Main photo Claudine Baulisch -Steines
Munich Olympiahalle Munchen
It was a Friday night party in Munich and our SMILER team of Marc and Claudine Baulisch -Steines and Martin Heidt were there to bring you another great report
Pfiat di, Munich – Goodbye Germany: Rod Stewart ends his German tour in the Olympiahalle
The “final curtain” fell shortly after 10 pm yesterday evening – Rod Stewart ended his 2024 Germany tour, which took him to a total of nine cities, with another magnificent concert in Munich’s Olympiahalle.
Rod Stewart once again presented himself from his best side and greeted the fans in the Bavarian capital in the very best of moods: “Two hours, 25 songs. It’s Friday evening. Enjoy!”
And off we went on a journey through the long career of the Brit, who has left his mark on the music world like few others. The Robert Palmer song ADDICTED TO LOVE kicked things off – the audience was there immediately, the fans were on their feet from the very first songs and celebrated the self-confessed football fan in the sold-out Olympic Hall with its 15,000 visitors without interruption.
The evening’s setlist differed only slightly from the previous shows. Sir Rod also performed most of his greatest hits in Munich, paid musical tribute to old friends such as Tina Turner (IT TAKES TWO) and blues legend Muddy Waters (I’D RATHER GO BLIND) and – in true football fan fashion – showed pictures of the German national football team, who are playing Denmark in the round of 16 of the European Championships tonight, on the big screen. The audience cheered him on and thanked him in their own way for this gesture: No Scotland, No Party was sung by the fans, the song that has become the trademark of Scottish supporters at the European Championships. Rod couldn’t help but grin on stage – you could also say: No Rod, no party.
The Brit also made a statement against the war in Ukraine in Munich. During RHYTHM OF MY HEART, images of the war in Ukraine and footage of President Selenskyi were shown on the screen. “Freedom”, Rod shouted into the hall and the audience joined in with huge cheers.
The show ended with the two Stewart classics DA YA THINK I’M SEXY and SAILING, which has also become a habit on this tour.
“It’s a bit strange,” said one of the Stewart fans, who has seen all nine of the Brit’s shows (!!) in Germany since mid-May, after the show at the gates of the Olympiahalle. “The last few weeks have been sensational . You planned your schedule around the concerts, spent your time in the car, on the train or on the plane and in hotel rooms. Now that’s all over again and we’re back to our everyday lives.”
In the end, the only question that remains is whether this really was the singer’s last tour of Germany, as his tour motto ONE LAST TIME suggests. “To be honest, I can’t really imagine that,” said the long-time fan in front of the venue. “If you’ve seen Rod on stage in the last few weeks, and not just in Germany but all over Europe, he was in such a good mood as you’ve rarely seen before. That was sensational. I can well imagine that we will see him again in Germany.”
Finally, let’s take a brief look at the media response from Munich. The reviews were all positive, and some concert critics were full of praise for Sir Rod. “And how this man can still sing: Every note has soul. It is the feeling, the art of phrasing that makes him a great singer, and not just the unmistakable grating voice,” wrote the Münchner Abendzeitung. The Süddeutsche Zeitung called Rod Stewart the “captain of hearts” and noted that the audience “lay at the singer’s feet for two hours”. The TZ and Münchner Merkur let their readers know that Rod Stewart is still as “young as ever” at the age of 79. “When football fan and whisky lover Stewart wiggles his hips or his bum, when he puts on his rascal smile, it’s still pure sex and joy and, yes, it has style,” the author knows and concludes: “A great concert!”
LIVE75
This week Chart Scene announced that Rod had made his first appearance on LIVE75 since launching his current tour through Europe that is set to conclude with a concert at Piazza Napoleone in Lucca, Italy.
He kicked off the tour on May 11 at the Antwerps Sportpaleis in Merksem, Belgium, a sold-out arena performance that drew 10,476 fans and grossed over $1.07 million. Those box-office figures, along with sales totals from five more shows that occurred during June, together produced a sold-ticket count of 64,640. That averages 10,773 sold tickets per show, the highest for an artist making a debut appearance on the chart.
Rod last appeared on LIVE75 last year in the Oct. 16 issue based on sales at concerts in Brazil and the U.S. in the late summer and early fall. His Top 20 ranking this week comes from ticket sales at shows in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, along with the opening performance in Belgium. Copenhagen’s Royal Arena recorded the highest attendance among them with 13,368 tickets sold for a June 9 concert that racked up a $1.56 million box-office haul.
Other ticket counts topping 10,000 included a June 8 show at Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena that welcomed 11,910 fans, followed by a June 12 show at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam that moved 11,712 tickets. Those concerts grossed $1.02 million and $1.13 million, respectively. Then, the tour’s first performance in Belgium also lands in the 10,000-plus category with its ticket total of 10,476.
