Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban in audience for opening night of Elton John’s final lap of Farewell Yellow Brick Road world tour
Epic fans Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban flew into Newcastle on their private jet for the opening night of Elton John’s final lap of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road world tour. See the pictures.
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Elton John has been pursuing a personal mission to take the pop mountain to his Australian people for the past two decades.
Every tour added new destinations as he explored the country’s top and bottoms and every stadium and arena in between to reward his Aussie fandom for their decades of loyalty.
Even epic fans Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban knew the opening night of the final lap of Australia for his Farewell Yellow Brick Road world tour would be special so they flew their private jet to Newcastle on Sunday for the first of two concerts at the McDonald Jones Stadium, borrowing a little bit of his spotlight as they walked through the crowd to stand at the sound desk.
But it was E.J., as the embroidery of his black and gold striped tux identified the Rocket Man to the 20,000 plus crowd, that the true believers were worshipping.
Fresh from his Queensland Christmas break with sons Elijah and Zachary, the 75-year-old pop legend delivered a masterclass in how to do stadiums, making the epic arena feel like an intimate gig albeit with giant video screens and speakers.
He makes no apologies for giving his legion of devoted fans exactly what they want.
From his first major chart hit Your Song to his most recent billion streamer Cold Heart – a remix featuring pop queen Dua Lipa and conjured by Australian electronic gurus PNAU – Elton is that most generous of entertainers who makes sure the setlist has something for everyone.
The trainspotters may long for some album deep dives; instead Elton rewards their enduring fandom with rocking instrumental intro and outros which showcase his brilliance at the piano and that of his beloved bandmates including guitarist Davey Johnstone, drummer Nigel Olson and percussionist Ray Cooper.
He gave the midsection run of much loved classics including Levon, Someone Saved My Life and the double header of Funeral For A Friend and Love Lies Bleeding their full rock drama – complete with revolving piano.
And then it was a glittering declaration of his fabulousness for an elongated finale … running from an enviably energetic and defiant I’m Still Standing to the irresistible honky tonk pull of Crocodile Rock (the first song I learned on guitar when I was eight and remain unashamedly devoted to after all these years).
Elton John’s farewell lap reminds us to celebrate the music we love and why it matters.
Whether eight or 80, every person at this opening show on a bonus farewell run orchestrated by the pandemic’s long pause on live music will forever be grateful for Saturday Night’s All Right For Fighting or Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
The tour winds up in Australia after stadium concerts in Newcastle, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane with all tickets via frontiertouring.com
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Originally published as Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban in audience for opening night of Elton John’s final lap of Farewell Yellow Brick Road world tour
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