Rod Stewart and Ron Wood Reunite at Royal Albert Hall for King’s Trust Concert

The former Faces bandmates shared a stage at the King's Trust Celebration concert, with Stewart also making headlines for candid remarks to King Charles.

Rod Stewart and Ron Wood reunited onstage at the Royal Albert Hall on May 11 for the King's Trust Celebration concert, performing ‘Ooh La La' and ‘Good Rockin' Tonight' alongside house band Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. The mini Faces reunion was the musical highlight of the charity event, which also drew attention for Stewart's unguarded comments to King Charles in the receiving line.

A Mini Faces Reunion at the Royal Albert Hall

Stewart and Wood performed two songs together during the King's Trust Celebration concert. Wood handled most of the vocal duties on ‘Ooh La La,' mirroring his role on the original 1973 Faces recording. Stewart took lead on ‘Good Rockin' Tonight,' a track he recorded with Holland in 2024 on their collaborative LP Swing Fever.

The pairing was a natural fit for the occasion. The King's Trust, founded by King Charles in 1976, supports young people across England facing economic uncertainty, and the Royal Albert Hall has been its concert home since the first fundraising show in 1982. That inaugural event featured Kate Bush, Phil Collins, Pete Townshend, Madness, and Robert Plant. Subsequent editions have drawn Mick Jagger, Elton John, George Michael, Sting, Eric Clapton, Tom Jones, and Mike and the Mechanics.

This year's bill also included Rita Ora, Craig David, and Anne-Marie, along with an appearance by George and Amal Clooney.

Stewart's Open-Mic Moment with King Charles

The concert generated headlines beyond the music when Stewart was caught on an open microphone speaking to King Charles in the receiving line. ‘Hello, Sir, may I say, well done with the Americans,' Stewart told the King. ‘You were superb, absolutely superb. You put that little ratbag in his place.' The remarks, directed at Charles following his visit to the United States, quickly spread across international news coverage.

The Long-Promised Faces Reunion Album

The Royal Albert Hall performance renewed attention on the long-discussed Faces reunion album involving Stewart, Wood, and drummer Kenney Jones. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Jones said the trio has already recorded 11 songs. ‘Not all of them are going to be right [for the album],' Jones said. ‘But most of them are good. I can't see it coming out this year. But I can see it coming out next year. Everyone's doing different things. We do little snippets [of recording] here and there. Then all of a sudden, the Stones are out [on tour] again, Rod's out again.'

Stewart's schedule is indeed full. He resumes his residency at Caesars Palace on May 27 before playing amphitheaters and arenas across North America over the summer, then returns to Las Vegas in August.

As for the Rolling Stones' schedule being a factor, Keith Richards addressed the touring question directly. ‘Oh, I mean, we can talk next year,' Richards told the AP. ‘I mean, possibly, you know, I mean, at the moment, we're just sort of saying we finished the record, let's do this. Not this year anyway.' The Stones have not played a show since July 2024, stepped back from planned European dates in 2025 and 2026, and currently have no announced shows tied to their upcoming LP, Native Tongues.

What we know

• Rod Stewart and Ron Wood performed ‘Ooh La La' and ‘Good Rockin' Tonight' at the King's Trust Celebration concert at the Royal Albert Hall on May 11.
• The performances were backed by Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.
• Wood sang lead on ‘Ooh La La,' as he did on the original 1973 Faces recording; Stewart sang lead on ‘Good Rockin' Tonight.'
• Stewart told King Charles in the receiving line that he was ‘superb, absolutely superb' in his dealings with Americans, calling an unnamed individual ‘that little ratbag.'
• Kenney Jones told The Telegraph that the trio has recorded 11 songs toward a potential Faces reunion album, but does not expect it out this year.
• Stewart resumes his Caesars Palace residency on May 27 and will tour North American amphitheaters and arenas over the summer.
• The King's Trust was founded by King Charles in 1976; its first Royal Albert Hall concert was in 1982.

The take

The Faces have always been one of classic rock's great unfinished stories. The band dissolved in 1975 under the weight of Stewart's solo stardom and Wood's absorption into the Rolling Stones, and the decades since have produced a steady drip of reunion rumors that rarely solidify. The Royal Albert Hall performance fits a familiar pattern: a high-profile charity event provides the low-pressure context for former bandmates to share a stage without the full commitment of a tour or a record release. It is worth noting that ‘Ooh La La' has always been Ron Wood's song in spirit as much as in vocal credit; the fact that he carried it again here, just as he did in 1973, is a small but meaningful signal that the chemistry between these two remains intact. The Faces' catalog, particularly the Ooh La La album, has aged remarkably well among rock fans who prize loose, pub-inflected playing over studio polish. Whether the reunion album Jones describes ever materializes is genuinely uncertain. The project has been described as roughly a year away for the better part of a decade, and the logistical obstacles are real. But moments like the Royal Albert Hall set keep the appetite alive, and for fans of that era, even a two-song glimpse carries considerable weight.

Why it matters

For classic rock fans, any Faces activity is significant simply because the band's catalog remains underappreciated relative to its influence. Stewart and Wood performing together at a prestige venue like the Royal Albert Hall, in front of royalty and a global audience, is a reminder of what a full reunion could look like. It also keeps the conversation around the long-gestating reunion album alive at a moment when the Rolling Stones' own touring future is uncertain, which is the one scheduling variable that has historically complicated Wood's availability.

What's next

Stewart resumes his Caesars Palace residency on May 27 and will play amphitheaters and arenas across North America through the summer before returning to Las Vegas in August. Kenney Jones has indicated a Faces reunion album could arrive next year, though no release date has been confirmed. The Rolling Stones have no announced tour dates in support of their upcoming LP, Native Tongues.

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