Some guys have all the luck, so do some girls because it’s Friday 13th and I’m at the Arena Birmingham, five rows from the front waiting to see my idol, Sir Rod Stewart for the third time in 2019!!
The venue was a five minute walk from our hotel across the road and a short step along the canal, it was ice cold but the excitement of going to see Rod and the mulled wine from the Christmas market we’d strolled around earlier kept out the chill.
We got there early but it was already heaving with people of all ages in anticipation of the evening to come, an à la Rod mix of tartan, green hoops and animal print on show. The arena staff were friendly and welcoming. There were plenty of bars and even a big pick ‘n’ mix sweet stall and alcoholic slush cocktails. It was great to see an ‘unsigned stage’ for hopeful stars to be able to try out their tunes on the captive and seemingly receptive audience.
After picking up VIP bags with daughter Katy, my chauffeur to gigs over the past ten years of my 46 year long obsession with Sir (a child dragged up on Rod), we found our seats and sat like two kids going through our booty bags! The tartan socks adorned with Rods signature were our favourite!
First on Johnny Mac & the Faithful, firm fave of Rods faithful and a brilliant warm up to the main man with their mix of Celtic songs & rock numbers…. I’m sure Johnny’s picked up some of Rods moves!
A short break then pipes and drums and he’s here in a gold suit and trainers, beaming from ear to ear blasting out ‘Some Guys Have All The Luck’ and looking like he knows that guy is him! The band and trio of girls are on it from the start, the warmth towards each other in the band and towards the bossman is clear to see and only adds to the feel good factor they emit!
On a night that Rod announces he’s number 1 in the album charts, knocking Robbie Williams off the top spot, he’s clearly proud and the crowd loved it. His duet of ‘It Takes Two’ with Becca Coat replacing Robbie went down well and Rod said she did a better job!
Downtown train was sung to the backdrop of a tour around Rods fantastic Model Railway, peppered with his humour naming buildings “The Vibrator factory” and “The Useless Contractors Company”,
again a little insight for us of one of his passions, sharing bits of him with us, that’s what he does.
He gave us another treat, Gasoline Alley, not sung in concert by him for twenty years. It was magic and when done he said “glad we didn’t cock it up”, pure Rod! So were the splattering of F words, even in front of his big brothers and his sister Mary who sang along with the rest of us, to his delight. You can look up the set list, but you had to be there for the highlights.
Every member of the band had a mention and their own spot to shine. With the slick staging, everything came together to showcase Rod as the fantastic entertainer and the lovely bloke that he is. A mass of balloons came down from the roof but just a bit too early for me as they were still popping and bouncing around when Rod came back on for an encore. An emotional rendition of sailing with the girls, then the curtain came down.
I know I wasn’t the only Rod the Mod fan left wondering when or even if I would be able to do it over again. No way a mere mortal half his age could keep up touring like he has this year. But all I know is if he can he will.
Rod wears it well ….. very well!
Review By Angela Rodda
Photos By Angela Rodda
Montage By Tommy Kevitt