The Rolling Stones, celebrating 50 years in rock music, gave their first concert in five years at a small Paris venue on Thursday, wowing an audience who paid just €15 each to see the surprise gig.

“I can’t believe we’re all still standing up – you’d think by now one or two of us would be sitting down, but we’re not,” lead singer Mick Jagger told the small crowd at the Trabendo club in northeast Paris.

Eric, one of those who queued for hours to grab one of the 350 tickets on offer, was very enthusiastic after the show.

“It was crazy, the audience went mad. It’s extraordinary to see them in these conditions, especially at that price,” he said.

The band has announced four major concerts in Britain and the US to mark their 50th anniversary. The Stones’ last concerts were in 2007.

Before the concert got underway at 9pm, the four Stones – Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts ­– arrived and signed several autographs.

The concert itself lasted an hour and 20 minutes, far more than the advertised 30 minutes, with the band getting the evening under way with a rousing rendition of Route 66.

They followed up with some of their best-loved self-penned hits, including Start Me Up and Miss You as well as Doom and Gloom – a track off their new 50th anniversary anthology album.

Inside the venue, mobile phones, cameras, video equipment and recording devices were strictly prohibited.

There has been outrage in Britain over the steep price of the tickets for the concerts at London’s 02 Arena on November 25 and 29, which are up for €500 a seat on the official ticket website.

Jagger has said the four concerts will be followed by a longer string of dates, yet to be announced.

US music magazine Billboard reported in August that Jagger and his bandmates will earn a total of €19.3 million for the four shows.