More New Dates
More new dates added starting with Dublin on 24th April
Glasgow on Saturday 1st May
Manchester Saturday 8th May and London 14th May
And the legendary Pula Arena in Croatia is getting ready for another unforgettable summer.
Rod Stewart • Russell Crowe’s Indoor Garden Party • Simply Red • Lost Frequencies
Four extraordinary artists. Four standalone nights under the stars. One of the most spectacular settings in the world.
Live music. History. Sea. Together again.
March 2nd will see Rod back in Reading PA for the first time in 22 years
Robby Bloodshed Goes Mod
Robby Bloodshed is a musician from Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. He started his solo musical career in 2009 and has worked with many other musicians, His new single is a cracking cover of Rod’s 1972 hit You Wear it Well written by Rod and Martin Quittenton,
Rod recorded “You Wear It Well” for the 1972 album Never a Dull Moment, and released it as a single on 12 August 1972. The song became an international hit, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, it peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
You can check out Robby’s great version here https://robbybloodshed.bandcamp.com/album/you-wear-it-well-feat-johnny-kelly
Along with another Rod cover Italian Girls another track from Rod’s album Never a Dull Moment and written by Rod and Ronnie Wood.
https://robbybloodshed.bandcamp.com/album/italian-girls
Speaking to SMILER this week Robby said “At 29 years old, I wanted to introduce audiences of my generation to some of the greatest songs ever written. Coming from a punk rock background, I’ve always been drawn to music with character, attitude, and a little bit of grit. And as the years have gone by, I’ve found myself gravitating more and more toward Rod Stewart…because he has all of that, but attacked from a different musical perspective.
I’ve never been interested in making a carbon copy of someone else’s work. They’ll always throw the original on if that’s the case. The idea was always to take these songs, approach them from a different mindset, and make them our own while still preserving the spirit of what made them special in the first place. That’s how our renditions of “You Wear It Well” and “Italian Girls” came to life. You Wear It Well also has a guest drummer, Johnny Kelly from the bands Danzig, Type O Negative, and Quiet Riot.
At the end of October, I’ll be releasing a full-length tribute to Rod, featuring songs spanning from his Jeff Beck Group days through his later solo career. It’s a passion project made with a little punk rock blood runnin’ through the veins.
We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we’ve enjoyed making it”.
Stay up to date with Robby at
https://youtube.com/@robbybloodshed?si=Mce83Ir3C_O0Iy3c
https://www.instagram.com/robbybloodshed?stkn=ODh2azJobzJ4MnIw&utm_source=qr
https://m.facebook.com/robbybloodshed?wtsid=rdr_0EngMlcOcWB9KNZNe
This Weeks Rod Art
This week we feature the work of Miha Sarani a visual maker by vocation. who also work as an art educator, and a curator. Miha was born in Ljubljana – which today is the capital of Slovenia but now lives in America.
Talking to SMILER this week Miha said “Growing up my father’s vinyl collection had a profound influence on me and among my favorites were Rod Stewart records. I’ve always had a soft spot for the “Gasoline Alley” record, so I used the portrait on the back of the LP for a daily sketch. A small celebration of Sir Rod Stewart’s incredible gift to us over decades in my own way.”
To see more of Miha’s fantastic artwork go to
- Website: https://www.mihasarani.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slovenemachine
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miha.sarani.2025/
The Hindley Street Country Club
By Martin Heidt
Storyteller presents: The Hindley Street Country Club
Today we’re turning our attention once again to the topic of cover and tribute bands. We all know there are countless Rod Stewart tribute acts, some better than others. We’ve introduced you to one or two of these artists here in the past. Now we’ve received a message from our friend Allan Crouch in Australia. He recommended that we take a closer look at the Australian band The Hindley Street Country Club. And that’s exactly what we did. What we found was a band that has far more to offer than your average tribute act.
True to the motto: there are plenty of cover bands – but only one Hindley Street Country Club.
Anyone watching one of the videos by this Australian group from Adelaide for the first time might initially think they’re watching a particularly well-rehearsed studio band. But that’s precisely where the secret of HSCC lies: the group doesn’t see itself as an ordinary cover band, but as a musical collective that reworks great songs, thereby giving them its own unique flavour time and again.
The Hindley Street Country Club was founded in late 2017 by producer and arranger Constantine Delo. From the very beginning, HSCC has focused on well-known songs spanning several decades of pop, rock, soul and disco history. The musicians take the originals seriously, but do not copy them slavishly. It is precisely the combination of outstanding instrumentalists, harmonised vocals and elaborate arrangements that gives the band its special appeal.
And at some point, as a Rod Stewart fan, you inevitably find yourself asking an interesting question:
What does HSCC actually do with Rod Stewart?
One of the finest points of connection between HSCC and Rod Stewart is ‘I Don’t Want to Talk About It’.
For Rod Stewart fans, the song is, of course, inextricably linked to his 1970s version or the one recorded at the Royal Albert Hall (in a duet with Amy Belle). What’s interesting, however, is the backstory: the track was written by Danny Whitten, guitarist with Crazy Horse. Rod turned it into his own, world-famous version in 1977.
