The 78-year-old Stewart reportedly injured his vocal cords during pre-show warm-up, forcing his SaskTel Centre gig to be called off
Bryn Levy, Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Concertgoers who made the trek to SaskTel Centre to see a long-delayed performance by Rod Stewart could be waiting longer.
The singer of hits including “Maggie May” and “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” was due to play Saturday night in Saskatoon, but the show was cancelled before Stewart could take the stage.
Attendees reportedly learned the 78-year-old Stewart would not be performing after support act Cheap Trick finished their set. They were told Stewart had damaged his vocal cords.
Many took to social media to demand more information about refunds for their ticket purchases, or the potential for a rescheduled show.
A response to a concertgoer posted from SaskTel Centre’s official account around 10 p.m. Saturday indicated the venue was still waiting for more details from Stewart’s tour managers.
“This situation is new and developing for them as well, we will let you know. Even if the show is rescheduled to a new date, there is still the option to accept a refund. We will let you know when we know,” the response stated.
The cancellation will have been a disappointment for fans who have already faced a delay to see Stewart perform; he was previously booked to play on Sept. 14, 2022, with that show postponed at the time along with several other North American dates due to production issues.
Touring musicians from smaller, independent artists to performers of Stewart’s pedigree with multiple Billboard hits under their belt have all experienced difficulties in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, as touring costs have ballooned with inflation.
While it was unclear Sunday what exactly fans can expect to make up for Stewart’s missed Saskatoon show, they can likely rest assured that Stewart isn’t harbouring plans to stop performing.
The singer took to his Instagram account earlier this year after comments he made during an interview with the BBC Breakfast program sparked worries he might be preparing to retire.
Stewart told interviewer Charlie Stayt he was going to leave “all that rock n’ roll stuff behind” after wrapping his current tour; the singer was referencing a desire to pivot to performing big-band style music, but some took the quote to mean he might be bowing out of performing, or could be shelving some of his biggest hit songs.
The crooner cleared up the misconceptions with a June 21 post saying he “shall never retire!” He went on to add that he was “put on this Earth to be a singer and will keep doing so for as long as the good Lord lets me.”
He went on to confirm he’d be “playing the hits as advertised” on tour dates through this year and into 2024. From there, he said he has plans to release an album of swing music.
Stewart is next due to play in Ottawa on Aug. 23.
