Although Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visited earlier this month, it could be argued that true British royalty didn’t land on Australian soil until the recent arrival of Coldplay, Radiohead, and Sir Elton John.
Though giving up a year or two on his native counterparts, the latter of that trifecta – Sir Elton – took to Rod Laver Arena and unleashed a live show every inch as astonishing.
Flanked by percussionists, Grammy award-winning backup vocalists, and two viciously talented Croatian cellists, John reinforced his reputation as popular music’s most defining voice while also demonstrating a craving to continuously reinvent and entertain.
Prior to his arrival, a duo of rather obscure acts excelled in the warm-up slots.
Elisa Schmidt, the first of the two, seduced the building crowd with a style traditionally associated with sultry jazz vocalists long past.
Meanwhile, the second act – the aptly but unimaginatively titled 2Cellos – garnered a standing ovation with furious instrumental versions of U2, Nirvana, and AC/DC standards.
Decked out in a glittering suit with the title of his fourth album – Madman Across The Water – emblazoned across the back of his jacket, Sir Elton entered and wasted little time posing to photographers and winking at merchandise-happy fans.
Across two-and-a-half hours – without interval, mind you – he laid down a warm blanket of nostalgia and ridiculous virtuosity. It became a hazy, dream-like experience hearing the likes of ‘Sacrifice’, ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, and ‘Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters’.
Still, when the up-tempo numbers hit – ‘I’m Still Standing’, ‘Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting’ – the crowd became as fervent and as rowdily appreciative as any Rod Laver has experienced before. Those on the lower floor even abandoned their spasm-inducing seats to form an all-ages mosh.
Of course, this manic behaviour was seeded by the diminutive and ever-grinning 65-year-old sitting up on stage behind his trusted piano.
Songs that have been systematically flogged by AOR stations across the world sounded as fresh as the day they were pressed, namely ‘Daniel, ‘Candle In the Wind’ and ‘Bennie And The Jets.’
Nearly all of the credit must go to John. He puts everything he has into his oft-played discography while making everyone in the 15,000 seat stadium feel like they are planted in the front row. In every key he thumps and every note he sings there is not only a virtuoso musician, but a seasoned entertainer.
The remaining credit should be lavished upon his outstanding band and, let’s not forget, the ageless lyrics supplied by life-long collaborator Bernie Taupin.
When the encore finally did hit, there were whispers of what he could dish up next. It seemed the show had reached an apex just before it when Elton accompanied an instrumental rendition of ‘Waltzing Matilda’ into ‘Crocodile Rock’.
Then, following ‘Your Song’, several images of Simba and Mufasa flashed up on the big screens. Cue the cinematic delivery of ‘Circle Of Life’, one of John’s contributions to The Lion King soundtrack.
The irony of such a remarkable show is that Sir Elton was originally not going to include Melbourne as part of his touring itinerary. There were shows in Sydney, Canberra, Perth and even the Apple Isle. Victoria, however, seemed destined to be ignored.
As it turned out, the show that was never going to be has managed to become one of the finest of 2012.
