Right from the off, there was drama.
As Rod Stewart hit his stride during his Leeds concert, a silver-haired woman in a flowered dress and sensible sandals found herself overcome.
She rushed the stage, only to be immediately kettled by burly stewards, clearly keen to throw her out.
But Rod the rocker proved he is a man with a heart.
As the burly ones did their job, he stopped the music to ask them to give the lady one more chance.
âYou canât throw her outâ he said, so they didnât.
For this, and for providing great entertainment, the husky-voiced pop veteran proved he is still in a league of his own with his performance at Elland Road.
The stadium wasnât full, but the star who is almost as famous for his love of football as for his years at the top of the music business, gave a premiership-level display of skill.
He was back in Leeds for the first time since 1973, when he played the now demolished Queenâs Hall with his band The Faces.
Back then, it was all rock ân roll with a hard-drinking Rod throwing whisky bottles and kicking footballs out to an adoring young crowd of â70s teenagers.
I know, because I was there.
This time around all was calmer â ladies in sensible sandals aside. Rod has now been a star for four decades, he has had relationships with many leggy blondes and fathered many children. You get the impression that these days he would prefer a nice glass of wine to a large whisky, or possibly even a cup of tea.
But he still kicks footballs out into the crowd and heâs still great value. For two hours Rod gave his fans what they love. Up on stage, there were three sexy blondes playing sexy sax and sexy violin on one side, and three sexy dark-haired backing singers on the other. Behind him was a sharp band in sharp suits, but Rod dominated the stage.
The crowd was middle-aged, happy and relaxed. Those not rushing the stage danced, began a conga and sang their hearts out. They had seats, but they didnât need them.
The big finish was Sailing but, before it was finished, he was gone and we were left wanting more, because Rod still wears it well.
Reproduced with thanks to Jayne Dawson
and The Yorkshire Evening Post
To see a great slide show of the gig and for the best concert coverage go to https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/rod_stewart_at_elland_road_review_and_slideshow_1_3452335