Legendary rock star Sir Rod Stewart has been in news headlines of late for his impassioned plea for Ukraine, still embroiled in a bitter conflict with Russia. The veteran rocker, during a performance in Leipzig in Germany, recently displayed an image of the Ukrainian flag and President Volodymyr Zelensky on stage, for which he got mixed applause.
The 79-year-old singer, known for timeless hits and charismatic performances, utilized this platform to shed light on the plight of the Ukrainian people. Introduce his 1991 hit “Rhythm Of My Heart” at the Quarterback Immobilien Arena; he beamed the Ukraine flag and Zelensky’s image behind him. This gesture, meant as solidarity, reached out to booing, shouting, and whistling from parts of the crowd of 12,000 strong.
Stewart has not shied away from giving his views on the conflict. He told the PA news agency: “I have supported the Ukrainian people throughout this war. From arranging for members of my family to take supplies to the country, to renting a house in the UK for a Ukrainian family, as well as employing two Ukrainians as part of my touring crew. So yes, I do support Zelensky and the people of Ukraine, and I will continue to do so.” Thus, yes, I stand with Zelensky and the people of Ukraine, and I shall continue to do so. Putin must be stopped.
This wouldn’t be the first time Stewart had received such backlash over his political comments. The singer has been making repeated performances about his commitment to Ukraine over the last two years. For that matter, he and his family have taken concrete action to help Ukrainian refugees by hiring lorries stuffed with supplies to take to the border and then using the same vehicles to ferry refugees to safety in Berlin.
The reaction of the Leipzig audience could be attributed to the greater political and economic atmosphere in Germany. A country already steeped in controversy over the European Union’s sanctions on Russia’s natural gas, such a backdrop would have infused mixed feelings among concert-goers toward Stewart’s pro-Ukraine stance.
While his message was jeered at in Leipzig, it otherwise fell on very receptive ears across other parts of Germany. In that regard, following the performance in Leipzig, he received cheers and applause in appreciation for the very same gesture after his concert in Berlin. These contrasting reactions bring to the fore the fact that there are normally different and complex public attitudes toward the ongoing conflict and international support randintate toward Ukraine.
Stewart, who was knighted in the Queen’s 2016 birthday honors for his services to music and charity, told the Press Association, “I’m a knight, I’ve got to do something and I hope other people follow. My charitable work in the future will be quiet but I just wanted somebody else to pick up the flag and maybe rent a house for someone.”
But looking ahead, Sir Rod is due to play the remaining dates of his European tour dates in Hamburg’s Barclays Arena, Cologne’s Lanxess Arena, and Munich’s Olympiahalle. It shall be a case of wait and watch whether he changes his act based on the mixed reviews, but he doesn’t seem like someone who will back down from using his platform for his social and political crusading any soon.
On Ukraine, the singer’s stance parallels the greater global efforts to solve the conflict. Indeed, earlier this week, delegates hailing from more than 90 countries converged in Switzerland to map out “a road map to peace” between Russia and Ukraine. There was underlining across the global divide in one summit, from full support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity to telling absences and non-commitments from the likes of India, Mexico, and China.
For fans of Rod Stewart, this weakens the general impression of his commitment to charity causes outside of his art. It is obvious, and will no doubt continue to be so as he heads further into this tour, that what Stewart does regarding Ukraine is connected at a very deep level to a broader ethos of compassion and action.
Amidst applause and criticism, Sir Rod Stewart stands firm to show the world once again why he has emerged through the ages as one of the most admired personas in music and beyond.