HSCC do not approach the song by simply trying to imitate Rod’s voice. Instead, they create a very warm, almost intimate interpretation. Kat Jade and Constantine Delo share the lead vocals, whilst the other musicians – on guitars, keyboards, saxophone, drums and backing vocals – provide a remarkably rich and layered sound. This, in particular, works brilliantly with this song.
For ‘I Don’t Want to Talk About It’ thrives less on spectacular musical effects than on atmosphere. Rod had imbued the track with that unmistakable blend of vulnerability and raw elegance. HSCC places greater emphasis on the harmonies and the interplay of the voices.
Constantine Delo described his interpretation, in essence, as a tribute to people who have experienced a broken heart at some point. In doing so, HSCC captures the very essence of this song.
Things get even more interesting with ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?’.
You could hardly find a greater contrast to ‘I Don’t Want to Talk About It’.
Rod Stewart released the song in 1978 on the album *Blondes Have More Fun*. The track became one of the biggest hits of his career – and, at the same time, a song that to this day symbolises his shift towards disco, funk and dance-pop at that time.
HSCC takes this side of Rod and turns it into a decidedly powerful band number. Danny Lopresto can be heard singing here. It is precisely his interpretation that shows why HSCC works so well with songs like this: it’s not about imitating Rod Stewart note for note. Instead, Lopresto captures the energy and character of the track and gives it his own voice.
The result is unmistakably ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?’, yet at the same time it sounds like a track that a superbly tight live band could perform on stage at any time.
The current HSCC version was released in September 2026, making it one of the group’s more recent Rod Stewart covers.
But – as already mentioned – Rod Stewart isn’t the only focus in HSCC’s musical repertoire. The band has also paid tribute to musical greats such as Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue (almost a must for an Australian band), Annie Lennox, Al Stewart, Level 42, as well as ELO, Simply Red and Whitney Houston, to name but a few.
All the songs can be found on the official YouTube channel @theHindleyStreetCountryClub.
If watching the numerous videos has piqued your curiosity and you’d like to experience the band live: next year, the Australians will be touring the world. As well as performances in Australia, Constantin Delo and his bandmates will also be coming to Europe for 18 concerts in 2027 and for a show in Reno, Nevada, USA.
In Europe, performances are planned in the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland. You can find the exact tour dates via the link: https://thehscc.com/events.
Richard Marx
On Wednesday Rod and Penny went to see Richard Marx at his sell out London Palladium show
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror about Rod this week Richard said: “I was really worried about him this summer, because I could tell he wasn’t completely himself. We did a tour together, but the show that he did the night before he went into the hospital and found that he had this heart issue, you should’ve seen him. he played for two hours and sang his ass off and ran around the stage, and we were all like, ‘How can that possibly be?'”
adding: “When he said ‘I’m not retiring,’ trust me, he’s not retiring. He’ll never retire. But I’m kind of relieved that he’s going to pull back from these big tours. Ever since I became friends with him, it’s impossible for me not to sometimes stare at him – it’s Rod Stewart.
“We’ve spent so much time together that now, he’s someone I adore personally so much that I worry about him. I have so much personal concern for him, I want him to be safe and healthy – I think he’s making the right decision.”
“He’s just so remarkable, and then sometimes his voice gets fragile, because it’s just the nature of that sound.”
Loose Women
On Thursday Penny was on the panel of Loose Women
And discussed Rod’s recent ‘no more tours announcement’ She told viewers that she was the one recording the message and couldn’t believe that fans thought he was actually retiring from music.
Penny said: “He quite clearly says ‘I’m not retiring,’ but I think people didn’t quite get to that part of the video they just panicked immediately when he said ‘I’m very sad to announce…’
“Everyone jumped to conclusions but it is true that it’s his last rock n’ roll tour because he will be 82 next year.
“For the last five years he’s said, ‘I can’t go on singing Do You Think I’m Sexy and Hot Legs for ever and ever.’”
She continued: “I don’t see why not, I think he’s still sexy and I’m sure a lot of his fans do.
“But he loves the American songbook, which were an incredible set of albums that he did along with the bits he did just recently with Jools Holland.
“He wants to rekindle his love for that music and show everyone that his voice has got other areas that he can stretch to.”
Kaye Adams questioned: “So it’s the material that’s changing then rather than a retirement?”
“Yeah, he won’t ever retire. I can’t slow that man down no absolutely not,” confessed Penny,
She added: “The actual rock n’ roll tour that everyone knows of his classics will be no more after next years tour.”
The Blossoms
And on Rod’s big announcement The Blossoms wrote an ode to Rod to celebrate
And a big congratulations from the SMILER team to The Blossoms for coming straight in the UK album charts at Number one this week with Songs From The Wedding Cake the sixth studio album by the British indie-rock band giving them their 5th number one album!
What’s On …Billy Peek
Big new for fans of Billy Peek on November 21st he will holding his official book launch and signing
More news on the book soon…
And Finally….
What’s going on here then?..Listening party, does the new album have a guest?..We will have to wait and see
Cheers!…See you next week….