Rolling Stones veteran Keith Richards has demanded an apology from two Swedish newspapers which printed scathing reviews of the band's recent gig in Gothenburg.

An article in Expressen said the guitarist seemed to be "very drunk" during the August 3 concert, while Aftonbladet gave the performance a rating of two out of five.

The band appeared in the city as part of their two-year "Bigger Bang" world tour, which finished on Sunday.

In a statement to the two newspapers, Richards wrote: "Never before have I risen to the bait of a bad review. But this time ... I have to stand up for our incredible Gothenburg audience and for our fans all over Sweden ... to say that you owe them, and us, an apology."

He accused the press of abusing its power by failing to report with honesty and integrity, saying: "There were 56,000 people in Ullevi stadium who bought a ticket to our concert … How dare you cheapen the experience for them."

He added: "Write the truth. It was a good show."

However, Aftonbladet journalist Markus Larsson stood by the review, claiming: "It is Keith who should apologise. After all, it costs around 1,000 kronor (£72) to see a rock star who can hardly handle the riff to 'Brown Sugar' any more."

Richards shocked fans by nearly falling of stage during a drunken performance in Finland earlier this month.