Elton John played what he says will be his last ever North East concert on Sunday and boy, did he go out with a bang.
The legendary singer played to a packed crowd at Sunderland's Stadium of Light as part of his mammoth Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
Elton bid an emotional goodbye to his adoring followers telling them he was taking a step back from performing to spend time with his family and that he would tell his children how much he has loved his fans.
Read more: Watch as Elton John opens his Stadium of Light show with iconic Bennie and the Jets
Elton was booed by the Sunderland crowd as he mentioned playing Newcastle's City Hall earlier in the tour and hilariously quipped that he had "no choice" because there was nowhere else to play in Sunderland.
You couldn't help but to feel extremely lucky to be in the crowd given the finality of it all. And Elton gave it his all.
At 75-years-old, he is a force of nature still. He may have to sit at the piano for the majority of the show but his vocal prowess and piano skills remain as strong as ever.
And you can tell he still loves it. He couldn't help himself but to keep getting up from his chair after each song to egg on the crowd - who were already screaming for him.
Speaking of the crowd, I have to give a special mention to the young man I saw in the full iconic Elton sequin baseball costume. Fair play to you! Many others were dressed to kill too with many cowboy hats, feather boas and starry sunglasses around the stadium.
Elton opened with the iconic Bennie and the Jets before going onto other beloved hits such as Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man and Candle in the Wind. He also paid an emotional tribute to Aretha Franklin playing his song Border Song which she covered in 1970.
After a quick costume change and return to the stage, Elton demanded that the crowd get up and dance and encouraged those in the pitch seats to make their way to the front. That's when things really got going!
Devoted fans snatched up their chance to race to the front and get as close to the legend as possible. He then really got the party started with The Bitch is Back, Saturday's Alright For Fighting and Crocodile Rock. The latter will stay with me as one of the most fun (albeit wild) moments ever at a concert. The aisles were full of people dancing around with their loved ones and having the time of their lives.
He wound things down with a beautiful rendition of Your Song which I bet no one in the audience will forget easily. And after explaining why he was taking a step back, he bid farewell with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road leaving the audience with a bittersweet memory.
It was a well deserved five stars from me.
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