Rod Stewart, Glastonbury review: roguish charm with a touch of the cruise ship
Just after whatever controversy was aroused by Rod Stewart saying 'we should give Farage a chance' in an interview I conducted with him that ran on Saturday, Stewart was carrying on regardless. He came on stage in a glittering tuxedo and white frilly shirt, backed by three blonde backing singers who looked like all his wives put together. Then he proceeded to ensure pure entertainment won through.
'I'm here!' announced Stewart, before adding, possibly in acknowledgement of Glastonbury's inclusive ethos: 'Music brings us together.' And Stewart does have the tunes to bring us together. Some Guys Have All the Luck was a mid-period favourite, while his throaty roar on The First Cut Is the Deepest, a soul classic made famous by PP Arnold, still had the power to cut through everything.
There was more than a touch of the cruise ship to it all, with the backing singers in tiny dresses and the string players made up of unusually glamorous women. Still, Stewart does have a roguish charm and he could really bring out the beauty of the songs, not least when he came toward the crowd for Young Turks. It was a little odd to hear Stewart's tale of nocturnal romance in the blazing sun, but that wasn't his fault and at 80 he still brought out the emotion. 'How was that one?,' he asked. The answer was: pretty good.
• Rod Stewart: 'We've got to give Nigel Farage a chance'
'There's been a lot about the Middle East, but I'd like to draw your attention to Ukraine,' said Stewart before a cover of the O'Jays' Love Train, but it was his own standards that made the set come alive. You Wear it Well was a lovely reminder of his ragged early Seventies glory days, while Maggie May, his tale of a teenaged one-night stand with an older woman, was lovely.
It was also dated. ''Allo girls!,' he shouted as the backing singers came forward for Young Hearts Run Free, while a rendition of Lady Marmalade began to look like a scene from the Playboy mansion. But nobody expects Rod Stewart to be edgy, and when he started kicking footballs into the crowd during Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?, the cheesiness slipped into the sublime. Besides, Stewart's voice remained incredible, this was the singalong slot, and everyone sang along to Baby Jane. Finally, Ronnie Wood came on for the Faces' rollicking classic Stay with Me and Lulu duetted on Hot Legs. If people were upset about Stewart's endorsement of Nigel Farage, they didn't show it. This was showbiz, right down to the swaying finale of Sailing.
★★★☆☆
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