Some guys have all the luck, and professional Rod Stewart impersonator Paul Metcalfe considers himself one of the lucky ones.
But he wasn’t always.
As a starry-eyed student in Newcastle, Londoner Paul was trying to break through with his original music, and hitting up against a brick wall.
“I was trying to make it, and it never really worked out,” laughs Paul, 68. “So I got to a certain age and thought ‘I’m a bit old for this now, I’ll leave it to the young ones’.
“That was when the idea of doing Rod came along, almost by accident.”
It was while playing cover gigs in pubs and clubs that Paul was told his rendition of Stewart’s hit Maggie May was “amazing”, and his singing voice shared the raspy melodiousness which has captured the hearts of so many Rod Stewart fans.
So Paul leaned in and started perfecting his Rod Stewart impression, and his act “took off” almost immediately.
Now 25 years later, it’s a point of pride for him that he’s never had to have “a proper job”, making a living instead out of his high-octane tribute shows.
Scottish audiences ‘better than English’
Since 2016, he has written, produced, marketed and starred in his West End show, Some Guys Have All The Luck, which he’s bringing to Arbroath and Fife this weekend.
“We love coming to audiences in Scotland,” Paul admits, sharing Rod’s affinity for the north. “I have to say, they’re a lot better than audiences we get in England.
“English audiences tend to be a bit more reserved, but Scottish people know how to enjoy themselves!”
As well as winning over audiences for quarter of a century, Paul’s show has been endorsed by Rod’s own family members, including his late brother Don and his 95-year-old sister Mary – who has seen his show multiple times.
“Don was a lovely man,” smiles Paul. “He said he’d seen a lot of Rods, but he thought I was the best one.
“And Mary is a big fan, she’s seen my show four times. We always have a little chat and a hug, she’s amazing.”
But he’s yet to meet the man himself – though he knows what he’d want to talk about if he did.
“I like a good steam train, and I used to be a bit of a model railway fan,” chuckles Paul.
“Rod famously has a huge layout, so although I’d obviously like to talk to him about his music, I would also really love to talk about model railways.”
Show is ‘game of two halves’
In the show itself, Paul embodies Rod from bleached spiky hair to toe, bringing the hitmaker’s voice, mannerisms and dance moves to the stage for a part-story, part-concert experience.
“The hair is a trade secret, I can’t tell you how I do that,” Paul laughs. “The show itself is a game of two halves.
“For the first half I do a bit of talking in between songs, giving a bit of background on Rod’s early life and how he became successful – his lucky breaks.
“That half has some of the stuff from The Faces, and Handbags and Gladrags.
“Then the second half is basically a full-on concert, with all the big hits. I keep the chat to a minimum, and we just go for it. It’s all about having a good time.”
Why are tribute shows gaining popularity?
Tribute shows have seen a spike in popularity in recent years, with tributes to defunct bands and even contemporary artists like Taylor Swift popping up more and more frequently.
For Paul, the reasons why are simple, if a little sad.
“Obviously one of the reasons why is that some people are not around anymore, either they’re retired or sadly have died,” he explains.
Indeed, at the time of writing, Rod Stewart himself has acknowledged his days on stage “are numbered” after cancelling upcoming shows due to a range of health issues.
“The other reason is price,” continues Paul. “A lot of people choose tributes because they’re a lot cheaper, and they still get all the hits.”
Paul is die-hard for his favourite Rod song
And even after decades of performing Rod’s back catalogue of hits, the song that started it all remains Paul’s favourite to perform.
“It’s always been Maggie May,” he says. “I’m old enough to remember when it came out in October 1971, and of course it made its way to No1. People in a certain age group grew up with Maggie May in the background.
“I had never heard a voice like that before. And then I saw pictures of the spiky hair and the big nose and everything, and I just thought he was pretty amazing.”
Some Guys Have All The Luck comes to Rothes Halls, Glenrothes on August 16 and to the Webster Memorial Theatre, Arbroath, on August 17 2024.
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