You’re In My Heart
Ever been in your local pub pop quiz when the question is who did Rod Stewart write his hit You’re In My Heart about and then got in an argument when the answer is Britt Ekland…Well Rod explained the answer to Classic Rock Stories, “It wasn’t totally about Britt. It could have been about anybody I met in that period. It’s a very confused song, in a way. It’s about a love more than just women. It’s also about my love for soccer. That’s why my two favourite teams are mentioned at the end. [Manchester United and Celtic] The chorus is about Scotland. So it ends up being about three women, two football teams, and a country.”
I am on the phone to my local now..I want my points back!!
Paris ZENITH PARIS – LA VILLETTE
On Sunday The tour arrived in Paris and Matthieu Grelier was at the show to bring you the SMILER review with photos from SMILER photographers Marc and Claudine Baulisch -Steines
Somehow, strangely, France has never been much of a big market for Sir Rod, and probably the European country where he’s had the less success over the past 50 years. As a proof : before his live come back in Paris Bercy (15000 capacity venue) in 2019, Rod Stewart had not performed in France since… 1995 !!! The 2019 Bercy concert was a success, so it was a divine surprise that Paris was again featured in this 2024 Euro tour, though this time in the much more intimate venue of Le Zenith (packed crowd, full capacity, but of only 4000) which happened to be the smallest crowd Sir Rod has played on this Tour. So we were in for the most ‘ Intimate’ concert of the tour and blood he did not (almost) disappoint !
As the venue was smaller, the full stage could not be set up, and we were missing the higher roof screen as well as the curtain that hides the stage before show time. But on time, at 8:00 precise, Rod entered the stage with ‘Addicted To Love’ and seemed very much in good spirit energy. I must say his voice was spot on, probably even better than in 2019. Full of power, emotion, he definitely still has it and gave an absolutely stellar vocal performance for two hours.
The concert was off to a nice start and after the usual ‘Wear It Well’ and ‘Having A Party’ Sir Rod thanked the crowd, [the smallest one we’ve played on this tour but one of the more enthusiastic].
However he mentioned several times that it had been more than 40 years he had not performed ‘under a tent’ and so made it clear that he did not like the venue, which did not seem to fit his usual standards. And yet, the sound was cristal clear, the crowd standing on their feet the whole show, and Rod gave his all as the consumate pro he is. Two nice surprises in the setlist first ‘Tonight Im Yours’, but more than anything, ‘Hot Legs’ which I think has seldom, if ever, has been performed on this tour, ‘Stay With Me’ usually filled that spot).
Rod performed it especially for France as a special tribute to his late friend Johnny Hallyday, French number one rocker, who used to perform the song as well, having Robin Le Mesurier in his band. Rod even fetatured footage of Johnny in the big screen during the performance and you could see the care he had taken to do this especially for the French audience. A true pro, who cares for the audience.
All seemed to go well with fab renditions of ‘Forever Young’, ‘Rolling Tumbling’, ‘Rather Go Blind’, but yet somehow Sir Rod seemed to think the crowd was not responsive enough to his, I must say, stellar and engaged performance.
Truth has to be said here Rod got less hits than elsewhere, and apart from ‘Baby Jane’, ‘Sexy’ and ‘Sailing’, the non die hard fans do not know that many of the songs. Before ‘Maggie May’ Rod even urged the audience to sing along. Each time he asked, they did and were warm, but may be not enough to his taste. When he started ‘Have I told you lately’, the audience did not cheer, so he stopped and said “You should show that you are happy Im singing it”, and then started again from the beginning. The audience cheered but that did not seem to soothe him and after the song he went to one of the crew members and whispered something in his ear which eventually happened to be ‘No Sailing’ as the last encore.
But then the show kept on with ‘Baby Jane’, ‘It Takes Two’, ‘Some Guys’ and Rod did again a fantastic job, singing his heart out and strutting around the stage as if nothing was wrong. After ‘Some Guys’ it was time for ‘Sexy’, which got amazing response from the crowd and Rod made it last long time, having the whole venue sing along. And… that was it !!!
For I think the first time in this Euro tour, ‘Sailing’ (his biggest French hit) was not performed (though was planned in the setlist for that night as was shown on IG by Penny, [who attended the show]. That was our ‘punishment’ for not seeming responsive enough to a fantastic performance by the Man.
Never mind, it was a hell of a show. I’ve never heard him sound so good and move so fast in a long long time. Farewell tour ?… Bollocks ! Please forgive us Sir Rod, poor French people, and please do not skip Paris in two years. Bravo et Merci !!!
