Rod Stewart plays to his adoring fans…
I had raised an eyebrow earlier this week when Sunday’s Hard Rock Calling tickets went on sale on a certain discount website. Was this a sign that Rod Stewart wasn’t drawing a crowd? Not on your life. Even the 2000 deal tickets were dwarfed by the huge numbers that turned up in the Sunday sun to see the rocker’s two hour set.
Running on stage looking more like a Vegas icon in a flashy dinner jacket, rock star Rod Stewart delivered a set heavily-influenced by his recent albums with a swathe of covers and a set that was as much soul as it was rock. A cover of The O’ Jays’ Love Train kicked off proceedings, and a crowd that had been placid in the midday heat sprang to life under the setting sun. Dance circles, filled by whooping fans, broke out in all areas of the festival ground as young and old alike danced to a set opening that featured only two of Stewart’s own songs – Tonight’s the Night and Baby Jane.
Surrounded by his glamorous band and backing singers, Rod affirmed his choice of costume, delivering a set of show-tunes reminiscent of the lounge acts of Las Vegas. After a rendition of Downtown Train, the star welcomed his support act Stevie Nicks on stage to perform Young Turks, and the real Rod Stewart began to emerge.
Another familiar face joined him for Maggie May – former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood. The ubiquitous Mr. Wood accompanied Rod on guitar before joining the rock star for Faces song Stay With Me. The pair looked like they were having more fun than the crowd, and Stewart energetically galloped towards set finisher Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?.
That question might have seemed faintly ridiculous if posed without the preceding two hours, but with chest exposed to the largely middle-aged crowd, the answer was an emphatic ‘Yes’. And the crowd were left screaming for more as the curfew left time for only one encore – Sailing – before Rod retired into the wings and this year’s Hard Rock Calling came to an hysterical end.
Reproduced with thanks to Ben McDermott/Beehive City
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