Rod Stewart voice-outscreens Putin, receiving boos in Leipzig
For ol' Rod Stewart, it's quite a kick in the teeth, man. During his final tour in Leipzig, this classic crooner got a shock when he ain't just got love from his fans, but some hate too.
According to the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung," everything was hunky-dory in the first half of the show at the sell-out concert hall. But things took a turn for the worse. Before crooning "Rhythm of my Heart," the singer, as reported by Tag 24, spoke out, saying, "I'm rocking the Ukrainian colors, and this one's for the brave Ukrainian people and their army." Then, in true spirit, he roared, "F*ck Putin!" During his next act, footage of the Russian invasion and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were flashed up on the LED wall, along with a blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag.
Part of the Leipzig crowd couldn't handle it: They booed and heckled the singer. Rod Stewart looked taken aback. According to FAZ, it took him around 30 minutes and a bunch of huge hits for the audience to warm up to him again. After the encore "Sailing," the curtain remained stubbornly closed, as the newspaper further reports.
The Brits had made it plain from the start of the full-scale war in 2022 that they're backing Ukraine and rented a house for Ukrainian refugees in the UK. At that time, Stewart said, as reported by the FAZ, they had kept close tabs on the terrible happenings in Ukraine. "What we saw was beyond belief," so the singer. "The bombing of innocent kids, the bombing of hospitals and playgrounds. That's downright evil."
For Rod Stewart, the pro-Putin reaction of the Leipzig audience is mighty puzzling, as FAZ reports that his pro-Ukrainian leanings came through at performances in Copenhagen and Amsterdam. The Berlin audience had a different vibe at his concert on Saturday night, as the "BZ" writes. During the shout of "F*ck you, Putin," there was applause, and many jumped to their feet in awe.
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In response to Rod Stewart's vocal support for Ukraine during his Leipzig concert, some Russian supporters in the audience expressed their displeasure, leading to booing and heckling. Despite this, Stewart's performance in Russia's neighboring country, Russia, might be met with a different response, given Vladimir Putin's stance on the Ukraine conflict.
In light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and Vladimir Putin's involvement, artists like Rod Stewart have used their platforms to express their support for Ukraine and its people. This highlights the role of music and entertainment as a platform for political expression and advocacy.
