Sequined suits, bedazzled baseball outfits and oversized glitterised glasses were all out in fine form on Wednesday night as thousands flocked to Manchester's AO Arena to see one of the best-selling artists of all time in one of their last ever shows.
Elton John has long stated that his Farewell Yellow Brick Road will be his last ever tour. While the likes of Cher have loosely used the lure of a ‘farewell tour’ before, it’s hard not to believe him on his word.
While still a fierce performer, the 76-year-old has now been touring the show on and off 311 times around the world since 2018. It’s officially the highest-grossing tour of all time and it’s a fitting goodbye to fans who have lived, breathed and grown up with Elton’s music for the last 50 years.
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Playing the first of three shows in Manchester, the singer was in top form as he sashayed his way through a back catalogue of hits that even some of the biggest stars today could only dream of possessing.
For fans here in Manchester, it’s certainly been a long wait. Elton last performed in the city 15 years ago and tickets for the Manchester Arena shows first went on sale more than four years ago. Having originally been set for November 2020, the concert has been rescheduled multiple times due to injuries, operations, and, of course, the pandemic.
But in many ways, it feels appropriate that the shows are now taking place in 2023 considering it marks 50 years since the release of Elton’s best-selling album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. It also marks 20 years since the collection was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Quickly making up for lost time by starting the show with the roaring Bennie and the Jets, Elton transformed the Arena into the largest karaoke stage of all time as he took the thousands in attendance on a rock-and-roll road trip through the 70s and 80s with the likes of I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues, Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man and Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me.
Gleefully standing up and encouraging the audience after each song, Elton had the crowd in his pocket as he peeled off the layers behind each track with his fine vocals, piano skills and trusted band by his side. He also had time to share anecdotes of his time in Manchester playing at the likes of the Twisted Wheel club to the delight of the many in the audience who themselves had spent time on the Northern Soul dancefloor.
Besides a motorised piano briefly making its way across the stage throughout the show for one of the least-subtle stage exits known to man, there was little in the form of props or stunts - a star like Elton doesn’t need them and they weren’t missed.
There were no dancers or backing singers on stage either, it was just Elton and his band jamming out like old times - with many members having toured with the star for decades.
A backdrop of nostalgia played out during each song, featuring everything from drag queens and a Marilyn Monroe montage to clips of Taron Egerton in the Rocketman movie and even a dance video which looked like it had taken more than just a little bit of inspiration from an H&M advert.
Whilst thoroughly lacking in representation from The Lion King soundtrack (surely there was room for at least a quick bellow of Circle of Life’s chorus for old time’s sake), the show proved why Elton has truly stood the test of time. With 31 studio albums to his name, he could have easily rolled out the greatest hits and been done with it. The classics and the songs you’ll want to hear are all there, of course, but there are also some lesser-known songs, like Burn Down The Mission, that get a spotlight and room to shine too.
I’m Still Standing and 2021 number one hit Cold Heart both got the biggest response of the night, with the Arena practically turning into a massive karaoke dance floor for the latter with fans screaming out every word as they shimmied around in feather boas and light-up glasses.
Ending with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road before taking off on a stairlift (not even joking), the show finishes on a sentimental high. If it really is going to be one of Elton’s last ever shows, I can’t think of any better way to go out than disappearing into the sky on a Stannah stairlift as thousands chant for more.
Thankfully for the city, he has two more shows in Manchester and will be returning to perform at AO Arena on Friday and Saturday night. Tickets are still available here.
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