Rod Stewart - vocals; Carmine Appice - drums, vocals; Phil Chen - bass, vocals; Jim Cregan - guitar, vocals; Kevin Savigar - keyboards; Gary Grainger - guitar; Phil Kenzie - horns; Billy Peek - guitars
Opening with a recording of David Rose's 1962 instrumental classic "The Stripper," Rod the Mod blasts through a killer set of his best material with one of the strongest live bands he had ever assembled. This show, the second of two nights in Manchester, England, is an emotional one, since Stewart is very close to his British roots. He doesn't, however, let his national pride get in the way of rollicking good time. This is, after all, rock 'n' roll.
Opening with the infectious "Hot Legs" and "Born To Lose," Stewart offers a great set list that also includes plenty of ballads: "Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)," "You're In My Heart," "I Don't Want To Talk About It Now," and his legendary version of Gavin Southerland's "Sailing," still among the best selling singles in the history of the U.K.) He also includes some classic rockers with "Blondes Have More Fun" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" As with every Rod Stewart show there are plenty of stunning covers, including the Beatles' "Get Back," the soul classic "If Lovin' You Is Wrong," the Temptations' "I'm Losing You," Chuck Berry's "Sweet Lil' Rock and Roller" and "Twistin' The Night Away." And, of course, his trademark hits are here with "Maggie Mae" and "You Wear It Well." All in all, it is a memorable performance.
Although he began his professional career in the early 1960s with folk singer Wizz Jones, he began recording in 1963 as a member of John Baldry's Hoochie Coo Men (which also included an unknown pianist named Reg Dwight—later to become Elton John).
In 1964, Stewart and some of the members of Baldry's band formed a U.K. band called Steam Packet, which had moderate success and toured with the Rolling Stones. In 1966, he was asked by former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck to join his new group, which also included Ron Wood on bass. When a Beck's near-fatal 1969 car accident prevented a merger with Beck, Stewart and ex-Vanilla Fudge members Carmine Appice and Tim Bogart, Stewart, and Wood (now on guitar) joined the remaining members of the Small Faces, who had re-grouped as the Faces upon the departure of Steve Marriott.
Stewart took Faces back to the top of the U.K. charts and made them a viable touring act in the States, with a number of critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums. However, all the while he was lead vocalist for the Faces he was also holding down a successful solo career, which included the mega-hit, "Maggie Mae." It was often impossible to tell Stewart solo albums apart from his Faces records, especially since he used many of the Faces members on his own records.
After leaving that band in 1975, Stewart never left the charts or the spotlight as a solo celebrity. He recently recorded several #1 albums of standards, and an album of classic rock covers.