Stockholm (AP) – Elton John sang as if he were in his mid-20s and not already 76. “Rocket Man” again, “Candle in the Wind” again, later “I’m Still Standing” followed by “Crocodile Rock” , in which tens of thousands of happy Swedes joined in the melody: the British pop star ended his Farewell Yellow Brick Road farewell tour, which lasted more than 300 concerts, with a dazzling show lasting almost two and a half hours in Stockholm. Almost five years after the start of the tour, which was interrupted several times, the musician delivered a great performance on Saturday evening, which may have been his last tour concert ever.
“Good evening, Stockholm! Well … this is it,” the 76-year-old called out to the 23,000 spectators in Stockholm’s Tele2 Arena after opening the evening with the songs “Bennie and the Jets” and “Philadelphia Freedom”. had. True to style in suits with plenty of glitter elements, sparkling glasses and nimble fingers on the piano, he quickly warmed up the audience. He took his fans on a journey through his career spanning more than half a century, stringing “Tiny Dancer” to “Border Song” and being accompanied by a six-piece band.
Interruptions due to Corona
Elton John had already started the farewell tour in September 2018. It had been interrupted several times, among other things, because of the corona pandemic and a hip injury after the musician fell in 2021. In total, he played over 300 concerts in the USA, Europe and Australia, including almost 20 in Germany.
This mammoth tour broke records – both in terms of length and revenue. According to the BBC, ticket sales brought in the equivalent of almost 816 million euros. He had announced that he would then step down in order to be able to spend more time with his husband David Furnish and their two sons.
Elton John proved once again in Stockholm that he is still a great showman. You hardly noticed his advanced age on stage. After the song “Levon” he had to catch his breath and lean on the grand piano with a smile, but then he followed up on “Candle in the Wind” directly and in his usual firm voice – his original Marilyn Monroe version, not the later one he used written for the late Princess Diana and sang at her funeral in Westminster Abbey in 1997.
Even after more than 30 studio albums and over 4000 performances in more than 80 countries, his voice has not lost its pepperiness. Full of energy, the two-time Oscar and multiple Grammy winner tore the farewell audience over the entire two and a half hours and over and over again from their chairs. He allowed himself to be showered with strong and long-lasting applause several times by the audience in a good mood. Elton John had fun – and so did his audience.
Before the encore, another British star who was staying in Sweden surprisingly sent him greetings to Stockholm: “We love you so much! Happy retirement!” Said Coldplay frontman Chris Martin when he was connected live from a parallel performance in Gothenburg.
Elton John was touched. “I’ve had the most wonderful career,” he finally summed up before thanking his fans several times for their support. “You are on my mind and my heart and my soul and I thank you so much.” He confirmed he would never tour again, but hinted he wasn’t ruling out a “one off thing” in the distant future. What exactly is coming in the musical future, however, he left open – and instead sang his 50-year-old ballad “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” at the end.
Speculations about a possible comeback
The Brit had already given his penultimate concert in Stockholm on Friday evening. The music reviewer for the daily newspaper “Dagens Nyheter”, Sara Martinsson, wrote afterwards with a view to the end of his farewell tour: “May Elton John change his mind about retirement and continue for many years to come.”
The fans on the final evening saw it in a similar way – but there were different opinions as to whether the superstar might not want to do it again one day. “This should really be the very last concert. I don’t think he’ll come back at his age,” said a longtime Elton John supporter in front of the arena. A young man from Finland, on the other hand, considered a comeback quite possible – and even had a suggestion for the right place for it. “I can well imagine him performing again at Wembley. A big farewell in London, that would be something!”
In any case, the Stockholm stadium said goodbye to the pop legend with a big thank you. “Farewell Elton, farewell!” was written on the large display boards in the arena. “Thank you for all your wonderful music. We will miss you!”
© dpa-infocom, dpa:230708-99-334214/3
2023-07-09 01:30:31
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