SIR ROD STEWART // EDINBURGH CASTLE, EDINBURGH
SIR ROD STEWART PERFORMS HIS FINAL ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SHOWS IN SCOTLAND AT THE LEGENDARY EDINBURGH CASTLE.
★★★★★ (5/5)
ROD STEWART PERFORMING AT EDINBURGH CASTLE
PHOTOCREDIT: STUART STOTT
As the drone of the bagpipes filled the Castle Esplanade, a loud cheer went up from the Edinburgh crowd, as Sir Rod Stewart arrived on stage in customary glitzy jacket, with his female entourage donning skimpy black outfits with white electric guitars, playing a cover of Addicted To Love. It was a real throwback to Robert Palmer’s video and a rousing start to a concert of Rod’s greatest hits, marking the end of his last ever British tour before heading to Europe, Canada and the Americas.
This 78 year old rocker does not appear ready to retire, but after his 2023 tour he says he intends to trade rock ‘n’ roll for swing music, having already done a swing album with Jools Holland. Ever the entertainer and rock legend, having sold more than 120 million records worldwide, he had the crowd singing and swaying to You Wear It Well, the Faces’ Ooh La La, Some Guys Have All The Luck and Having A Party. The pouring rain did not detract from the music or buzz of the night; this crowd came to party with plastic ponchos and tartan hats, and drinks to hand.
Rod paid tribute to the loss of Jeff Beck, Christine McVie and Tina Turner, quipping ‘I’m not feeling too good myself!’ and performing the song Tina Turner once sang with him way back, ‘It Takes Two’. His dedication of ‘Rhythm of My Heart’ to the ongoing war in Ukraine was warmly accepted by the crowd, as he sported clothing in the colours of the Ukrainian flag and projected Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s image onto the screen behind him.
The upbeat hits such as Maggie May, Young Turks, Baby Jane and Forever Young kept the energy level high, then contrasting with the slower ballads I Don’t Want to Talk About It and a cover of Cat Stevens’ The First Cut Is The Deepest. “Just remember The First Cut Is The Deepest is his song” remarked Rod, referring to Cat being a wonderful guy, “and Elton was okay too, I suppose”, he said with a laugh, lightly hinting at rivalry over the years that led the two to being dubbed Sharon and Phyllis.
Very proud of his Scottish heritage, Stewart said “You have no idea of the pleasure of looking forward to this show for so long!”, as he and his band all sat down to perform a song very rarely played, Dirty Old Town, in memory of his father who came from Leith. Special guests Johnny Mac and Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood of the Bay City Rollers went on to make this poignant moment all the stronger with their cover of The Proclaimers’ Sunshine On Leith. Never are Rod’s Scottish roots or football far from mind, as he recalled his father being a Hibby supporter, teasing Hibernian fans in the crowd and solidifying his support of Celtic in the lyrics of You’re In My Heart.
Rod, never one to be outdone by male band mates and their eye catching pink blazers, changed from one razzle dazzle jacket to another, while his female singers got the chance to show what they could do with I’m Every Woman and Lady Marmalade. The hits kept coming. Van Morrison’s Have I Told You Lately That I Love You had that real singalong factor, an audience coming together in song one moment, then strutting their stuff the next to Do You Think I’m Sexy.
The rain showed no signs of abating, but spirits were high and as the night drew to a close for the eagerly anticipated hit Sailing, the venue was simply lit up with mobile phone lights, as Rod and his singers donned sailor caps to sing their hearts out. The crowd expected to return home, but, Rod, feeling the nostalgia being on his father’s home turf, so to speak, said, “I just want to do this one more tune. You can leave now if you wish, but this was also one of my Dad’s favourite songs. We haven’t played this for like 15 years.” Purple Heather, a song from Rod’s A Spanner In The Works album, was a fitting end to a show in such an iconic location and also as a tribute to his late father, but did indeed hit the soft spot with many Scottish fans too.