Addicted To Rod

My first birthday present this year: On 3 January – exactly one week before my 55th (observant readers will notice that I share my birthday with Mr Stewart) – I got hold of a ticket for Rod Stewart’s show at the WiZink Center in Madrid. Since I’ve been living in Mallorca for a few years, it was immediately clear to me that I didn’t want to miss the chance to experience my music hero in my adopted country. It was to be the 55th time – at the age of 55 – that I would see Rod live on stage. Up the Hoops!

Yesterday was the day, and in the last weeks and months it was not clear at all if I would be able to travel to Madrid. I had a lot of things piling up at work, and a trip to Madrid slipped to the back of my mind. I had already tried to pass on the ticket so that it wouldn’t expire. Fortunately, no one wanted it, because then I had the opportunity to travel to the Spanish capital at very short notice. However, not for two or three days as planned, but only as part of a day trip. Departure to Madrid in the late afternoon – return flight to Palma directly after the show with the last plane.

Arriving in Madrid, I took a taxi from the airport to the arena, which I reached when most of the visitors had already taken their seats. As soon as I had reached my seat, the show started – a precision landing, I would say.

The arena was completely sold out with 12,000 visitors and when the first bars of Addicted To Love sounded, most of them got out of their seats. Viva Espana! Viva Rod! And me in the middle of it all – the 55th time I’ve seen Rod take to a stage. What a night!

Our hero delivered a brilliant show, the setlist offered the usual classics like Maggie May, Baby Jane and Young Turks, The audience in the Spanish capital, where Rod was back for the first time in seven years, celebrated their Rod Stewart fiesta exuberantly. And the Spanish press was still cheering in the evening: “The evening was one big party and the man has been providing that for six decades”.

Rod did not forget to pay musical tribute to three deceased superstars and companions yesterday. Tina Turner (It takes two), Jeff Beck (People get ready) and Christine McVie (I’d rather go blind) and showed his support for Ukraine, to whom he dedicated the song Rhythm of my heart.

After about two hours, Rod said goodbye with a captain’s hat on his head and gave the fans a wonderful version of Sailing as a farewell gift.

I didn’t quite live to see the end. When Rod left the stage, I was already on the taxi to the airport. And at the last minute I caught the last plane back to my island.

On the 50 minutes flight back, I realised that this was probably the last time I would experience a Rod concert like this. As Rod has already announced several times that he wants to do something different in the future. But let’s wait and see, nevertheless I was very grateful to have experienced this evening. All the travel stress suddenly didn’t matter at all.

When I arrived home (2.30 am), I had a beer to finish off a great trip. Cheers to you Rod!

Words by Martin Heidt

Photos By @jackssolorock