Sir Elton John’s promise of delivering the most produced and fantastic show he’s ever done certainly happened at A Day On The Green at All Saints Estate Wahgunyah last Wednesday night.
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It contained all the creativity and passion that the Billboard-crowned most successful performing male solo artist of all time could muster.
Except for a few short breaks to change to another dazzling costume, Sir Elton performed non-stop for three hours on the massive 66-metre wide x 21m high stage.
It was a huge show with 450sqm of LED screen giving the sold out crowd of 11,000 people the best opportunity to witness up close the magic of the great man.
And thanks to Sir Elton, promotor Michael Newton, hosts All Saints Estate and a long list of community groups who assisted at the concert the economic injection was certainly felt by many local businesses and local organisations.
“Welcome Rutherglen,” were his first words The Free Press and biggest crowd ever seen in the area heard.
“I’ve never seen so many hats in my life! It’s a beautiful location. Thank you all for buying a ticket.”
Sir Elton’s many colourful costumes over 53 years of performances have included various style hats and spectacles, and the attire of many in the audience contained something about him as well as souvenirs purchased from the on-site merchandise sold at the glorious venue.
Hats, however, were the order of the day with a hot 36 degrees Celsius temperature to greet Sir Elton, his seven supporting band members and the touring production team of 75 people.
“It’s been an amazing journey, taken me all over the world to places like Rutherglen – I’ve never been here before,” he said.
And what a journey it was for the 11,000 people. The scene was set with his first song at 7pm, his 1973-recorded Benny And The Jets.
The enthusiasm he displayed from the outset was maintained right through to 10pm when, after arriving at Corowa Airport, from where he left straight after his 26th show of his epic Farewell Yellow Brick Road Australian New Zealand Tour which began in Perth on November 30.
The vast majority of his big hits were performed, including Rocket Man and his favourite song, Daniel, which he wrote with Bernie Taupin in the early 1970s.
Everyone seated in the enclosed area near the stage stood up when the 72-year-old sang I’m Still Standing, the crowd erupted when Crocodile Rock was performed then everyone on and off stage went crazy with Saturday Night.
With daylight turning into dark, it was Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, with superb illustration behind the band and to the stage’s right. Six songs later – the 25th and final one - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was such a magical conclusion with a ton of confetti falling on the nearby seated crowd.
The most personal song he ever wrote, and sang last Wednesday, was Someone Saved My Life Tonight, after a low point in his life. “I asked for help,” Sir Elton explained. “My pride was such that at first I thought I can’t do it – it’s a sign of weakness.
“If it’s killing you inside share it with someone.” It led to the establishment of the Elton John Aids Foundation. “We’ve come a long way. In 2020 there’s no reason, for as we have the right drugs available, now to stop the spread of the disease.” Sir Elton’s concluding message on the topic was for people to show compassion and understanding because it is “a fractured world”.
Explaining the process of some of his songwriting, Sir Elton said a movie would appear in his head and he thought how a song might eventuate. “I put a hand on the keyboard and hope for the best!” he said.
His clever song writing gained substantial confidence when the Queen of Soul, American Aretha Franklin recorded one of his songs.
That very early self-teaching of the piano at age four-years and graduation from the Royal Academy of Music in England meant a highly talented musician who has 38 gold records, 31 platinum and multi-platinum albums and over 50 Top 40 hits, selling over 300 million records worldwide.
Year 2021 will be Sir Elton’s career finish. “Ten years ago I didn’t have a family. I do now and need to watch my children grow,” he said.
“I‘ve had enough applause to last a life time. You have been the constant. Without you I wouldn’t be sitting here.
“I’ve always appreciated the selling of my records and merchandise but what I really love most of all is coming here tonight to perform on stage.
“I’ve been coming to Australia since 1971. It’s a country I love.”
Perhaps Dennis and Kerry Sandral of Corowa best summed up Sir Elton’s performance. “Fantastic,” Ovens and Murray Football Team of the Century and Corowa great Dennis remarked. “It was entertainment of a life time,” Kerry added.
