Final UK Concert of Rod Stewart & The Faces in 1974

Faces Final Show

On December 23, 1974, Rod Stewart led the Faces in their final concert in the UK, giving a rollicking show at London’s Kilburn State Theatre.  Although the band would tour the U.S. in 1975, this farewell concert is often listed as their last performance together.

The Faces, which had grown out of the dissolution of the Small Faces in 1969, created great music during their time together.  But by the time of their performance at the Kilburn, the end was near for the band.

The show featured lead singer Rod Stewart, keyboardist Ian McLagan, guitarist Ron Wood, drummer Kenney Jones and bassist Tetsu Yamauch.  Yamauch replaced founding bassist Ronnie Lane, who had left the band the summer of 1973.

Rounding out the show was a guest appearance from Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones on for “Sweet Little Rock’n Roller,” “I’d Rather Go Blind” and “Twistin’ The Night Away.”

By the time of this show, Stewart had already established himself as a solo artist with Every Picture Tells a Story (1971).  He had already had the massive hit “Maggie May,” which the band plays at the show.

For the 1975 U.S. tour, Wood played with the Faces and also toured with his new band, The Rolling Stones.  With Wood and Stewart finding other work, the writing was on the wall for the Faces.  But it was a great run.

The show ends with a short “We’ll Meet Again,” a song the band closed with since 1971.  But, despite various forms of reunions, London would never see the Faces like this again.



What is your favorite song from The Faces? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Will Majesty Rose Be the Next American Idol?

    American Idol Majesty

    Now that there are eleven American Idol contestants standing and this week will determine the top ten, one might start wondering who will win season 13. One readers’ poll has Caleb Johnson at the top, followed by Sam Woolf and Jessica Meuse. Las Vegas oddsmakers currently have Sam Woolf as a 3/1 favorite, followed by Alex Preston (7/2), Majesty Rose (4/1), and Dexter Roberts (6/1).

    A lot can happen week to week, and there is no way to tell who is going to develop into the American Idol. Some seasons, like in the first season, there is a very strong frontrunner who is solid through all of the performances. In other years, someone begins to shine more and more each week, rising to the top. At this point in the season, I would put my money on Majesty Rose, who has been my favorite since the auditions when she sang “Violet Hill” by Coldplay.

    Rose, whose real name is Rochelle York, is a young preschool teacher from Goldsboro, North Carolina. So far, she has shown great potential with her voice and the ability to bring her personality into her performances. Last week, the judges criticized her song which started out great but did not finish so well. If Rose can use the criticism to grow as a performer, she could make it to the end. Her best performance so far has been when she showed her high-energy entertainment chops with Pharrell Williams’s “Happy” during the show with the top ten women.


    Majesty Rose – Happy – American Idol 13 (Rush… by IdolxMuzic

    Caleb Johnson may have the most powerful voice since Adam Lambert was on the show’s eighth season, so Johnson has potential to do well too. But his rock performances have not yet shown the versatility that Lambert displayed during his run on the show. Below is one of his highlights on the show so far, covering “Stay with Me” by the Faces.

    Alex Preston may be the contestant who is most ready to make a hit record that would play on the radio today. He could end up being the person from this season who has the most successful career, whether or not he wins. Here, Preston sings Jason Mraz’s “A Beautiful Mess” during Top 13 week.

    Sam Woolf, who has a good voice with great potential and the teen vote, understandably has the best betting odds. I was impressed this Top 12 week when he chose a more obscure song, Blind Pilot‘s “Just One,” showing he may have some surprises in store for us.



    Dexter Roberts
    gave a solid country performance of Montgomery Gentry’s “Lucky Man” this week, and Jena Irene Ascuitto has the potential to rise from the bottom three. So those two would round out my top six . . . for now.

    [March 14, 2014 Update: Two days after I wrote this post, Majesty Rose ended up in the bottom two, barely missing elimination. Voters have been disappointed by her performances the last two weeks. Her mistake may be going for big high notes that she cannot quite hit consistently. If I were her coach, I would tell her to stop trying to be Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston and to find the songs that fit the sweet spot of her talents. Not every American Idol has to hit those big high notes to win, and many of the contestants who did better than her this week did not even try to hit huge notes. She has the potential for a comeback.]

    [March 28, 2014 Update: On the March 27 episode of American Idol, Majesty Rose was sent home after she ended up at the bottom of the voting and by a “narrow, narrow margin” the judges opted not to use their save. Rose is considering whether to pursue music, acting, or continue her teaching. But because she made the Top 10, she will be touring with other American Idol finalists. Now, who are the front-runners to win? From the last few weeks, I would put Jena Irene Ascuitto and Caleb Johnson as the favorites, with an edge to Jena.]

    Who is your favorite contestant this season? Leave your two cents in the comments and do not forget to vote.


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