Main photo Penny Lancaster
Rod and Alastair started the week with a trip to the big Eubank V Benn boxing match on Saturday night as Scotland lost an epic world cup qualifier away to Greece he was spotted in the crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London
Here is a report from Martin Heidt
Spurs Stadium: Rod Stewart saw fists flying
On Saturday evening, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London was dominated by international boxing. In front of 67,484 spectators, the eagerly awaited middleweight boxing match between the two British boxing stars Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr took place – days before the duel, the press was already talking about an ‘epic battle’.
No wonder, then, that numerous celebrities didn’t want to miss this boxing event. Among them were former footballer Thierry Henry, former Spice Girl Emma Bunton and our very own Sir Rod Stewart, who is usually more likely to be found at matches of his beloved Celtic FC, the Scottish national team or his own concert in a football stadium.
Chris Eubank and Conor Benn were supposed to face each other in 2022, but the fight was cancelled after Benn tested positive for a banned substance just days before the event.
Three years later, during a fiery first press conference, Eubank cracked an egg on his head, setting the stage for a pulsating two-round middleweight bout that ended with Benn suffering a unanimous defeat after the ‘fight of the year’.
Yesterday, the two rivals once again fought a great battle, which Benn won on points against Eubank after twelve rounds with official scores of 119-107, 116-110, 118-108.
Sir Rod may have been fired up for the boxing by his son Sean, who was badly beaten up just a few days ago in a Misfits exhibition fight in Nashville. The 45-year-old was knocked out after only 13 seconds.
Misfits pits social media influencers, former MMA fighters and other athletes and celebrities against each other.
But Rod Stewart and boxing – there was something about that before… That’s right, on 24 October 2015, the British singer appeared in the show programme for the heavyweight fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury. At the ESPRIt arena in Düsseldorf (now Merkur Spiel-Arena), Sir Rod performed in front of well over 50,000 spectators and presented the song ‘Please’ from his then newly released album ‘Another Country’ in the boxing ring.
Klitschko, who is currently defending his homeland Ukraine in the war against Russia alongside his brother Vitali, said at the time: “I’m a big fan of Rod Stewart, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to attend any of his concerts yet. He is a megastar, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. To have him perform live before my heavyweight world championship fight is just fantastic. It’s entertainment at its finest for the fans in the stadium and those watching at home.”
And Rod responded with his well-known humour: ‘I am thrilled and honoured to be part of this historic boxing match and look forward to performing for fans in Germany and around the world,’ says Stewart. ‘I’ll be warming up the stage for Wladimir and Tyson – but keep your fists in check until I’m off the stage!’
Rod also bumped into Dizzee Rascal at the bar who commented They don’t make Rock Stars like @sirrodstewart anymore 🫡
And the most legendary ring speaker of all time Michael Buffer posted this gem on X [Twitter]
Early Steps The Bourbon And Vinyl Review
Reproduced with kind thanks to Kenneth Corsini here is the review from the brilliant blog Bourbon And Vinyl – Rock ‘n Roll, drinking and sometimes both at the same time
Reviews: Both Bob Dylan (‘Bootleg Series Vol 18’) and Faces (‘Early Steps’) Release Archival, Pre-Debut Sets
By Kenneth Corsini
Some of you might think the holiday season starts when you begin seeing Xmas merch at your local shopping center. That’s not what triggers the dreaded holidays for me. I don’t think there’s a clearer sign that the holidays are here than when a flood of archival releases/box sets start getting released from myriad different artists in the hopes they find their way to your stocking or under your tree. Two of the most arguably amazing artists ever have jumped into the holiday fray with archival releases from the early stages of their careers. Legend Bob Dylan has released The Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through The Open Window 1956 – 1963. Many of the recordings on the new box predate even Dylan’s debut album in 1962 and run right up to the release of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan in 1963. The box is entirely comprised of outtakes, alternative takes, and live cuts. It’s all just Dylan and an acoustic guitar and harmonica. Does Dylan get enough credit for his amazing harmonica work? There is so much material here that was previously unreleased it’s a bit staggering. Just when I thought I was “out” of the Bootleg Series, they pull me back in.
Another personal favorite of B&V, the Faces, have also dropped a single disc archival release from early in their career, entitled Early Steps. I bought the vinyl version because I’m “that guy.” This is on the heels of the great release, Faces At the BBC. The recordings on this record predate the Faces debut album First Step. The Faces, of course, were born out of the ashes of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott (guitar/vocals) left Ian McLagan (keyboards), Ronnie Lane (bass/vocals), and Kenny Jones (drums) in the lurch, so to speak. They were quickly joined by Ronnie Wood (guitar) who played bass for the Jeff Beck Group (who switched back to guitar) and slightly later joined by Rod Stewart who sang for Jeff Beck and had also put out a debut solo album, The Rod Stewart Album.
Since these sets both cover similar early points in each artist’s career, I thought I’d combine both in one post. I’ve never done this, so here we go. I’ll start with Dylan and get to the Faces below.
