Panaji: A guitar. A high chair. A final bow. Remo Fernandes fuelled his career with restless energy, cross-language hits and a stage presence that couldn’t sit still. His closing act came sitting down.

Indian pop-rock’s road warrior called time on his concert career at 73 and ended a 6-decade run with a live performance in London, saying he could no longer give audiences “100%” of himself.

Known for prowling every inch of a stage, Remo sang Sunday night’s show at a UK-Goan festival seated on a high chair, delivering favourites in English, Konkani, Portuguese, Hindi and French. The audience responded with thunderous applause, singing along to “Humma Humma”, “O Meri Munni”, “Maria Pitache” and even requesting “Pyaar To Hona Hi Thaa”.

“I’m used to moving around the stage. It was extremely constricting and limiting doing a show sitting on a high chair. Besides, in that crouching position, my lungs felt restricted for singing,” he told TOI over the phone from UK.

The Padma Shri recipient said he would not continue with seated performances. “I feel I’ll be cheating on my audience and myself if I’m not able to give 100% of myself.”

Remo said a mild stroke after his third Covid vaccination affected movement of his fingers. Persistent vertigo, worsened by a fall that required surgery, has left doctors advising him against performing standing up because of the risk of another fall.

Calling time on live concerts leaves him with mixed emotions. “On the one hand, I’m happy as I’m tired of performing... on the other hand, I guess I’ll miss it sometimes.”

His journey began at age 5 in then Portuguese-governed Goa, singing a Portuguese waltz with a banjo in Panaji. By 14, he was writing love songs. Architecture studies in Mumbai led to Indo-Western experimentation before hitchhiking across Europe and North Africa, busking, writing songs and poems, and eventually returning to Goa.

Remo went on to become one of India’s biggest-selling rock musicians before crossing into Hindi pop and film music, earning gold, platinum and double-platinum records, winning international honours and sharing stages with Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Zakir Hussain, Trilok Gurtu and Eurythmics.

Now dividing his time between Portugal and Goa, he says there is no new project on the horizon after completing his autobiography and an opera on Mother Teresa. Instead, he hopes to spend his days reading, travelling and watching films. “Goa is home, however spoiled it is... my home in Siolim keeps bringing me back.”

No farewell tour. No curtain call stretched out over months. Just one final concert in London. Remo played his last live set. His music still soared. His feet stayed still.