowing down.

Ellen Killoran

Sep 9, 2015

Keith Richards knows who he is and how he’s perceived. But the trailer for the new Netflix documentary Keith Richards: Under the Influence hints that there might be a disconnect between the real man and his image as a legendary partier who has defied nature by still thriving despite his numerous brushes with death and drugs.

Not that there wasn’t a lot of partying during the Rolling Stones’ heyday, and beyond. In one scene, the chain-smoking guitarist revisits the home of Muddy Waters – an early musical influence – where he recalled a gathering years ago. “It was rocking when I got here, I remember that,” he says. “It’s leaving I don’t remember.

Richards appears jovial and relaxed in the trailer; a man who knows he has achieved greatness but nonetheless doesn’t take himself too seriously. Often laughing and joking, his demeanor is bit of a contrast to the surly face that has appeared in countless photos of the Rolling Stones. “Life is a funny thing,” the 71-year-old songwriter says in the trailer. “No one wants to get old but they don’t want to die young either.”

Under The Influence is directed by Morgan Neville, best known for the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, and who filmed Richards as he was preparing to record his first solo record in over two decades. Netflix has been doubling down on its original documentary programming, and had a hit this summer with the Nina Simone documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?. From the looks of it, Under The Influence may be yet another notch in the company’s belt.

Keith Richards: Under the Influence will premiere on Netflix on September 18.