I can’t believe we’ve reached 18 volumes of Dylan’s acclaimed Bootleg Series. It seems like just yesterday I was writing about Bootleg Series 17: Fragments: Time Out Of Mind Sessions 1996 – 1997. Whoever is curating these sets are just spot on when they focus in on a specific period in Dylan’s career. I have purchased so many of these sets that the Rock Chick has started to question my sanity with the recurring question, “More Bob Dylan?”… I just point at the stack of boxes and say, “Honey, it’s Dylan.” Yeah, I’m not sure how long that’s going to work. The “deluxe” version of this set is 8 CDs! When I heard this was coming out, I thought it was going to be overkill. I’ll admit up front I’m talking here about the 2 CD “Highlights” version of this set. And even with only the 2 discs, it’s 42 songs. Having heard these two discs, I now know what I’m asking Santa for in my Xmas letter to the North Pole. “Dear Santa, please bring the 8 disc version…” I’m not sure I wanna wait for Santa despite the Rock Chick’s protests…
Listening to this early Dylan is astounding. You’re hearing a young artist’s metamorphosis from young teenage folky to superstar. You hear him discovering his own voice. How does someone this young summon this level of emotion in his songs. His talent just explodes in this set like a super nova. This box covers what is basically the first part of the biopic, A Complete Unknown. Prior to Dylan and Lennon/McCartney most pop songs were written by staff writers on what was known “Tin Pan Alley.” As Dylan found his own voice he helped give his generation a voice… which later caused his being labeled as The Voice of his generation…which is always a heavy crown to wear, just ask Kurt Cobain.
We have a host of “informal recordings,” done at home and I’ll tell you I’m stunned at how great the sound quality is on most of those (save for the really early stuff). We have live recordings of Dylan playing in the Village at famous folk joints like Gerdes or the Gaslight. Oh, to time travel and groove with those serious folkies. Although Dylan was folk singer you hear so much early acoustic blues in this stuff. There’s also a live show from Carnegie Hall that’s thrilling to hear. There are radio broadcasts and outtakes from his first album and Freewheelin’. I could listen to “Rocks And Gravel” over and over.
If you liked the Dylan movie or you’re a fan of Dylan’s already, this is a must have. It’s like being a fly on the wall, following him around while he moves from Minnesota to NYC. I am frankly, stunned at how moved I was by this material. And just like that I’m back in on the Bootleg Series.
After the Small Faces lost Steve Marriott (guitar/vocals) who ran off to join Peter Frampton in Humble Pie, they weren’t sure what to do. They recruited Ronnie Wood, fresh off playing bass for the Jeff Beck Group to be the new guitarist. However, they were very leery of recruiting a new lead singer… they didn’t trust singers any more. But Lane, McLagan, and Jones joined by Ronnie Wood on guitar started rehearsing and jamming. During some of their early rehearsals and recording Wood’s buddy Rod Stewart came and hung out down the hall in the control room listening… Eventually, after a little coaxing from Wood, Stewart took that stroll down the hall and voila, magic.
This single disc covers that magical early time in the Faces prior to the debut. Side one sounds great and comprises a group of four alternate takes of tunes they were prepping for the debut, First Step. We get the first take of “Shake, Shudder, Shiver” written by Lane/Wood. We also get the Lane penned “Devotion.” It’s great to hear these raw, rocking early versions. They were sloppy but then, they were probably drinking and I’m okay with that. We also get an early take of the great “Flying” which was Stewart’s first crack at writing with the Faces. They also do a tune called “Train,” that didn’t make the cut and that’s a shame.
The second side is a little rough in terms of sound quality, it definitely sounds like a bootleg but it’s certainly listenable. It’s all rehearsals, these aren’t alternate tracks recorded in a professional studio. They were recorded at the Stones rehearsal space. We get their take on “Evil” the old Howlin Wolf song, written by legend Willie Dixon, which I love. We also get an early take on “I Feel So Good,” the old Big Bill Broonzy track. And yes, we get “Shake, Shudder, Shiver” again. If you buy the CD or MP3 version you get two extra tracks (“Devotion” and “Stone” both penned by Lane).
Hearing these guys come together into a spectacular blooze rock band is fabulous for this long time fan. I understand this disc is probably only for those of us amongst the Faces fanatics, but I really loved listening to this. Oh, were there only more Faces music out there…
Enjoy these albums and hopefully, if you’re not too naughty you’ll find one or both of these under that beautifully decorated fake tree that your cat thinks is just a large climbing post for their personal use this year…
Cheers!
“Oh the fishes will laugh, As they swim out of the path, And the seagulls they’ll be smiling, And the rocks on the sand will proudly stand, The hour that the ship comes in…”
To read more from Bourbon And Vinyl go to https://bourbonandvinyl.net/
Rod on TV
Not really Rod on TV this one but well worth a watch Sky Arts is showing Glenn Matlock’s documentary ‘I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol’
This is an honest and insightful account of a group of malcontents, determined to change the music business and to attack hypocrisy and stale conventions in society at large.
