Review: Elton John had Adelaide fans singing along on farewell tour
Elton John brought his farewell tour to Adelaide in a show packed with hits and full of emotion, and the crowd – and the star – loved every minute. WERE YOU THERE? WRITE YOUR OWN REVIEW
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Elton John : Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour
Botanic Park, Adelaide, December 4
Five stars
On a beautiful summer’s evening in the equally beautiful Botanic Park, Sir Elton John, one of the world’s most beloved entertainers, came to farewell Adelaide.
In the first of two concerts, the man who made piano rock cool, worked through a sprawling set that encompassed his five-decade long career, and it was lapped up by 13,000 adoring fans.
Opening up with crowd favourite, Bennie and the Jets, Sir Elton left nothing on stage as he strove to make sure punters went home with nothing but good memories.
“We’re extremely happy to be here on this beautiful night in this beautiful city,” he said after All The Girls Love Alice.
“Thank you for buying a ticket. We hope you like what you see but, more importantly, we hope you like what you hear.”
And how could you not? The superstar’s voice was in fine form (he doesn’t reach for the really high notes these days, preferring instead to let his band give him a hand in that department) and the sound system across the park was loud and crisp.
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Backed by his gang of suavely-dressed musos, some members of which have been with him since the very beginning, and performing in front of an equally suave big-screen set up, Sir Elton took fans on a journey through both his career and rock’n’roll history.
And make no mistake, this guy is rock’n‘roll history. He’s the Troubadour in West Hollywood, he’s a heaving Wembley Stadium, and he’s Memorial bloody Drive. The stories he could tell (many of which he did in the recent cracking biography, Me).
And he does indulge us with one sweet anecdote about how Aretha Franklin choosing to cover Border Song on her 1972 album Young, Gifted and Black gave him and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin the confidence they needed to go on and conquer the pop world.
Tonight, however, the two hour and 45 minute show, is less about the stories and all about the music.
Tiny Dancer is sublime, and I’m not sure just how long Rocket Man went for (it was a long, long time … sorry) but I didn’t want it to end.
Levon morphs into a massive jam session, ably led by Sir Elton’s longtime guitar maestro, Davey Johnstone, which draws a massive applause from the crowd. EJ eats it up.
Candle In The Wind, a song that took on a new meaning following the death of Sir Elton’s good friend Princess Diana, brings things back to earth, before Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding sends the whole show back into space. It’s a prog-rock cosmic freak out, complete with a grand piano that moves across the stage. Very Spinal Tap, and very cool.
I Want To Love sees Sir Elton talks about the incredible amount of money he’s helped to raise in the fight against HIV/AIDS (just a cool $450m), before Sad Songs (Say So Much) sees the crowd rush the front for an impromptu dance party.
“This is my 50th year touring – I never thought it would turn out like this,” the singer says.
“Music has been the one constant thing in my life. The other constant is you people out there! This is my last tour. Ten years ago I’d have never said this, but 10 years ago, I didn’t have a family, so I’m going to dedicate the next stage of my life to them … but I’ll never forget you guys.”
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me is next before the night wraps with the rockers – The Bitch is Back, I’m Still Standing, Crocodile Rock and Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.
For a farewell show, the night is remarkably light on the schmaltz, but a video montage during I’m Still Standing showing Sir Elton getting knighted by the Queen, making guest appearances on The Muppet Show and The Simpsons, and even ending his spat with Eminem is both funny and moving.
There’s no way the crowd is going to let him go home, though, so there’s an encore featuring Sir Elton dressed in a bright blue kimono – or is it a dressing gown? – singing Your Song and, of course, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
He finishes by ditching the kimono to reveal one of his now trademark glittery tracksuits before being carried on a raised platform … into outer space. A fitting ending to a wonderful show and, unless you’re lucky enough to be going to the second concert, a wonderful career.
Sir Elton’s final tour almost didn’t make it to our shores after the original promoter found himself in serious money trouble, so we’re lucky Chugg Entertainment swooped in and took over.
Botanic Park, while beautiful, is perhaps less than ideal for people down the back who have to deal with trees blocking the big screens, but there weren’t too many complaints. The night was just too much fun.
SETLIST
Bennie and the Jets
All the Girls Love Alice
I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues
Border Song
Tiny Dancer
Philadelphia Freedom
Indian Sunset
Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)
Take Me to the Pilot
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Levon
Candle in the Wind
Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Burn Down the Mission
Daniel
I Want Love
Sad Songs (Say So Much)
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
The Bitch Is Back
I’m Still Standing
Crocodile Rock
Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
ENCORE
Your Song
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
