Rod Stewart concert-goer regrets posting video online of cringeworthy AI-generated video of deceased celebrities

Rod Stewart kicked off his ‘One Last Time’ tour back in July - a 45-date trek across the globe that will take him and his band from the United States down to South America then over to Europe, winding up in the United Arab Emirates just before Christmas.

Despite the title, this won’t be Rod’s last time out on the road. Now 80, he says he’ll be scaling it down after this run of stadium/large arena gigs. “This will be the end of large-scale world tours for me, but I have no desire to retire. I love what I do, and I do what I love. I’m fit, have a full head of hair, and can run 100 meters in 18 seconds at the jolly old age of 79. I’d like to move onto a Great American Songbook, Swing Fever tour the year after next – smaller venues and more intimacy. But then again, I may not…”

During his one hour 45 minute set, Rod performs his 1988 hit single ‘Forever Young’ (in terms of sentiment, based on Bob Dylan’s song of the same name) with a Riverdance interlude. Both Stewart’s and Dylan’s original version were dedicated to their respective children, but the song took on another significance following the death of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne on 22 July.

Rod has been dedicating ‘Forever Young’ to Ozzy since his show at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage on 22 July. In subsequent shows, a picture of the Black Sabbath rocker flashed up on the large video screen on stage.

Dead pop stars

But more recently, ‘Forever Young’ has been accompanied with a bizarre AI-generated video, showing Ozzy armed with a selfie stick in heaven, taking selfies with other deceased, music legends: Tina Turner, Bob Marley, Freddie Mercury, George Michael, Prince...

Things got out of hand after a concertgoer, published a video she had taken from the audience at Rod’s show in Charlotte,North Carolina, showing the strange AI content. It went viral, and the OP was mortified.

“It was such a strange way to make a tribute," she explained. “I couldn’t believe no one on his team was like, ‘Hey, I don’t think this is such a good idea’. It’s the company’s fault for doing something so tacky. I don’t blame Rod!”

Weird and creepy

Many users agreed that the AI video tribute was “creepy, tasteless and schmaltzy” - and some enjoyed it.

“I did not think it would go so viral, I could never have imagined it. I was so nervous when I saw an article pop up on my phone. Rolling Stone called me a ‘brain rot content creator’ and I was like, ‘Oh no’. It’s my legacy, I’m about to ruin Rod Stewart’s career at the end of his life? This poor guy is going to be trending on the internet for all the wrong reasons. It’s never good to be on the bad side of the internet," she added before humbly apologizing to the one legend who fortunately, is still with us. “Rod Stewart, what I’ve done is inexcusable and I cannot atone any more deeply than I already have. I apologize, I think you’re a very talented artist, and I just don’t want you to use AI videos in the future - I’d be happy to make a slide show for you, of all of your friends, I’m sorry Rod”.

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