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09.04.2024, 10:00
Wolfie's goes Germany: sipping his whiskey backstage with Rod Stewart
Around four weeks to go until Rod Stewart's European tour kicks off with a concert in Antwerp on 11 May. As is well known, the 79-year-old singer will also be performing numerous concerts in Germany as part of... mehr
21.02.2024, 14:03
Swing Fever: Rod Stewart and Jools Holland release their first album together
A new swing album is being released, which in itself is not big news. It happens every now and then in the music world. But when this new album is released by Rod Stewart and Jools Holland, it's worth taking a... mehr
25.01.2024, 14:14
Ranking: The best live albums of all time
The music magazine "Musikexpress" has published a list of the best 100 live albums of all time. Rod Stewart made it to 93rd place with the album "Absolutely Live". The magazine also voted Nirvana's MTV... mehr
17.01.2024, 10:17
Concert tickets: the secret behind the pricing
The announcement of a tour by our favourite artist regularly sends us into a state of complete ecstasy and anticipation. We have to be there, preferably very close to the stage, in row 1, eagerly awaiting the... mehr
10.01.2024, 12:32
10 January - the date that connects me to Rod Stewart more than any other
Sharing your birthday with your favourite musician is something special. You experience the day with even more joy because you know that somewhere else the singer you trust is also celebrating his very special... mehr
08.01.2024, 12:55
An evening at Twickenham railway station changed the music world thanks to Long John Baldry
In the long career of Rod Stewart, there are probably two events that had the greatest impact on his career as one of the world's best singers. One was the day in 1971 when a radio presenter in Cleveland... mehr
03.01.2024, 11:32
Welcome 2024 - the tour countdown is on
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers and friends a happy, healthy and successful New Year 2024. Many of us spent the New Year with friends and acquaintances, family and colleagues.... mehr
11.12.2023, 11:24
The song that really got everything going: Maggie May
"Wake up Maggie, I think I got something to say to you ...." - With this line of text, long-time Rod Stewart fans immediately know what's coming. The opening of the song MAGGIE MAY is like an anthem at the... mehr
03.12.2023, 11:02
European Championship kick-off and Leipzig concert: Saxon fans may be expected to be flexible
Football and Rod Stewart belong together like Big Ben and London, like Paris and the Eiffel Tower, like Munich and the Oktoberfest: you can't have one without the other. The now 78-year-old singer has been a... mehr
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27.11.2023
Between Rod Stewart and Vladimir Klitchko: Düsseldorf musician Gina Brese tells her story about a legendary performance with Rod Stewart
Who among us hasn't dreamed of being on stage with Rod Stewart and performing a song?
Gina Brese, singer, saxophonist and songwriter from Düsseldorf, experienced this dream back in 2015. On 28 November 2015, boxing legend and heavyweight world champion Vladimir Klitchko defended his world title against Tyson Fury in the Düsseldorf Arena. The Ukrainian's title defence went wrong and Fury won the fight sensationally and completely unexpectedly on points. So far, so good.
The organisers spared no expense and effort for the supporting programme and engaged superstar Rod Stewart, among others, for a performance. As Rod didn't have his entire band with him that evening, local musicians were hired for the performance. One of them was - you guessed it - Gina Brese.
"It all started with an email in my inbox a few weeks before the show," said the musician. "The question was asked, quite mysteriously, whether I would be interested in performing as a saxophonist at a big event. After all, I was told that I would be performing with a male superstar," says Gina Brese. When the saxophonist learnt that this superstar was Rod Stewart, she immediately said yes. Hand on heart, who of you wouldn't have said yes straight away?
The first contact took place on the day of the performance at the rehearsal. "The sound check was carried out very professionally. As it was a live show, everything had to be rehearsed, of course," says Gina. "There was only time for a little chat afterwards in the catacombs. Rod just wanted to know if I was okay and if I was nervous about the performance. He also wished us all good luck," recalls the Düsseldorf native.
When it was time to perform, the atmosphere was very special. "It was phenomenal when we walked through the catacombs and then through the arena, past the people screaming and shaking the fences and then onto the stage! It was really sensational."
During the performance itself, Gina was calm. "I've played in front of large audiences a few times before, for example in the Barclay Card Arena in Hamburg. I'm not nervous there, I'm absorbed in my music and almost block out everything else around me. When we start, I just 'click' and it's all about the music. I just concentrate on the moment."
Gina's love of music began in 2005 with her favourite instrument, the saxophone. In the interview, she recalls: "When I was little, I watched a DVD of a Tina Turner concert with my mum and I liked the saxophonist so much and the way he played the instrument. From then on, it was clear to me that I wanted to play the saxophone too."
A few years later, the young Gina enrolled at a music school to learn to play the saxophone. "It may sound strange, but I was able to play well right from the start. Later, I also took singing lessons. Singing and saxophone go together like a glove for me."
