Glastonbury celebrates legend Rod Stewart – 21 brilliant songs in 90 minutes

Wow, just wow. Rod Stewart put on an absolutely top-class performance on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival.

In front of around 80,000 festival-goers in front of the stage and tens of thousands more across the festival grounds in Somerset, England, a visibly cheerful 80-year-old singer took to the pyramid-shaped stage at 3:45 p.m. local time, right on schedule as specified by the organisers.

Tonight I'm Yours kicked off what was pretty much 90 minutes of non-stop entertainment, featuring hits from six decades, accompanied by a great band, a small string orchestra and three special guests.

‘I'm here,’ Sir Rod shouted to the audience after the opening song – a subtle reference to the rumours circulating in the run-up to the festival that the performance had been cancelled. Stewart had recently had to cancel several shows on his US tour due to a persistent bout of influenza and only recovered a few days before the festival.

But there was no sign whatsoever today, in warm 27-degree weather – and a few degrees more on stage – that the Maggie May singer had been considering cancelling just a few days ago.

‘Have fun,’ Rod continued to shout. ‘Music brings us together. We need music’ – and he immediately backed up this statement with the song Havin' A Party. ‘I'm taking my jacket off,’ Rod said afterwards. ‘It's damn hot up here.’

Some Guys Have All The Luck

And yet, regardless of the heat, he simply carried on. Ever the professional he always was and still is. He let the audience know that some guys have all the luck – and indeed, everyone who was able to experience this show, whether live in front of the stage or via the live broadcast on the BBC website, could count themselves lucky to have been there.

Rod has rarely been better than he was today. The show picked up speed with Love Train, and then Sir Rod treated himself and the audience to a short break with The First Cut Is The Deepest and Tonight's The Night.

During Forever Young, Stewart disappeared behind the stage for a quick refreshment break, leaving the band on stage for a few minutes to get the audience going again with some lively instrumental medleys.

NEEEEXT

Rod returned to the stage with renewed vigour and quickly announced the next song: ‘Neeexxxt!’. The next song was You Wear It Well, after which the singer asked the audience, ‘How are you doing?’

During Maggie May, the fans delighted the man on stage with their excellent singing and perfect lyrics, and during Young Turks, Rod kicked it up a notch, even though it was getting warmer by the minute on stage and under the spotlights.

The show continued with Bonnie Tyler's It's A Heartache and I'd Rather Go Blind, which Sir Rod dedicated to the late Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac). During Da Ya Think I'm Sexy, the ever-popular signed footballs were thrown into the audience.

Tribute to the founder of Glastonbury

After a first costume change – Rod returned after Lady Marmalade, performed by the band, in a pink suit and then had Glastonbury founder Michal Eavis brought on stage. His daughter Emily pushed the now 89-year-old onto the stage in a wheelchair, where Rod gave him a warm hug and dedicated the song I Don't Want To Talk About It to him.

Rod repeatedly remarked, ‘We only have 90 minutes, we have to keep going.’ And promptly, Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall took to the stage to sing If You Don't Know Me By Now with him – what else but the old Simply Red classic? 😊

After Baby Jane and Proud Mary (again performed by the band) and another outfit change to a green suit, Rod finally brought his old buddy Ronnie Wood onto the stage. "And now please welcome my old mucker Ronnie Wood and the wonderful Lulu... Oh no, Lulu comes after that," Stewart corrected himself, causing laughter in the audience. This was followed by the Faces classic Stay With Me.

One thing after another

Then it was one thing after another – as already announced, Scottish singer Lulu took to the stage, who became famous at the tender age of 15 with the song Shout, and today performed Sir Rod's classic Hot Legs. With the exclamation ‘You're killing it, Rod,’ she bid farewell to the enthusiastic fans and the stage.

Then came the grand finale: Rod brought an emotional close to a magnificent performance with Sailing.

It was a great end to a show that was far too short. But what a show! Rod Stewart really showed everyone who had written him off. And the festival-goers and TV viewers saw it that way too. The internet was flooded with praise for Stewart and his band.

‘Rod Stewart – a perfect 10 out of 10. One of the best performances in the Legends Slot in Glastonbury history. He did it perfectly,’ wrote one viewer.

Another said: ‘What a performance by Rod Stewart, it's not easy to go for 1.5 hours, especially when you're already 80.’

A third added: ‘Rod Stewart is by far better than anything else that played at Glastonbury this weekend.’

Facebook users felt the same way: ‘Really the only act worth waiting for this weekend.’ Or: ‘Rod was wonderful, just a terrific entertainer. He showed everyone else how it's done.’ And some couldn't get enough: ‘Can we please have more of this?’ asked one user, receiving a whopping 500 likes.

Next stop Quebec

Sir Rod doesn't have much time to celebrate the show. In just a few days, he will return to North America, where he will take to the stage on 3 July in Quebec, Canada, as part of the ‘Festival D'Eté de Quebec’. And Canadian fans can be sure that he will do so with the same energy and enthusiasm as he did in Glastonbury.

Setlist:

1. Tonight I'm Yours

2. Havin' A Party

3. Some Guys Have All The Luck

4. Love Train

5. The First Cut Is The Deepest

6. Tonight's The Night

7. Forever Young

8. You Wear It Well

9. Maggie May

10. Young Turks

11. It's A Heartache

12. I'd Rather Go Blind

13. Da Ya Think I'm Sexy

14. Lady Marmalade (Band)

15. I Don't Want To Talk About It

16. If You Don't Know Me By Now (feat. Mick Hucknall)

17. Baby Jane

18. Proud Mary (Band)

19. Stay With Me (feat. Ronnie Wood)

20. Hot Legs (feat. Lulu)

21. Sailing