Elton John has been among my biggest musical heroes for nearly twenty years. The first album of his that I heard was The Big Picture, a much underrated album that was released in September 1997 and for which I still hold a great deal of fondness. I have followed Elton’s output ever since that time and have enjoyed hearing how his music has developed since then. From the lush, atmospheric sound of The Big Picture, the music became increasingly roots-based in nature over albums such as Songs from the West Coast (2001), Peachtree Road (2004) and The Captain and the Kid (2006). In recent years, he has been producing with T Bone Burnett, a collaboration that has resulted in three albums – The Union (2010, with Leon Russell), The Diving Board (2013) and his current album Wonderful Crazy Night (2016). That last album has a distinctly upbeat rock emphasis, and is possibly the finest he has recorded in many years.
Though I have enjoyed listening to Elton’s recording output over the years, I had never taken the opportunity to see him and his wonderful band live until his show at Longleat on 12th June 2016 was announced. Elton has remained a terrific live performer throughout his career and with Longleat being relatively local for me, I did not want to allow this opportunity to pass. I am extremely glad that I didn’t let it pass – the reasons for which will become clear over the following paragraphs.
Outdoor shows are new to me – artists I go to see generally play smaller indoor venues but with Elton John having the large following that he quite rightly has, a larger show is in order, and Longleat is a wonderful setting for an outdoor show with the surrounding grounds and house providing the perfect backdrop. We also had perfect weather for this show, which was somewhat of a relief as the forecast had not looked in any way favourable all week. The only issue, however, was the traffic congestion in the general area surrounding Longleat coming from all directions. Many fans, myself included, did not arrive at our seats for the start of the concert as a result. I could hear the set opener, Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, whilst walking from the car park towards the arena. Unfortunately, Elton was three or four songs into his set by the time I reached my seat, but it was immediately clear from what I was hearing that he and the band were in superb form – Elton was in excellent voice and sang perfectly throughout the whole two and a half hour show. He didn’t put a foot wrong. And, of course, his talents as a pianist are extraordinary to say the least. His performances on classics such as Rocket Man, which takes on a significantly extended form at his live shows, Burn Down the Mission, Levon and Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting to name but a few, were spellbinding.
I must also mention his band – Davey Johnstone on guitar, Nigel Olsson on drums, John Mahon on percussion, Matt Bissonette on bass and Kim Bullard on keyboards. Davey Johnstone and Nigel Olsson have been integral components of Elton’s sound for over forty years and are still playing with the same fire as they ever did, if not even more so. Nigel’s bass drum was phenomenally powerful. Enough to cause a small earthquake. The interplay between all of them was quite something – the exchange of solos between Elton and Davey on Levon was hugely impressive. The whole band were clearly having the time of their lives on stage, particularly so on Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting. It was at this point that John Mahon spotted a young girl in the front row and, clearly impressed by her dancing abilities, he lifted her up onto the stage to dance energetically for the 15,000-odd people attending. Stage fright was clearly not an issue for her. That will be quite some claim to fame in years to come! The audience was positively captivated by the whole performance – everyone, without exception, was standing and dancing and singing along for at least the last third of the set. It is difficult to single out particular highlights. The entire show was one huge highlight. Being there was an electrifying experience.
There was, however, an emotional element to this show. The set featured three songs from Elton’s newest album, Wonderful Crazy Night. Upon announcing Looking Up, the first of these songs, Elton told us that this album would be his last. He said that, with it being such an upbeat album, he wanted to go out on a happy note. This made his performance of A Good Heart, a ballad and highlight from the album, all the more emotional than it already is. He was also sure to thank everybody for all the years of love and support later on in the show. If Elton is indeed looking to retire in the next couple of years, Wonderful Crazy Night would be a great way to finish because it truly is a brilliant album which demonstrates the formidable combination of Elton and Bernie Taupin, a legendary songwriting partnership that has endured some fifty years, and the wonderful musicians he tours and records with. And clearly Elton and his band are right at the top of their game as a live act at this point, so he would certainly be going out on a high.
The show ended with performances of Candle in the Wind, dedicated to those who lost their lives in the horrific attack in Orlando over the weekend, and Crocodile Rock to which we were all made to sing the famous hook – everyone, of course, obliged with the minimum of fuss.
As we all filtered out of the arena, a helicopter was seen departing the venue, evidently taking Elton home directly after completing his set. I felt mixed emotions as I watched him fly away into the distance. I was buzzing from witnessing such an astonishing show, but considering all the history he has made over so many years, there was a degree of sadness that this will probably be the first and only time I will ever see the great man live. Elton John and contemporaries of his like are special. They are special because they are unique, and with the direction in which the music business is going now, musical uniqueness and genuine talent in the commercial sense has become increasingly rare. We will probably never see their like again. So, I would urge you, if you have an opportunity to see him and other legendary artists of his era live, for heaven’s sake take it, because great performers such as Elton John are not going to be here forever.
Mike's Musical Musings 