Her career as a singer, saxophonist and songwriter was thus predetermined. The musical interplay of vocals and saxophone has become something of a trademark for the aspiring musician. "That's what I want to concentrate on. I want to sing pop hits. And all with a saxophone background." Brese has a clear idea of where she wants her career to go.
She can regularly be seen live and performs at business or private events. She then shines with her own compositions and also plays cover songs. "Sure, I love playing covers, although there are some songs that you can't cover. One song that I always like to cover when I play is Sailing, my absolute favourite Rod Stewart song. Speaking of Rod Stewart again (laughs), I even have an album of his at home. My parents gave it to me for my birthday."
Gina is generally up to date when it comes to Stewart: "I know he's touring Germany next year, I've also listened to his last album and I really like it".
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27.11.2023, 10:38
Album of the week: Tonight I'm Yours (1981)
We all know the feeling. You hear the latest song by your favorite artist on the radio and of course you want to have that record right away. So you run off to the nearest record store .... Oops, sorry, wrong... mehr
24.11.2023, 09:09
Concert Review: Saying Goodbye to 2023 in Style (by Sue Walton)
The November 22, 2023 was Rod Stewart’s last show of the year at Caesars Palace and in true Rod Stewart fashion he ended on a high note, leaving fans wanting more. Fortunately, “more” will be coming our way... mehr
23.11.2023, 11:50
Wetten dass.... I'll meet you, Rod?
Next Saturday, the legendary TV show Wetten dass will take place for the last time in Offenburg. Since 1981, Wetten dass has been THE big Saturday evening entertainment programme on German television and has... mehr
17.11.2023, 11:49
Concert marathon 2024: Will Las Vegas really be the end?
The moment that Rod Stewart fans have always dreaded is getting closer and closer: the singer's departure from the stage. Barring a miracle, 2024 will be the last year in which the now 78-year-old will thrill... mehr
15.11.2023, 10:04
Rod Stewart: Concert history in Germany
As we all know, Rod Stewart began his unique career in the early 1960s thanks to the legendary Long John Baldry, who listened very carefully to a young man squatting on the floor at a grey and uncomfortable... mehr
12.11.2023, 13:43
Concert and party review: Rockin' In The Round Hamburg 2007
In the early 2000s, even before Facebook, Twitter & Co, the good old Storyteller was THE forum for Rod Stewart fans in Germany. You could register at the web address www.rod-stewart.de and then post, comment... mehr
12.11.2023, 13:02
Rod Stewart Tribute: Rud Stewart (If the original obliges you and saves your butt)
He likes to call himself an Englishman who lives in Sweden: Michael Dean, probably better known to most as Rud Stewart, has also lived in Mallorca and has a soft spot for Australia and New Zealand. His great... mehr
12.11.2023, 12:04
Rod Stewart Tribute: Rob Caudill (When Your Nose Gives You Direction)
Imagine you're at the airport, strolling relaxed through the city or sitting comfortably in a restaurant and all the people around you are staring at you as if you're from another galaxy, or constantly asking... mehr
30.09.2023, 13:54
My ultimate setlist
There were 60 years of a unique career to work through. If my personal setlist were to be performed, Rod would probably have to be on stage for several days at a stretch. The following list of Rod Stewart and... mehr
30.09.2023, 12:58
The arenas in Germany
Quarterback Arena in Leipzig Address: Am Sportforum 2, 04105 Leipzig Opening: 11 May 2002 Capacity: 8000 seats Website: https://www.quarterback-immobilien-arena.de The Rod Stewart concert will take... mehr
27.09.2023, 14:03
Rod Stewart Tribute: Robin Stone
Young Reinhard discovered his love of music when he was still a three-year-old. It all began with a drum kit his father had made himself and the music of the Bee Gees. Today he can look back on a long musical... mehr
25.09.2023, 14:05
Album of the Week: Foolish Behaviour
Foolish Behaviour is the tenth of 31 studio albums by Sir Rod Stewart and was released on 21 November 1980. The ten songs on the album were recorded at Record Plant Studios and Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles... mehr
25.09.2023, 09:12
Story: The Faces thrill at their first concert in Germany - "Stewart's voice gives you goosebumps"
Hamburg, 2 December 1970: It's a cloudy day on the Elbe, with rain showers coming down again and again. At seven degrees it is quite cool. Not the kind of weather to chase a dog out the door. And yet, on this... mehr
24.09.2023, 14:14
Album of the week: TIME - back to the roots
One should never say there is nothing left for a person to do after publishing his autobiography. Rock star Rod Stewart is a prime example in this respect. In 2012, he published his autobiography with the... mehr
23.09.2023, 14:18
When Georgie Boy Really Pissed Off John Lennon
Without a doubt, ex-Beatle John Lennon, who would be 83 years old today, and Rod Stewart belong to the group of the greatest music stars this planet has ever seen. Both started their careers in the early 60s.... mehr