QUITE A KNIGHT FOR ROCK FANS
S IR Rod Stewart showed the Welsh capital how to rock last night as he celebrated his knighthood with a sell-out performance at the Cardiff City Stadium.
The concert, in front of 21,000 fans, came just hours after the announcement that he had been awarded a knighthood by HRH The Queen in her birthday honours.
And to recognise his special award, the veteran crooner played the most appropriate song from his repertoire... You Wear It Well!
Before the concert, his first at the football stadium, he said he was delighted to have received such an honour from the Queen.
He was also chuffed to be in Wales on the night that Gareth Bale and Co beat Slovakia at Euro 2016. “What a place to have a party!” he said.
Knighthood aside, Rod, 71, was already a hero for the crowd, who were ready to party with him on his The Hits Tour.
And they weren’t disappointed, as he had a 26-strong set list of all the favourite tunes that have made him the legendary singer that he is.
He sang tunes including Having A Party, Maggie May, Sailing, You Wear It Well and Downtown Train, as well as crowd pleasers like I Don’t Want To Talk About It, Baby Jane, Hot Legs and Do You Think I’m Sexy? which, judging by the screams from most of the ladies in the crowd, the answer was yes.
He also threw in a special tribute to boxer Muhammad Ali – a version of his ballad Angel.
Rod, who is married to Loose Woman Penny Lancaster, kicked off the tour at Norwich City’s Carrow Road, and he’s also been to Plymouth and Southampton before he came to Cardiff, somewhere he has played plenty of times before.
Many people had been tweeting the star throughout the day of the gig to show their support for the decision to make him a Sir, including Piers Morgan and Gabby Logan, as well as thousands of fans who wondered why it had taken so long!
He described it as a “monumental honour” and Stewart, who has had 62 hit singles and six number ones, said: “I’ve led a wonderful life and have had a tremendous career thanks to the generous support of the great British public. This monumental honour has topped it off and I couldn’t ask for anything more. I thank Her Majesty and promise to ‘wear it well’.
And, with a few costume changes, a belting vocal and dozens of his top hits entertaining the crowd, Rod certainly proved why he is worthy of the honour.