Old school charm from another era

At the age of 80, Rod Stewart has earned the right to do things his way. And if that means turning Glastonbury into a Vegas nightclub for 90 minutes, so be it.

The star played the festival’s coveted “legends slot” on Sunday afternoon, putting on a show resplendent with glittery suits, saxophone solos and special guests – including Stewart’s former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood.

With plenty of gold in his back catalogue to draw on, the setlist was an all-timer, from the new wave synths of Young Turks to the beautiful folk melodies of Maggie May and Sailing.

And if the set veered towards cheese, at least it was well matured – much like Stewart himself.

He emerged on stage to the sound of Scotland The Brave on bagpipes – a nod to his Scottish father.

He was met by fans wearing frightwigs and waving the flag of his beloved football team Celtic.

Others held aloft signs that said “Rod’s a rascal”, and “Does Nigel Farage think you’re sexy” – in reference to an interview Stewart gave to The Times over the weekend, where he said people should give the Reform leader “a chance”.

At the age of 80, Stewart is one of the oldest artists to perform at the festival, but not the very oldest.

Burt Bacharach played the Pyramid stage in 2015 at the age of 87, while in 2022, Paul McCartney headlined the week after his 80th birthday.

Other artists to have played the legend slot in recent years include Kylie Minogue, Shania Twain, Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees and Cat Stevens.

In a BBC interview earlier this week, Stewart talked about how he prepared for a major performance like Glastonbury.

“It’s like being a footballer in the FA Cup Final. You’re like, ‘I’ll treat it like any other game’, but it’s not [because] you don’t know what to expect.

“The difference with a football match is half the audience want to see you lose, but with me, everybody wants to see me win.

“So, I’ll be in good voice. I’ll enjoy myself. I don’t care any more what the critics think.”

Despite cancelling a string of shows in the US earlier this month due to illness, the star delivered his 90-minutes with gusto, sweat drenching the frilled white shirt he wore under a black and gold brocade jacket.

On ballads like Tonight’s the Night and First Cut is the Deepest, he found new ways around the melodies, accommodating the cracks and crevices that have appeared in his famously gravelly voice.

And his stage banter was delightfully barmy.

“Here’s one from 1979,” he shouted at one point.

“You guessed it: If You Want My Body, stick it up your bum.”

(The song’s actually called Do Ya Think I’m Sexy, but it’s his tune, so I guess he gets to decide.)

Later, he shared some nuanced political analysis.

“There’s been a lot about the Middle East recently, and quite rightly so, but I want to draw your attention to the Ukraine with this next song, it’s called the Love Train!” he declared.

The song, a cover of The O’Jays classic, is a plea for peace and tolerance that mentions Russia, China, Egypt, England and Israel.

It reflected the idealism of Stewart’s post-war rock and rollers, but the audience didn’t seem to mind the simplicity of the message. They just wanted to dance.

They got the chance during classics like Baby Jane and Forever Young, which even included a ceildh breakdown, courtesy of the star’s talented backing band.

After his third costume change, Stewart pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket for an “important announcement”.

Reading from the note, he wished a happy 90th birthday to Glastonbury founder Sir Michael Eavis, whose daughter Emily pushed him onstage in a wheelchair.

Sir Michael waved to the crowd, eliciting a huge round of applause, and Stewart leaned in to give him a hug.

“Let’s dedicate this one to him,” he announced, striking up the opening chords to I Don’t Want To Talk About It.

When everyone joined in the chorus, Sir Michael looked delighted.

After that, guest stars arrived in quick succession. Mick Hucknall for a duet on If You Don’t Know Me By Now, Ronnie Wood for Stay With Me and Lulu for Hot Legs.

“You’re killing it,” declared Lulu, resplendent in a white tassled suit, leaning in for a hug. “We’d make a great couple.”

The set ended with Sailing, the mega-ballad that took Stewart to the top of the charts in 1976 – while his backing singers pulled on sailors’ caps.

It was charming, it was silly, it was immensely enjoyable.

If Stewart had taken this legend slot to sea, sure, it would have been a diamond-encrusted cruise ship.

But when the water’s this smooth, it has a beauty all of its own.