Rod Stewart might be 80, but his Glastonbury set proved rock ‘n’ roll spirit doesn’t come with an expiry date.
As the mercury soared into the high twenties (I know, I know), Stewart brought swagger, sweat and a stadium’s worth of singalongs for this year’s coveted Legends Slot.
Dressed sharp in a black suit and white shirt, Stewart bounded onstage to the tune of “Scotland The Brave,” shouting “next” between songs as he powered through hit after hit. And when the heat got too much? Off came the jacket, exclaiming “it’s f–king hot”, which seemed to go unnoticed by the live BBC broadcast.
He rolled out classics like “Maggie May,” “Tonight’s The Night,” and “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” with the energy of someone half his age. Ronnie Wood, his old Faces bandmate, joined him for a raucous rendition of “Stay With Me”…
…while Mick Hucknall stepped up for a smooth duet on “If You Don’t Know Me by Now.”
…then Lulu brought even more retro magic, strutting through “Hot Legs” with Stewart and joking about their undeniable chemistry: “We make a great couple,” she teased.
But it wasn’t all nostalgia and cheeky winks. Stewart took a moment to remind the crowd of music’s power to unite, dedicating The O’Jays’ “Love Train” to the people of Ukraine. “There’s been a lot about the Middle East, and rightly so,” he said. “But I wanted to draw your attention to the Ukraine.”
Stewart nearly didn’t make it at all, having battled a nasty bout of Influenza A that forced him to cancel five shows in the lead-up. “This time last week I was thinking of cancelling,” he confessed. “But my dear wife Penny nursed me back to health… she really is a great girl.”
And thank the rock gods for that.
Stewart ended the show with the whole crowd swaying along to his 1975 hit “Sailing”.
