Rod Stewart cancels concert because he's unwell and then goes to the stadium to watch Scotland's World Cup debut? “Fans are outraged,” read various headlines. In reality there is no drama, just website headlines that leverage some comments posted on Instagram about the opportunity to go to the stadium the day after having (involuntarily) created discomfort for the public, comments which are counterbalanced by those who point out that a voice problem can prevent you from singing at a professional level, but not from going to watch a football match and cheering.
On Friday, June 12, Stewart was expected at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheater in Chula Vista, San Diego County, California for a stop on his farewell tour One Last Time. About forty minutes before the start, however, the concert was canceled due to sinusitis, the same reason that had led him to cancel two concerts at the end of May in Las Vegas.
A statement from the organizer then explained that Stewart, who is 81 years old, “arrived at the concert venue and did everything possible to perform”, but was unable to do so “on the advice of doctors and after the diagnosis of an acute upper respiratory tract infection which caused laryngitis”.
Stewart himself apologized for the inconvenience on social media and explained that «after the treatment I feel much better, but my voice doesn't. I did everything I could to make sure the concert took place this evening, but unfortunately it wasn't possible. I will do everything in my power to reschedule the date.”
The next day, Saturday 13th, the singer was seen at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts for the Scotland-Haiti World Cup match which ended 1-0, hence the comments and accusations of being insensitive, or tone-deaf as he writes Fox News. “It seems a bit hypocritical to me,” someone wrote, “especially after last night's cancellation. Too sick to perform, but able to fly across the country for soccer?” Or: «You failed the San Diego audience who wanted to see you in concert, but you managed to go to the World Cup. It's not nice.”
In the video that Stewart published on Instagram you can see him on the private jet going to watch the match with his children who had never seen Scotland at the World Cup, given that they had not qualified for the final stages since 1998. Final song on the notes of Seven Nation Armsy: “No Scotland no party”.
The important thing for the Italian public is that there is a voice for the concert on July 2nd in Bassano del Grappa.
