That was one Elt of a night

In this era of scantily-clad pop vixens and manufactured boy bands, Sir Elton John proved to Leigh Sports Village just why rock ’n’ roll still rules.

Saturday night was definitely alright for the crowd of thousands who turned out to witness the legendary 
superstar perform primarily a greatest hits set to his adoring fans.

As the first of a handful of UK venues on his seven-month World tour, to the delight of the audience the international legend said he would rather play there than in Manchester’s biggest arena.

And there is simply no doubt that the 67-year-old still has the same sparkle on stage (which matched his impressive royal blue sequined suit) as he did in 1969 when he demonstrated his impressive ability to appeal to multiple generations.

Having rocketed to the stadium by helicopter, his powerful voice filled the open venue and had diehard fans off their feet from note one.

What a people pleaser he is. Not only did he perform some of his worldwide number one hits, including Benny and The Jets, Candle in the Wind and Tiny Dancer, he also interacted with the audience after each song, inviting them to share snippets of his amazing life.

Elton John has always had hits throughout every decade, changing with the times but keeping the top tracks timeless.

So naturally he was joined on stage by his original drummer Nigel Olsen. It was the backing band that was the gig’s secret weapon all night – the instrumental talents were outstanding.

The audience made note of John’s efforts frequently, bestowing upon him a standing ovation following literally every song.

Before we were half way through the concert, everybody was up dancing and rocking in the aisles.

Lucy Hilton