And here are the thoughts of SMILER‘s Martin Heidt..
Vive La France: Rod Stewart conquers the Zenith
As those who are more familiar with the singer Rod Stewart will know, the 79-year-old Brit has a special relationship with France. Not only does he regularly spend his holidays with his family in the south of the republic. The MAGGIE MAY singer’s concerts in the French capital are also always “Top Notch”.
This was also the case with Sir Rod’s performance, Sunday, at the Zenith De Paris La Villete, as the show location in the 19th arrondisment of Paris is officially known.
Rod Stewart and his band thrilled the fans here too, with around 6,300 in attendance that evening – once again a concert on this year’s European tour was sold out.
At 8pm sharp, Rod came on stage in a great mood and greeted the audience: “Good evening my friends and my dear Celtic fans. We’re here for two hours and we have 25 songs for you. Enjoy the evening and I have to tell you, I haven’t performed in a tent for 40 years.” Stewart was alluding to the Zenith’s marquee-like exterior.
And of course Sir Rod delivered as usual, as he always has this summer. The setlist was pretty much identical to that of previous shows. The opener was once again ADDICTED TO LOVE in the style of Robert Palmer’s world-famous music video. For only the second time on this tour, Stewart’s 1970s classic HOT LEGS snuck into the programme. Over the next two hours, Stewart rocked and languished his way through his hits, interrupted only by obligatory breaks to change outfits.
The band then took over the stage and entertained the audience with I’M EVERY WOMAN, originally by Chaka Khan, and HOT STUFF by Donna Summer. This did not dampen the party mood of the fans, Sir Rod also had a lot of fun on stage, joking with the audience, throwing kisses into the crowd and providing the very best musical entertainment.
The audience danced to YOUNG TURKS or BABY JANE and waved lighters during touching ballads such as HAVE I TOLD YOU or TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT. In the course of the show, Rod also remembered deceased companions and friends such as Tina Turner (with IT TAKES TWO) or the French singer Johnny Holiday, to whom he dedicated the song HOT LEGS.
After a good two hours, Sir Rod left the stage after the encore DA YA THINK I’M SEXY. He skipped his usual last song SAILING this time.
But even that shouldn’t have spoilt the mood of anyone in the arena in any way. The fans left the arena singing and dancing, and some were delighted to receive a football signed by Rod, which was thrown into the audience by the singers at the end of the concert. In the city’s numerous bars and pubs, the fans brought a fantastic evening to a humid and cheerful close. Here’s to ONE MORE TIME instead of ONE LAST TIME in the near future and the singer performing in the Grande Nation once again.
On Monday Rod and Penny enjoyed a romantic date night in Paris.
At La Réserve Hotel & Spa, just off Paris’s Champs-Elysée.
Vienna Wiener Stadthalle Halle D
On Tuesday it was Good evening Vienna as the tour arrived at Wiener Stadthalle Halle D and our team was back for another party night
Here are the thoughts of Martin Heidt
Rod Stewart still has the move to the goal, Football fan Rod Stewart famously likes to organise his gigs around the schedule of his favourite club, Celtic Glasgow, so that he can watch as many of his Hoops’ games live in the stadium as possible. Yesterday, at the concert in the Austrian capital, this was once again the case. But not because Celtic had a game to play that evening. No, Sir Rod took into consideration the supporters of the Austrian national team, who had to play Turkey in the European Championship at 9pm. Stewart therefore moved the start of his show forward by an hour. “We’ll be off the stage when the match starts so you can all watch the football. Good luck with that!” said Rod at the start of his two-hour performance shortly after 7pm.
10,000 fans, mainly from the FOREVER YOUNG generation, as the Standard put it, in the naturally sold-out Stadthalle thanked the singer with thunderous applause. And then got in the mood for the match against Turkey with a two-hour party. Scotland fan Rod Stewart played a major role in Team Austria’s European Championship organisation. Not only did he bring forward the start of the concert in Vienna by an hour for the fans, but coach Ralf Rangnick’s national team also used the singer’s tour to prepare for the European Championship. Two days before Austria’s opening match against France (0:1), a large part of the team, including the entire coaching staff, attended the Stewart concert in Berlin (15 June) – a special team-building measure.
In Vienna, Rod once again delivered a commanding performance. To kick things off – to stick with football jargon – he set an exclamation mark with ADDICTED TO LOVE and had the audience in raptures from the very first note. As the evening progressed, Stewart lined up hit after hit and the fans in the Stadthalle barely caught their breath. During the 120 minutes, Sir Rod presented the audience with his classics such as MAGGIE MAY, HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY and I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
At half-time, he briefly disappeared into the dressing room, then returned in a new outfit and with a freshly styled haircut.
