Elton John played 21 songs.
Image: AFP/Oli Scarff
Author Mark SavageBBC news
The sun set on one of the biggest acts in British music history, as Elton John played the final UK show of his farewell tour at Glastonbury.
The 76-year-old legend has engaged his fans in a masterful way through his singing and acting skills, with a series that has never stopped producing top hits.
‘Bennie And The Jets’, ‘Tiny Dancer’, ‘Your Song’, ‘I’m Still Standing’ – for two hours, every song was a huge hit.
“I’m happy to be here,” he told the crowd. “I will never forget this.”
Elton took to the stage just after 9pm local time with ‘Pinball Wizard’ – as promised, a song he hasn’t played in over a decade – following this up with a smash through ‘The Bitch Is Back’.
Taking a deep breath, he drank in the large crowd, estimated at over 120,000 people, and spread his hands in gratitude.
“I never thought I’d be playing Glastonbury – and here I am,” he said.
“This is a special and sad night for me because it could be my last show in England, in Great Britain.
I better play well and make you happy because you have been standing there for a long time,” he added.
In the group next to me, a fan shouted: “Go ahead, you old sausage.”
Elton John performs with Rina Sawayama.
Image: AFP/Oli Scarff
The show ended at Elton’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour – which is now the most expensive tour ever, with $887 million (NZD$1.4 billion) in receipts.
After Glastonbury, there are only seven days left, with the last show in Stockholm on 8 July.
It marks a break from a touring career that has seen Elton move from a young rock band at the Troubador in Los Angeles, to a rock phase.
Over the years, she has been known for her versatility – feathers, platform heels, top hats and pianos that are on fire.
“I don’t walk around the stage,” he thought. “I have to get attention somehow!”
But from Elton’s point of view, Glastonbury was a limited show focused on his love of music.
He stayed in the same gold suit all night, giving off the air of a man who is very happy as he sits behind the piano, letting it rip.
There was a nice, bigger look on ‘Your Song’ and ‘I Think That’s Why They Call It The Blues’. On ‘I’m Still Standing’, he hit the keys so hard, he threatened to fall over.
It must be said, however, that his words are not what they used to be. The clipped vowels and marmalade voice have the sound of a Vegas lounge singer – but here at Worthy Farm, his singing was surprisingly effective, cutting through the air with a clarity that other headliners failed to match this week.
Elton John plays the piano.
Image: AFP/Oli Scarff
Ahead of the show, rumors of special guests have been swirling all week. Britney Spears was supposed to be spotted at Bristol Airport. One security guard swore he saw Dua Lipa. Harry Styles was supposed to be here, then he wasn’t, then he was.
However, in the end, Elton went against the grain, inspiring a new generation of musicians over the legendary artists who could headline Glastonbury alone.
He invited Jacob Lusk of the US soul group Gabriels to sing ‘Are You Ready for Love’; while pop newcomer Rina Sawayama replaced Kiki Dee on the inspirational ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’.
Nashville’s Stephen Sanchez even sang his own song, ‘Til I Find You’.
“I heard it on the radio last year,” said Elton, “and I couldn’t believe that a 19-, 20-year-old could write a song like this”.
The exception was The Killers’ Brandon Flowers, who took to the stage in a hot pink suit for a beautiful duet of ‘Tiny Dancer’.
Their performances became so emotional that TV cameras picked up the emotions in the audience.
However, the lack of star power caused a lot of disappointment. “Who is that?” One fan complained as Sawayama took the stage.
But there was also something interesting. Elton remained true to who he was – a music lover, whose hunger for rock and pop inspired and furthered his career.
After two hours, the set reached an emotional climax.
Elton dedicated ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’ to George Michael, “one of Britain’s greatest singers, songwriters. [and] artists”.
“He was my friend, my inspiration, and today would have been his 60th birthday – I want to dedicate this song to his memory, and all the music he left us which is so beautiful,” he added.
He then pulled back the curtain on his UK tour with a bigger, more colorful version of ‘Rocket Man’, as fireworks rang out across the venue.
As he took a final bow with his band, the final song, “I think it’s gonna take a long time,” took on a new dimension.
“It’s been an amazing journey and I’ve had the best time,” said the star, with a lump in her throat.
He was not alone.
Setlist
- Pinball Yard
- The donkey is back
- Bennie & The Jets
- Daniel
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
- I think that’s why they call it the Blues
- Freedom of Philadelphia
- Are You Ready To Fall In Love? (With Jacob Lusk and the London Community Gospel Choir)
- Sad Songs Say A Lot
- Someone Saved My Life Tonight
- Until I Found You (with Stephen Sanchez)
- Your Song
- Candle In The Wind
- Tiny Dancer (with Brandon Flowers)
- Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (by Rina Sawyama)
- Crocodile Rock
- Saturday Night It’s Better to Fight
- I’m still standing
- Cold Heart
- Don’t let the sun go down on me
- Rocket Man
The star’s set was seen by so many fans that Glastonbury released a “standing room only”, asking people to fold up their seats and grab their picnic blankets.
Also in attendance were Paul McCartney, actors Matt Smith and Kate Hudson, Jamie Oliver, and Taron Egerton, who played Elton in the hit biopic. Rocketmanand the film’s director, Dexter Fletcher.
“It was amazing,” Fletcher told the BBC after the show.
“You can’t put it into words how emotional it was, and how he was, and connecting with the crowd. That’s what it was all about.”
The concert culminated in the 2023 Glastonbury festival, after stellar sets from Arctic Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses, Lana Del Rey, WizKid, Lizzo, Blondie and Cat Stevens.
Organizer Emily Eavis has confirmed the event will return next year, with two headliners already booked.
This article was originally published by a BBC.
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