Sir Elton John has been “booed” by crowds on his farewell tour ahead of his Bristol show this week.
The singer, 75, played at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light on Sunday evening (June 19) as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour and got the crowd riled up when he made a joke about their Newcastle rivals. Sir Elton mentioned playing Newcastle’s City Hall during the 1970s and 1980s.
According to Chronicle Live, the crowd then started booing upon mention of the neighbouring stadium. Elton reportedly found the response amusing and joked that he had “no choice” other than to play there because there was no stadium in Sunderland at the time.
Also see: Elton John in 'top health' ahead of Bristol concerts
Elton’s performance went down a treat with his fans and many took to Twitter to share their joy. Sharing a video, @KatyJourno said: "The first and only time you’ll see @eltonofficial in Sunderland."
@daniel_drjsmith commented: "Went to see @eltonofficial last night at Sunderland on his farewell tour. I just thought it was incredible and magical night it really put a smile to my face it was the best night ever I would never forget the day."
While @Joe_Stanley_ agreed: "Had an absolute blast watching @eltonofficial in Sunderland tonight on his #farewelltour. What a fantastic performance. He's 75 and still got it!"
Elton is currently travelling the world with his ongoing farewell tour. The concerts began in September 2018 - and were put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic and illness - but are set to go on until July next year.
The Rocket Man singer returned to the UK last week and performed in Norwich and Liverpool as well as Sunderland. In the coming weeks, he will travel to London, Swansea, Cork and Watford, as well as Bristol's Ashton Gate on Wednesday (June 22). You can find everything you need to know about the Bristol concert here.
The tour is intended to be Elton’s last ever as he plans to retire and spend more time with his family. He said he is ready for a change after more than five decades in the business.
He told CBS: “I want to be with my family. I mean, I've been touring since I was 17 in the back of a van. I've had the most incredible life. I've been so lucky, and I've loved every single minute of it. But I've had enough of that applause.
“I'll be 76 years of age when I stop touring in 2023. I want to do something different with the rest of my life."
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