Rod Stewart O2 Arena, London, February 27, 2017

“Enjoy yourself!” Rod The Mod’s surreal soul revue turns the O2 into a “giant pub”

- Peter Watts

ROD Stewart can’t keep still. Even during the “acoustic bit, where we pretend to be the Eagles”, when he sits with his band on school chairs at the front of the O2 stage, he’s jiggling, gurning, wriggling and waving, ending “downtown Train” flat on his back, splayed legs in the air, arse twitching like a slightly obscene beetle. The only time he stands in one place is during a gripping rendition of “I’d Rather Go Blind”, sung entirely with eyes closed, legs firmly planted on the stage, arms grasping the air for emotional emphasis as if he’s channelling Little Stevie Wonder. He doesn’t even goof around during the sax solo, instead standing head down and studious, a rare moment of calm, letting the song bear the weight. It’s a captivating performance of emotional intensity, and the beauty of the vocal is rewarded with respectful silence from an otherwise party-minded audience. When he’s done, the crowd holds a collective breath, but Stewart doesn’t milk it. Instead, he breaks out that big grin, jerks those skinny hips and flies straight into “Baby Jane”, throwing down those old disco moves, tongue not exactly in cheek, but certainly not too far away from it.