Last year, after Sir Rod Stewart filmed himself filling a pothole near his home in Harlow, Essex, the video went viral. The local council had repeatedly failed to address the issue, so the former Faces frontman leapt into action, wearing a in high-vis jacket, spade in hand. It’s this kind of man-of-the-people approach that has turned him into a star; the Jack the Lad with the voice of a god. It’s no wonder CR’s Guest Editor Bryan Adams wants to interview him.
Adams is at home in Vancouver. Meanwhile, Stewart, in his apartment high in Beverly Hills, is playing Rod Stewart perfectly: the open shirt, the carefully unkempt hair, the glint in the eye, the ever-present chuckle. He’s watching football at the same time as he does the interview with Adams,and there’s as much gossip and mickey-taking as there is talk of Long John Baldry, Jeff Beck and others. But first there’s the extremely important subject of gravel shovelling to discuss.
BA: How are the potholes down where you are?
RS: All fixed. I put the council and the government to shame.
BA: What’s wrong with the councils, honestly?
RS: Like most councils – especially in Britain and everywhere – no one’s got any money. Same thing here in California. Schwarzenegger went out and did it. Did you see that? [Arnold Schwarzenegger filled a pothole in his neighbourhood in Brentwood, Los Angeles, after residents’ complaints to the authorities fell on deaf ears].
BA: I did, yeah. You’re inspiring people all over the place. I love that story. And I’m sure you don’t have potholes in California, though. Do you?
RS: Yeah, of course we do.
BA: At your place?
Not actually round my house. But I live up in the hills – in a private enclave, if you don’t mind. When you get down into town it gets a little rough. The worst place was when I was in Mexico City. That’s the worst for
