By The Riff Report Blog – loud, proud, and possibly holding back tears during “Sailing” 🥲⚓

Well, Glasto 2025 threw us another curveball, butt! When it was announced that Sir Rod Stewart would be gracing the Pyramid Stage, some of us were buzzing for a “Maggie May” singalong… and others were wondering if the old rocker still had the juice. But what we got was… a mixed bag wrapped in Union Jack trousers and doused in nostalgia 🎩🇬🇧

So here’s the burning question:
Was Rod Stewart actually past his prime, or did the sound crew drop the mic – literally? 🎚️💥

🎶 THE SETLIST: GOLDEN OLDIES OR DAD DISCO?

Sir Rod didn’t mess about – he came armed with the big guns.
We’re talking:

  • “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” (mixed reaction from the front row 😅)
  • “Forever Young” (somewhat ironic)
  • “The First Cut is the Deepest” (and so was the cringe during the key change)
  • And of course, the emotionally explosive “Sailing” – which got even the rowdiest bucket-hat lads crying into their lukewarm ciders 😭🍺

Song choice? Solid. Delivery? Erm… let’s unpack that 👇

🎙️ VOCALS: GRAVEL OR GRAVEYARD?

Right, let’s address the haggis in the room 🥴 –
Rod’s voice wasn’t at its stadium-shaking best. That iconic raspy snarl? It teetered between charmingly weathered and worryingly wheezy.

There were missed notes, some awkward pacing, and a couple of moments that genuinely had the crowd glancing around like, “Is it me, or is this a bit off?”

But here’s the kicker: it wasn’t just Rod.
Everyone in the field started whispering the same thing by the third song:
“The sound is shite.” 💀

🎚️ SOUND ENGINEERING: WHO UNPLUGGED ROD?

We’ve seen some dodgy mixes over the years, but this? This was a clown show on the dials 🤡

  • Vocals too low during the openers.
  • Guitar lost in the mud mid-set.
  • Back-up singers out of sync, probably because the monitors were feeding them a different gig entirely.
  • And the bass? More like no bass until someone clearly panicked and cranked it – and then it sounded like Rod was singing from inside a subwoofer. 🌀

Some fans near the Pyramid claimed it sounded lush… but back by the bar? It was Glast-on-burry. 👂🧻

🧓 THE AGE THING: IS IT TIME TO HANG UP THE SEQUINS?

Let’s be honest – Rod Stewart is 80. EIGHTY. And he’s still out here belting classics in front of 100,000 people like he owns the bloody place. That’s rock ‘n’ roll royalty right there 👑🎸

But fair play – age does catch up. This wasn’t Rod at his finest. But to call him “past it”? Nah, butt. That’s lazy.

What we saw was a living legend battling through a brutal mix and still getting thousands of people swaying in the drizzle. That ain’t nothing to sneer at.

📢 CROWD VERDICT: A MIXED BAG OF BOOS AND BALLADS

🗣️ “Bit rough around the edges, but I still got goosebumps during ‘Sailing’.” – Linda, 42, Newport
🗣️ “Sound was appalling – Rod deserved better.” – Jamal, 29, Leeds
🗣️ “I love him but he should’ve headlined the Radio 2 tent, not Pyramid.” – Chloe, 25, Bristol
🗣️ “Didn’t care, had glitter on and danced my arse off.” – Gaz, 38, Bridgend

🧠 FINAL THOUGHTS – SO, WAS ROD COOKED?

Let’s break it down, riff-heads:

🎸 The Bad:

  • Vocals didn’t land like they used to
  • Mix was borderline sabotage
  • Stage energy was more Sunday brunch than Saturday night fever

🎸 The Good:

  • Iconic songs that still hit emotionally
  • Charisma by the truckload (he is Rod Stewart, after all)
  • A crowd that, despite everything, still sang their hearts out

Verdict?
👉 Rod’s still got the soul, but his set was kneecapped by dodgy tech and an unforgiving main stage mix. Give him a proper sound check and a twilight slot, and he’d still blow your glitter socks off 🧦✨

What did you think, Glasto warriors?
Was it a nostalgic dream or a croaky nightmare? Hit us up in the comments or shout us out on socials using:

🎯 #RodAtGlasto
🎯 #DoYaThinkImMixedBadly
🎯 #ForeverYoungForeverFeedback
🎯 #SoundGuysGetAFan

Until next time – keep it loud, proud, and never trust a quiet sound desk! 🤘😆

Written by The Riff Report Blog – the only place where a microphone slip becomes a mosh pit tale. 🥁💥