Matlock’s memoir describes in detail the mindset of the UK in the early 70’s and divulges a mine of information; Wally Nightingale, Steve’s thievery, the search for a singer, the exploding punk scene and a bleak backdrop providing a contrast to the excitement and energy of McLaren’s shop. The public will now have a chance to hear the story, not just from a member of the band, but also from a man who had his contributions exceptionally downplayed.
Based on Glen Matlock’s memoir and journey as a founding member of the Sex Pistols who co-wrote ten of twelve iconic songs on their only studio album, NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS.
With a contribution from Kenney Jones there are plenty of Faces mentions and clips explaining why the Sex Pistols were Faces fans.
My Life at Christmas with Anita Rani
BBC One is showing My Life at Christmas with Anita Rani on Sun 7th Dec 2025 10:30
Anita Rani Meets Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster on My Life at Christmas with Anita Rani Series 2 Episode 1 of 3. 59 minutes
What does Christmas mean to some of our best-loved personalities? Anita Rani meets famous faces to hear how their festive memories reflect their lives, careers and faith.
Scotland achieve World Cup dream
Scotland have qualified for a World Cup for the first time since 1998, the first time in the lifetime of nine players in the current national team squad: Aaron Hickey, Anthony Ralston, Josh Doig, Andy Irving, Connor Barron, Billy Gilmour, Ben Gannon-Doak, Lewis Ferguson and George Hirst.
Rod celebrated the massive win with his old mate Ronnie Wood they watched Steve Clarke’s men end nearly 28 years of hurt with an incredible win over Denmark with a dramatic injury-time turnaround on Ronnie’s big screen.
With seconds remaining at Hampden Park, Scotland were looking like they would have to settle for a playoff spot But Celtic’s Kieran Tierney and Norwich City’s Kenny McLean scored two of the greatest goals witnessed at the National Stadium to secure glory.
And that was after Napoli’s Scott McTominay had notched perhaps the best ever with Heart of Midlothian’s Lawrence Shankland also on target on a night of almost unbearable drama.
The draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place in Washington on December 5, President Trump will join FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the John F Kennedy Center – a performing arts venue where Trump is chairman – to decide the group stage fixtures.
Rod shared a video of himself jumping for joy alongside Ronnie Wood on Instagram..
City Christmas Fair
Penny will be joining City Christmas Fair this year for an exclusive book signing of her autobiography ‘Someone Like Me’.
Go to https://www.instagram.com/citychristmasfair/ For more info
✍Penny will be signing copies of her book between 11am-1pm at the City Christmas Fair on the 1st of December 2025.
🎄City Christmas Fair | Monday 1st December | Drapers’ Hall
❤ In aid of @wellbeingofwomen
🎁 Stalls | Raffle | Silent Auction | Champagne Bar
This week’s Rod Art
This week we feature the work of Alberto de las Heras who is a self-taught artist focused on drawing and illustration. In his figurative drawings, he delves into surrealism, creating a dreamlike atmosphere where architecture, film references, and pop culture contribute to a sense of `déjà vu´ with a touch of dark humor. He has exhibited at the Werksttatgallery in Berlin, the Wunderkammer in Valencia, Bilbo Arte in Bilbao, Mad is Mad, and La Fresh Gallery in Madrid. He has collaborated with fashion designers such as Locking Shocking, Carlos Díez, and Antonio Alvarado on his illustrations.
Alberto’s portrait of Rod was part of the Rock and Pop Stars Illustration Series for the Pereyra Theater in Ibiza.
Alberto told SMILER this week “The portrait was hand painted, and was a commission featuring different rock and pop artists by a Teatro Pereyra in Ibiza”
To see more work from Alberto de las Heras in Mixed médiums, Pencil, water colour and guache go to https://www.instagram.com/albertodelasheras/
Personalised Wolfie’s Flightcase
You can now get a Personalised Flight Case from Wolfie’s Whisky
£44.99
★ AN ONLINE EXCLUSIVE ★
Tour life ain’t just for the stage – now you can take the show on the road with the Wolfie’s Flight Case. Designed for legends, built for bottles, this online exclusive is your backstage pass to whisky luxury.
Whether you’re gifting or indulging, this bad boy is as rare as your best riffs. Crafted to protect and impress, it’s ready to roll wherever the night takes you.
This bundle contains Wolfie’s Whisky – 70cl bottle and Wolfie’s exclusive Flight Case.
And Finally …
On Tuesday Penny posted a great shot of Rod in his tartan jacket and leopard print scarf and waistcoat
And if anyone is going to the shows on November 25th, Barclays Arena, Hamburg, Germany, November 28th, Quarterrback Arena, Leipzig, Germany or November 29th, SAP Arena, Mannheim, Germany Please send in any thoughts or photos
See you next week…