BITCH is back....or is he?
May 13th 2008 06:34
On his 41st performance at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, which incidentally celebrated its 25th anniversary the same evening, Sir Elton John strode out on to stage in all his magnanimity. Surrounded by his band of session musicians, Elton John cut quite the Napoleonic figure as he sat down and revved up his piano. Opening with an instrumental piece, Elton John and his band displayed their talents and abilities with great pleasure. The opening song however proved to be more difficult to maintain as John seemed unable to control his vocal range and pitch. Settling in over the next few songs, he found his momentum in an extended and brilliant rendition of Rocket man. Other classics followed, interspersed with ballads from his musical version of Billy Elliot, which he is currently here to promote.
As phenomenal a pianist and vocalist as he is, there was a certain magic which was missing. Instead of seeing the boisterous, celebrity version of Elton John (as most have come to expect) we were served a stout man on the piano rushing through as much of his musical repertoire as possible.
The show was a long two and a half hour performance, during which there were very few words spoken or interaction with the mass audience. Perhaps it was this disconnection from the audience or even the lack lustre set that made it hard to carry the excitement from beginning to end. The proverbial ‘thorn in the side’ had to be when inspiration struck him he took the time to work his magic on the piano and gave glimpses of what must have been a musical genius. It was indeed a shame that this particular concert lacked the exuberance which one expected and so desperately wanted.
However, it would be entirely unfair to downplay the performance, given the age of the performers and the duration of the concert. For a band which looked like they had been taken straight from a geriatric institute, dressed in extreme vintage clothing and placed on stage with Elton John, they played exceptionally well. The supposition here would be that they played well for old timers, but not even the old classics could encourage an overwhelming response from the audience.
The show was a long two and a half hour performance, during which there were very few words spoken or interaction with the mass audience. Perhaps it was this disconnection from the audience or even the lack lustre set that made it hard to carry the excitement from beginning to end. The proverbial ‘thorn in the side’ had to be when inspiration struck him he took the time to work his magic on the piano and gave glimpses of what must have been a musical genius. It was indeed a shame that this particular concert lacked the exuberance which one expected and so desperately wanted.
However, it would be entirely unfair to downplay the performance, given the age of the performers and the duration of the concert. For a band which looked like they had been taken straight from a geriatric institute, dressed in extreme vintage clothing and placed on stage with Elton John, they played exceptionally well. The supposition here would be that they played well for old timers, but not even the old classics could encourage an overwhelming response from the audience.
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