Rod Stewart played to a huge crowd for the Pyramid Stage’s Legends slot on Sunday, just hours after throwing his support behind the Reform Party.
The Maggie May hitmaker, 80, was joined by some fellow legends for the occasion, first bringing out Rolling Stones icon Ronnie Wood to play guitar for him on a rendition of Stay With Me.
Rod passed the stage to Ronnie, 78, for a guitar solo and the old pals sang together on the chorus before Scottish hitmaker Lulu, 76, joined them on stage.
Lulu looked sensational in an all-white ensemble consisting of fringed trousers and a blazer as the duo got the crowd hyped up with a version of Hot Legs.
In another political moment for this year’s Glastonbury, Sir Rod then dedicated a cover of The O’Jays 1972 hit Love Train to Ukraine and acknowledged the plight in the Middle East – after Bob Vylan were slammed for calling for ‘Death to the IDF’ during their set.
Rod addressed the crowd: ‘There’s been a lot about the Middle East lately, quite rightly so, but I want to draw your attention to the Ukraine with the next song, called The Love Train!’
However, viewers were distinctly split over Rod’s performance, with some praising him as a ‘total legend’ and proclaiming ‘he’s still got it’, while others branding him ‘painful’, ‘out of tune’ and like ‘a tribute act’.
Rod Stewart played to a huge crowd for the Pyramid Stage’s Legends slot on Sunday – and was joined by some fellow legends for the occasion
The Maggie May hitmaker, 80, first brought out Rolling Stones icon Ronnie Wood to play guitar for him on a rendition of Stay With Me
Rod passed the stage to Ronnie, 78, for a guitar solo and the old pals sang together on the chorus
Scottish hitmaker Lulu, 76, later joined the pair on stage as the duo got the crowd hyped up with a version of Hot Legs
Rod’s political message came after police launched a probe into the comments made by Bob Vylan, who led chants of ‘Free Palestine‘ and ‘Death to the IDF’, on yesterday afternoon.
The singer from the band, who keeps his identity secret, also declared ‘from the river to the sea Palestine… will be free’.
Meanwhile JADE led led the enthusiastic crowd at her set in chanting ‘f**k you’ towards ‘Reform, welfare cuts, transphobia, silencing protests, selling arms and justifying genocide’.
Rod certainly put on a show for the packed out audience, with Mick Hucknall also joining him on stage, multiple costume changes, glitzy backing singers and a nod to his true love Celtic.
Walking on stage with his huge band and mini-dressed clad backing singers to the sound of bag pipes, the 80-year-old rocker told the thousands gathered: ‘Oi Oi I’m here, enjoy yourselves ladies and gentlemen please!’
He kicked off his set with his hit Tonight I’m Yours before telling fans how ‘music brings us together, we’re having a party’ and going into Having A Party.
After a rendition of Some Guys Have All The Luck, he stopped to catch his breath and remove his sparkling jacket in the searing heat, telling fans: ‘This is so lovely. I’m so excited I can hardly breathe.’
Dipping into his bag of ballads, he did his version of First Cut Is The Deepest followed by his 1976 track, Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright).
He then announced to the crowd that they could expect him to be joined by Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall and Lulu, as well as his The Faces bandmate and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood.
After bringing out some his classic hits, including fan-favourite, Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?, Rod paid tribute to Glastonbury founder Sir Michael Eavis.
Meanwhile JADE led led the enthusiastic crowd at her set in chanting ‘f**k you’ towards ‘Reform, welfare cuts, transphobia, silencing protests, selling arms and justifying genocide’
Lulu looked sensational in an all-white ensemble consisting of fringed trousers and a blazer
After a rendition of Some Guys Have All The Luck, he stopped to catch his breath and remove his sparkling jacket in the searing heat, telling fans: ‘This is so lovely. I’m so excited I can hardly breathe’
He kicked off his set with his hit Tonight I’m Yours before telling fans how ‘music brings us together, we’re having a party’ and going into Having A Party
Walking on stage with his huge band and mini-dressed clad backing singers to the sound of bag pipes Sir Rod told the thousands gathered: ‘Oi Oi I’m here’
Rod ended his iconic show with an emotional performance of I Am Sailing as he sported a sailor’s hat as his backing singers sported Celtic football tops in honour of his beloved team
His daughter Emily pushed him onstage in a wheelchair, where he received a hug from Rod, who dedicated I Don’t Want To Talk About It to him.
Rod ended his iconic show with an emotional performance of I Am Sailing as he sported a sailor’s hat as his backing singers sported Celtic football tops in honour of his beloved team.
But the set left fans divided over Rod’s performance, and taking to social media, fans wrote: ‘Fantastic performance from Rod at 80!!! Amazing…..’; ‘Watching Rod Stewart at Glastonbury, legend’.
‘Like him or not. Rod Stewart has still got it!! He’s a showman, great entertainer, and can work a crowd. You go Rod! ! Big shout out to his Band’.
