The only right decision

Rod Stewart has had to cancel his third concert in just a few weeks. All the fans who were in San Diego yesterday hoping to see a great show are understandably disappointed. You manage to get hold of one of those highly sought-after tickets to see the man perform live one last time, and then this happens. It’s also understandable that many were upset that the cancellation was only announced shortly before the show was due to start. Many attendees were already there, some having travelled for several hours to see their idol live once more. You can absolutely understand people’s frustration. But even so, as a Rod Stewart fan, you should keep things in perspective. Our hero is 81 years old, so minor ailments and aches and pains are bound to crop up more often than they did 15 or 20 years ago. Everyone should and must understand that.

As Richard Marx so aptly put it, cancelling a show like this is “the worst nightmare” for Rod. His love for his fans is known worldwide, and many of us have had the chance to experience it first-hand on more than one occasion. Of course, the timing of the cancellation remains debatable. Did it really have to be done just 40 minutes before the show was due to start? Everyone – and I mean absolutely everyone – who is now upset should be certain that Rod really did try everything to make this evening happen somehow. Why? Because he is a professional, as Richard Marx also said. And above all, because he enjoys these evenings on stage, because he takes pleasure in what he has been doing for more than 60 years now – singing! And that’s simply only possible if his voice is up to it. Yesterday, it wasn’t. And that’s why cancelling the show, even though it’s very frustrating for everyone and came at the last minute, is the only right decision.
All the grumblers and complainers, however, should always remember – despite all the understandable frustration – that it is by no means a given that someone over 80 is still on stage, delighting their audience with concerts that are as incredibly powerful as ever.