DO you remember when Rod Stewart performed at Somerset County Cricket Club in Taunton?
The concert raised an incredible £150,000 for St Margaret's Hospice in 2014.
We took a look back in our archives to remind ourselves of what the concert was like (and what it is like to actually attend a concert)!
What a sight it was to behold . . . Rod Stewart, bathed in June’s evening sun on stage at Somerset County Cricket Club, singing his hits to thousands of people who sang them right back.
Travelling from near and far, 18,000 people descended on the County Ground in Taunton last Wednesday to witness the rock ‘n’ roll legend give his support to St Margaret’s Hospice’s vital work in full belt-out song.
Everything about the night was golden, from the shimmer of Rod’s gold-dust suit (one of three vivid outfits fans got to see him in) to the sounds of a golden age of music and the many thousands of pounds raked in for St Margaret’s.
A six-figure sum – a total yet to be totted up – has been raised for the charity to go straight to those who need it in Taunton and Yeovil.
Addressing the crowd on the night, Rod, an artist approaching his 70th birthday, was in high spirits, moving around the stage like a man a third his age.
“Good evening my friends! Oh what a gorgeous evening. Unbelievable.
“Thankyou first of all, before we get into our two-hour set, thankyou for coming, especially those who’ve travelled a long distance – it’s definitely going to be worth your while.”
And so it was. The warm husk of Rod’s voice was loud and clear on ‘Maggie May’, ‘Sailing’ (for which the lights of all mobiles were held aloft and glowing), ‘The Rhythm of My Heart’, ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’, ‘Baby Jane’ and ‘I Don’t Want To Talk About It’.
His backing band was just what you’d expect from the artist who brought ‘Hot Legs’ into the music realm and married a top model: the guys were glamorous with real musical prowess and the gals switched from fiery flapper dresses to leopard print in a heartbeat.
Rod couldn’t let the concert burn out without a rallying cry for Celtic Football Club, demonstrating his ample kicking skills by firing signed balls into the crowd.
The finale was, of course, the number that the throng had all been waiting for – after Maggie May, of course – the disco-licked ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?’
With the music over, a crescendo of fireworks darted into the night sky, which had everyone looking up and catching their breath.
It was a fantastic spectacle for a fantastic cause.
Review by Daisy Blacklock
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