In the second part of the concert, he presented his fans with the rocking and rousing SWEET LITTLE ROCK’N’ROLLER The audience was taken on a rollercoaster ride between grandiose rock songs and heartbreaking ballads.
Rod proved in the Austrian capital that “he’s still got it”, as the Kleine Zeitung wrote. “Even in his old age, his drive to score has not diminished”.
Indeed, Sir Rod played at the very highest level in Vienna. In the final phase, things became political again. Stewart announced that he was dedicating his RHYTHM OF MY HEART to Ukraine and its people. His “Fuck Putin” did not come from him for once, but was shouted by a man from the audience. Message received!
In injury time, Rod fired up the 10,000 once again with BABY JANE and SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK, before adding DA YA THINK I’M SEXY and his worldwide hit SAILING in extra time. The fans sang, tears streamed down the cheeks of some. The show comes to an emotional end. Was this really the last time Rod Stewart was on stage in Vienna?..So for now it’s Goodnight Vienna.
Setlist Vienna:
Addicted To Love
- You Wear It Well
- Havin’ A Party
- Sweet Little Rock’n’Roller
- It’s A Heartache
- Tonight’s The Night
- Rollin’ And Tumblin’
- The First Cut Is The Deepest
- I Don’t Want To Talk About It
- Forever Young
- Maggie May
- I’d Rather Go Blind
- Young Turks
- I was Only Joking
- Downtown Train
- I’m Every Woman
- Rhythm Of My Heart
- Have I Told You Lately
- You’re In My Heart
- Hot Stuff
- Baby Jane
- It Takes Two
- Some Guys Have All The Luck
- Da Ya Think I’m Sexy
- Sailing
Prague O2 Arena
On Wednesday our team were in Prague to bring you all the news and pictures
Acclaimed Stewart concert in Prague: Sing It Again Rod
Singer Rod Stewart’s European tour is slowly but surely coming to an end. On Sunday, the Brit will take to the stage once again in Lucca, Italy, to conclude his ONE LAST Time Tour – then that’s it for Europe 2024 and the large fan community hopes that he will come back again after all.
In the O2 Arena in Prague, which was sold out with 14,000 visitors, Sir Rod once again delivered an inspiring evening. As always this year, Stewart opened the evening with the Robert Palmer song ADDICTED TO MLOVE, which was immediately followed by his 1972 classic YOU WEAR IT WELL.
The audience in the Czech capital then knew no bounds. With MAGGIE MAY, YOUNG TURKS and the Bonnie Tyler cult hit IT’S A HEARTACHE, Rod even got the “chair legs dancing”, as the newspaper Novinky described it. The self-confessed Celtic fan allowed the fans to take a break from time to time and let young and old alike catch their breath with well-known songs such as PEOPLE GET READY, THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST and I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
Apart from two short breaks, during which the singer freshened up backstage and changed into a new outfit and his band took over the stage, the Stewart Express played at full throttle. The two-hour show on and in front of the stage flew by. As the first notes of DA YA THINK I’M SEXY rang out, the obligatory signed footballs flew off the stage. Sir Rod ended the show and his 25th concert in less than two months with SAILING. On Sunday, he ends his European tour with a performance at the Lucca Summer Festival in Piazza Neapolitana in Tuscany. After that, Rod can deservedly put his feet up for a while before continuing on 24 July with seven concerts at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and a five-week tour of North America.
The Czech press were also extremely impressed by the performance in the O2 Arena in Prague. Novinky called the show a “two-hour geyser of well-known and immortal hits”. And the paper also noted: “Rod Stewart convinced the sold-out arena that it is still a little too early for ONE LAST TIME”. So even after the evening in Prague, the motto remains: SING IT AGAIN ROD!
Rod Stewart And The Faces
This month sees Uncut magazine issue another gem in their Ultimate Music Guide series Rod Stewart And The Faces
Never a dull moment! Ultimate Music Guide to Rod Stewart and the magnificent Faces.
Fabulous issue devoted to Rod , written in depth, heavily researched. An absolute must for all Sir Rod fans.
Out on 19th July 2024 from most major Supermarkets and Newspaper shop including WH Smith’s or you can pre – order here https://www.yourcelebritymagazines.com/collections/other-magazines/products/uncut-ultimate-music-guide-rod-stewart-the-faces-pre-order
Subscribers can also get a special edition double sided poster
And Finally..
Is anyone going to Lucca Piazza Napoleone in Italy on Sunday?..If you are are have a great night and feel free to send in any pictures or thoughts
See you next week..