Rod Stewart verbally attacks Putin in Leipzig, resulting in audience boos
It appears to be a frustrating situation for Rod Stewart, especially during his final tour in Leipzig. Instead of the usual enthusiasm from his fans, the British singer encountered opposition and discovered that not everyone who appreciates his music supports his beliefs.
At the packed concert venue, things were going smoothly at first, as per the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung." However, the atmosphere suddenly shifted. Before performing "Rhythm of my Heart," the singer, according to Tag 24, expressed, "I'm wearing Ukrainian colors and I'd like to dedicate this to the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian military." In a passionate outburst, he exclaimed, "Fuck Putin!" During his subsequent performance, imagery of the Russian invasion and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were displayed on the LED screen behind him, along with the Ukrainian flag.
These actions apparently angered parts of the Leipzig audience, who began to boo and jeer the singer. Stewart seemed visibly upset following the incident, taking nearly 30 minutes and several popular tunes to win the audience back over, according to FAZ. After the encore "Sailing," the curtains remained stubbornly closed, as the newspaper further reports.
Rod Stewart had already expressed his support for Ukraine at the start of the full-scale war in 2022 by renting a house for Ukrainian refugees in the UK. At that time, he said, they had witnessed the horrifying events unfolding in Ukraine. "What we saw was unimaginable with words," so the singer. "The bombing of innocent children, hospitals, and playgrounds. That's evil."
Surprisingly, Stewart's pro-Ukrainian stance was met with cheers and standing ovations at performances in Copenhagen and Amsterdam. However, the Berlin audience had a different reaction on Saturday night, as the "BZ" writes. During his Berlin concert and the shout "Fuck you Putin," the audience erupted in applause, with many standing to their feet.
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In response to Rod Stewart's vocal support for Ukraine and criticism of Vladimir Putin, parts of the Berlin audience cheered and stood in applause, contrasting the boos and jeers from some Leipzig attendees. Despite the mixed reactions, Russia's political stance on Ukraine influencing the audience's responses to Stewart's musical performances cannot be ignored in the realm of international politics and its impact on entertainment.
