Part I
When I look back on my more than 40 years lasting career as a Rod Stewart fan I always remember that special day in 1980. I went into the local record shop without a clue what to buy. Just a record to make a boring and rainy day a better one. My music favourites at that time were the Beatles, esp. John Lennon. But I was and still am interested in many styles of music. So I scrolled through the hundreds of Vinyls and stopped as I held a red and black cover with a blonde guy on the front in my hand. Rod Stewart. Foolish Behaviour. Of course I knew Rod, had a few dances on his 70 hits Sailing, Da Ya Think I’m Sexy and so on. But nothing more and I hadn’t bought one of his records until then. So that day I spent my first Deutsch Marks (DM) for a Rod album. Back home I put the record player on and Foolish flashed me from the very first second. Couldn’t stop listening that day and night. And started again the next day when I got home from school. But of course I would have never thought that Rod would be a 40 year long part of my life and yes, it’s not over yet. And will never be.
After the bombastic effect that Foolish Behaviour had on me I carried on buying Rod albums, singles, started collecting magazine reports, posters and a lot more stuff. A true fan was born. Me as a fanatic football supporter didn’t need a long time to find out, that Rod was (and is) the same football fanatic like me. From that time on Rod and football belonged together in my life. And then a few years later, in February 1986 – I called myself more and more a true Rod follower – I walked through the City Centre of Dusseldorf and I saw that poster: Rod Stewart live in Dusseldorf, Philipshalle on October 28th 1986. To describe my emotions at that moment – I use the Celtic related expression – this was Paradise to me. It only took me a few hours to get money for the ticket and I remember I went back into town again on the same day and got my first ever Rod ticket for 36 DM, which today is about 18 €. Proud as hell and very excited I went back home. Took care of my ticket as if it was the Crown Jewels. But it was still half a year to go. In summer 1986 I spent my holidays in Belgium by the sea. Every night I took my Sony Walkman, the cassette of Rod’s newest album Every Beat Of My Heart and walked along the beach for hours and hours. With Rod music on my ears. When I listen to this album today or only to one of it’s tracks I still remember that time in summer 1986. Then finally the big day had come: October 28th 1986. That morning I got up very early and made my way into town. During that time I was regularly collecting autographs of football players and I so damn wanted to get a signed pic or album cover of Rod as well. So I went into town very early. I hecked about 15 hotels in Dusseldorf. Not a sign of Rod or any of his band members. When I arrived at the Ramada Renaissance in the afternoon something was different. A lot more security guys in front of the hotel. 2 vans with darkened windows outside the building. So I decided to wait for what would happen. Then, I think it was 5pm, a bus arrived at the hotel. The doors opened and Rod – wearing a white cap – went straight into the hotel. No signature, nothing. But, that was the first time I ever met him. And a lot times should follow over the years.
The concert that day. I still remember as if it was yesterday. Philipshalle was a very small venue compared to today’s arenas like The O2 or SSE Hydro in Glasgow. Only 3000 people in the audience, maybe been 4000. I’m not really sure anymore. But the show was great. I always remember In My Own Crazy Way and Every Beat Of My Heart on that night. And Rod left the stage with We’ll Meet Again as encore. Somebody once asked me which Rod concert of my now 53 shows had been the best. And I said the first one was the best one. And yes, in some way it was really the best one. A very special one to me. Even if I attended Hyde Park or Faces Reunion or some shows in The O2. Dusseldorf 1986 still is my absolute favourite of them all.
While developing my Rod fan career in the 80s I couldn’t leave the football topic behind. I quickly realized that Rod is a true Celtic and Scotland supporter and so I started to read about Celtic, it’s history, the rivalry to the Rangers, it’s success in Scottish club competitions as well as on the European level. In 1998 a coincidence made it possible to get tickets for the Glasgow Derby at Celtic Park. So we went by train from Dusseldorf to Glasgow. And back. But the game and the atmosphere was worth every minute of stress and every pence spent on that trip. Celtic won 5-1 and we never had experienced such an atmosphere before or after. From that day on I call myself a true Celtic fan as well and today I follow every game on TV or Internet. I was lucky enough to attend another Derby in March 2019. Another great day another Celtic win. Nothing but brilliant.
But back to music. It took five long years until Rod came back to Germany in 1991. The Vagabond Tour. I remember I attended a lot of shows. Two of them are still very present today. First of all there was the show in Kempen, a small town near to the Dutch border. A very small venue, sold out. The show was about to start by 8pm. But not Rod came on stage. The local manager took the microphone and told the crowd that the show has to be cancelled cos Rod lost his voice a few minutes before stage time. Many of you might remember that tour and we all know that he had a lot of problems with his voice at that time. There were a few shows being cancelled. But back to the night in Kempen. The people booed and became very very angry. Security had a tough job that day. Very disappointing though. But I got a concert poster for my wall and the money back.
The other Vagabond show I remember very well was Hamburg. It was an open air event at Hamburg stadium and it was broadcasted live on TV. IN GERMANY!!!! How could that happen??? Rod again had to fight some voice problems and it wasn’t his best singing but the crowd was very good and made it a night to remember. You can watch all the songs of that night on Youtube today searching for Rod Stewart, Hamburg, 1991
MARTIN HEIDT