Rocking Rod Is Showing No Signs Of Slowing Down
Review Rod Stewart Coopers Field, Cardiff (23/7/02)
Rod Stewart has been making the headlines recently for all the wrong reasons. But then his love life has taken a higher profile than his music for some years now.
This rare live appearance in Cardiff was therefore a good opportunity to see whether the randy old rocker could still cut it on stage.
With the five-piece string section dressed in school uniforms and a full band that included three backing singers he did however attempt to prove to his audience of diehard fans that he can still rock along with the best of them.
Full of promise, he opened the concert with the classic Handbags and Gladrags, making sure everyone knew that it was first recorded by him in 1969 and not the Stereophonics who recently had such success with it.
More vintage tracks soon followed in the shape of The First Cut Is The Deepest and his famous cover of Tim Hardin’s Reason to Believe.
After a short break where he left his backing singers to entertain the crowd with a version of Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together, Stewart returned with a rocking rendition of The Faces’ major hit Stay With Me, whilst simultaneously kicking signed footballs into the crowd.
Interrupting the flow with several costume changes he concentrated much of the second half on hits from the 80s, bringing the crowd to their feet and the somewhat oppressive security guards into force.
Raunchy numbers like Hot Legs upped the tempo and the inevitable Do You Think I’m Sexy was greeted with an emphatic, “Yes” from his mature fans.
Although he now moves with all the co-ordination of an embarrassing uncle at a wedding reception disco, Rod Stewart had his fans singing his praises.
(Courtesy: Christopher Rees, The Western Mail)