Sir Rod Stewart has made another promise to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking.
When the British rock icon joined Hosking, the radio host reminded him of his last time in New Zealand, where he dedicated a song to him.
"You said was I coming to the show and I said I'd come to the show if you played Handbags and Gladrags and I was joking. But you did, and you dedicated it to me and that meant the world. I thought it was one of the greatest nights of my life," Hosking said.
Chuckling, Sir Rod asked if there is anything else Hosking would like to hear to which he replies People Get Ready, which is a song that is performed regularly, and the artist tells Hosking he will "see you there."
The 78-year-old was last in New Zealand in 2015 and is back next month for the third, and possibly final, time with shows in Dunedin, Hawke’s Bay and Auckland.
With a record of 250 million records sold and an entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Sir Rod says he and his team have their shows down to a science.
"It does take a lot of planning," the London-born rocker told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking. "Not too much rehearsal, because we don't take years off. We played our last show only two weeks ago, so we don't need any rehearsals."
Stewart prides himself on his performances and will be bringing his alter ego to New Zealand in order to give fans one last taste of his infectious live show, saying he brings as much of his personality as he can.
"I'm old school, it's entertainment, people want to be entertained," he says. "I'm Mr. Razzle Dazzle, aren't I?"
"I lived through the sixties and the seventies and the eighties were especially razzle dazzle, but I've always been a bit of a show off."
After Australia and New Zealand, the United States and Britain are on the itinerary and while many at 78 would recoil at the thought of spending months on end at the other side of the world, Sir Rod Stewart relishes in the opportunity.
"Love it! It wouldn't be doing it if I didn't love it. It's what the good Lord put me on this earth to do."
The inevitable retirement rumours have swirled in recent years, with many predicting Sir Rod to hang up his microphone. He says he plans to work with a number of artists, including Jools Holland, and produce some music of some other genres and take up some new endeavours.
"I just want to get away from what I'm doing, I've been doing it a hell of a long time and I love it, but I want a new challenge."
In recent years he has become something of a philanthropist, having notoriously been called cheap in the past by Ronnie Wood, most recently housing a number of Ukrainian refugees who had fled the Russian invasion.
"Lovely, lovely people. We've got to win this war, it'll be the end of man-kind as we know it if we don't."
This is not the only example of the rock legend's generosity. In late February, he visited Essex Hospital and paid for a full day's worth of MRI scans following a phone call with Sky News, in a bid to reduce waiting times. He told Mike Hosking he had heard the effort had reduced times but 10 percent.
If these are in fact Sir Rod Stewart's final shows in New Zealand they promise to be full of razzle dazzle, although fans will be hoping this is not the last time we see the famed performer on our shores.
SHOW DATES:
Wed 5 April - Forsyth Barr Stadium - DUNEDIN
Sat 8 April - Mission Estate Winery - NAPIER
Sun 9 April - Spark Arena - AUCKLAND
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