The Stones performed 22 songs during their two-hour concert

Fireworks and flames shot up from the stage as the veteran rock band kicked off the event with Start Me Up.

But controversial song Sweet Neo Con, seen by some as an attack on President Bush, did not make the set list.

Sir Mick Jagger made a joking reference during the show to the presence of actor turned California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in the audience.

"When we drove up he was out front, selling T-shirts and a few tickets," he told the crowd.

'Great to be back'

Sunday's concert at the Fenway Park baseball stadium marked the second time the band have started a world tour in the city.

"It's great to be back here in Boston," said Jagger before singing such Stones classics as Brown Sugar, Honky Tonk Women and Sympathy for the Devil.

At 64, drummer Charlie Watts is the oldest member of the band

New songs included Oh No! Not You Again and Rough Justice from the band's new album A Bigger Bang, released in September.

The concert ended with encores of You Can't Always Get What You Want and Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It).

The Stones' tour will return to Fenway Park on Tuesday before playing further dates across the US and Canada.

They will then take in South America, the Far East and finally Europe.

However, the band have consistently rejected rumours that this tour would be a farewell one.