There is something bizarre, while at the same time humorous, about sitting on the front lawn of a house in the Melbourne suburb of Werribee watching Elton John perform.
Then again, the house was the Werribee Mansion, one of Australia's grandest homes, surrounded by 10 hectares of gardens. It was was the perfect backdrop for a concert by Sir Elton.Sir Elton has been spending this year celebrating his 60th birthday and the party finished last night in Melbourne, Australia.
One of the first remarks he made to the crowd was to note the excellent weather. Many of the Aussie outdoor shows have been dogged by rain. "I can't believe it is sunny," he said. "I've brought so much rain to Australia on this tour".
The mark his anniversary, the first five songs came from his breakthrough debut from 1970, opening with the classic 'Your Song' and featured 'The Greatest Discovery', written about the birth of Bernie Taupin's youngest brother Kit.
Never one to hold back, he chastised former US President Ronald Reagan and dedicated the song 'The Boy With The Red Shoes' to Ronnie's incompetence. "This song is from Songs From The West Coast. It is about AIDS in the US. Reagan was President and did nothing about it. It was a case of cowardice and malice," he said getting straight to the point.
Equally provocative was the song 'Ticking'. "This song is 34 years old and still relevant. The same thing happened three weeks ago in Colorado". The song is a true story about someone who goes berserk in a bar in New York and shot 14 people.
There will never be another Elton John. He is a true music legend who has written a catalogue of wrote that will be studied and loved for centuries to come.
In true superstar fashion, once the show was over, Sir Elton departed in a helicopter while the thousands of fans battled their way out of the carpark.
Elton's setlist from Werribee Mansion, December 16, 2008
Your Song (from Elton John, 1970)
Sixty Years On (from Elton John, 1970)
The Greatest Discovery (from Elton John, 1970)
I Need You To Turn To (from Elton John, 1970)
Border Song (from Elton John, 1970)
The Boy In The Red Shoes (from Songs From The West Coast, 2001)
Daniel (from Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player, 1973)
Honky Cat (from Honky Chateau, 1972)
Rocket Man (from Honky Chateau, 1972)
Tiny Dancer (from Madman Across The Water, 1971)
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (from Honky Chateau, 1972)
Nikita (from Ice On Fire, 1985)
Philadelphia Freedom (single,
Sacrifice (from Sleeping With The Past, 1989)
Ticking (from Caribou, 1974)
Roy Rogers (from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 1973)
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (from Blue Moves, 1976)
Candle In The Wind (from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 1973)
I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues (from Too Low For Zero, 1983)
Electricity (from Billy Elliott)
Carla/Etude (from The Fox, 1981)
Tonight (from Blue Moves, 1976)
Blue Eyes (from Jump Up, 1982)
Bennie and the Jets (from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 1973)
Crocodile Rock (from Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player, 1973)
I'm Still Standing (from Too Low For Zero, 1983)
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (from Caribou, 1974)
