Is £100,000 sexy enough for Rod Stewart?

It has been revealed that the concert by rock star Rod Stewart at Stormont is to be subsidised by public funds to the tune of £100,000.

According to a BBC report, the organisers Northern Ireland Events Company will shell out thousands of pounds to entice the aging rocker to play his one-off gig.

Famous for his sandpaper vocals and onstage swagger, Rod Stewart’s songs, such as ‘Do You Think I’m Sexy?’, ‘Maggie May’, ‘Sailing’ and ‘This Old Heart of Mine’ have earned him music recognition across the globe.

This Rod Stewart concert, billed for July 27 this year, is not the first concert to be underwritten by the company which has been trying to develop Stormont as a big-name venue for music festivals. Around £300,000 has already been used to over the costs of other concerts held in the grounds of Parliament Buildings.

Elton John was the first artist to play Stormont – a unique concert because the singer waived his fee. Since then, public funds have been used to cover losses at other events.

Jim Aiken, of Aiken Promotions, said: “Rod Stewart has one of music’s greatest and most distinctive voices and will undoubtedly give Stormont one of its best performances to date.”

Speaking on the behalf of Northern Ireland Events Company, Janice McAleese said: “This is very exciting for the people of Northern Ireland to have the opportunity to see yet another all-time great such as Rod Stewart performing in concert at Stormont Estate. If past concerts are anything to go by this should be another memorable evening.”

(AMcE)