‘Poor Rod is struggling in this heat. I’ve seen him live a few times and he’s better than this usually. Respect to him though, he’s 80. Love him ❤️’.
‘Fair play Rod Stewart he has still got it !!! Great band around him as well.’; ‘This rod Stewart set upto now is absolutely class. What a total legend’
‘Like him or loath him. Kicking Glasto at 80 years young. Bringing some much needed fun and smiles to UK.’
Glastonbury founder Sir Michael Eavis’s daughter Emily pushed him onstage in a wheelchair, where he received a hug from Rod, who dedicated I Don’t Want To Talk About It to him
In another political moment for this year’s Glastonbury, Sir Rod then dedicated a cover of The O’Jays 1972 hit Love Train to Ukraine
Dipping into his bag of ballads, he did his version of First Cut Is The Deepest followed by his 1976 track, Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)
However, others less-than-impressed viewers took to X to admit: ‘Ok #RodStewart is great but I do feel like I’m stuck watching a tribute act.’
‘God, this is dreadful’; ‘Rod Stewart isn’t that bad, once you’ve accustomised yourself to the key he’s singing in….’
‘Christ this is painful.’; ‘I’m thinking maybe #RodStewart over the hill, voice is long gone’; ‘Can someone please take their drunk grandad home’.
‘Wow this is like watching a rather poor Ron Steward tribute act.’; ‘The sound of Rod’s high notes remind me of the noise I heard when I accidentally stood on my dogs tail’.
‘Rod is dying out there. Not an ounce of soul – even during his lazy cover of Love Train – and his own ‘classics’ have not aged well on this showing.’
‘DAMMIT. Almost managed to get over the fence at #Glastonbury but was caught by security and told to go back and carry on watching the Rod Stewart set.’
However, viewers were distinctly split over Rod’s performance, with some praising him as a ‘total legend’ and proclaiming ‘he’s still got it’, while others branding him ‘painful’, ‘out of tune’ and like ‘a tribute act’
‘Even the sign language person is out of tune.’; ‘Does Rod Stewart know he has to ‘sing’ and not talk the lyrics…. total garbage’.
‘Rod Stewart has really lost his voice – but doing ok for an old codger with loads of money to keep him fit and moving. Not sure he has hit one right note yet.’
‘I’m outraged the @bbc would broadcast something so horrifying in the middle of the afternoon, my kids have just seen Rod Stewart and now they are crying.’
Shortly before his slot, Rod’s wife Penny Lancaster arrived at Glastonbury festival to support her husband.
She was joined by her sons, model Alistair, 19, who was wearing a leopard print coat in preparation for his father’s set and Aiden, 14.
The matriarch, 54, looked very bohemian as she wore a tassel coat, oversized sunglasses, balloon trousers and a leopard print bag.
The 80-year-old singer’s teatime set comes the day after he claimed the country was ‘fed up’ with the Tories and that Labour was trying to ditch Brexit.
He accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of giving Scottish fishing rights ‘back to the EU’, although the Government insists it has simply renewed an existing deal for European boats.
His views represent a second volte-face given that he appeared to support Labour at last year’s election – despite previously backing the Conservatives.
He kicked off his set with his hit Tonight I’m Yours before telling fans how ‘m, usic brings us together, we’re having a party’ and going into Having A Party
Penny Lancaster has arrived at Glastonbury festival to support her husband Rod Stewart as he headlines in the prestigious Legends slot
Asked where Britain’s political future now lay, he told The Times: ‘It’s hard for me because I’m extremely wealthy, and I deserve to be, so a lot of it doesn’t really touch me.
‘But that doesn’t mean I’m out of touch. For instance, I’ve read about Starmer cutting off the fishing in Scotland and giving it back to the EU. That hasn’t made him popular.
‘We’re fed up with the Tories. We’ve got to give Farage a chance. He’s coming across well. What options have we got? I know some of his family, I know his brother, and I quite like him.’
Asked what Mr Farage stands for aside from Brexit, tighter immigration and controversial economic promises he replied: ‘Yeah, yeah. But Starmer’s all about getting us out of Brexit and I don’t know how he’s going to do that.
‘Still, the country will survive. It could be worse. We could be in the Gaza Strip.’
Sir Rod also seemed unconvinced that Sir Keir was going to fully address one of his personal pet hates.
Three years ago, the singer donned a hi-vis jacket and rang around friends asking for help filling in potholes outside his Essex house.
‘I took me Ferrari out. Nearly lost the f***ing wheel,’ he said.
She was joined by her sons, model Alistair, 19, who was wearing a leopard print coat in preparation for his father’s set (pictured) and Aiden, 14
The matriarch, 54, looked very bohemian as she wore a tassel coat, oversized sunglasses, balloon trousers and a leopard print bag
‘And before I did in the Ferrari, I saw an ambulance that couldn’t move, the wheel stuck right in there.
‘So I took me mates out, and we knew what to do because I had builders in the house.
‘We filled in a considerable length of the road, actually.’
He added that potholes were still present ‘all over Britain’ in contrast to Europe.
