A journey to see Elton John – Part 2: Showtime!

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/04/2024 (824 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This is the second of three Travelations columns about travelling to London, England, in April 2023 to attend a once-in-a-lifetime Elton John concert. You can read the first story here.

On the day of the show I was ready to go. I had pre-determined my train route and planned to get there extra early (which, for me, typically equates to arriving on time).

Arriving at The O2 train stop in Greenwich, I fell in behind all the people heading to the same place. Many wore memorabilia, while others paid homage to some of Sir Elton’s famous stage costumes. There was excitement in the air, along with boas, sequins, and oversized sunglasses.

The outdoor route wound through Peninsula Square, which was lined with Elton John murals celebrating his incredible and colourful 50-year career, and hordes of people lining up for photo ops.

The arena bowl is located deep within a gigantic shopping mall. Inside the building, the stairway leading up to the second level was lit up in gold, just like a yellow brick road. I’m not sure if it was intentional or just happened to be random mall decor… but it certainly matched the mood.

My seat for the show was to the right of the stage, just two sections away. It was also way down low, which I pleasantly discovered while descending into the depths of the arena bowl. I was going to be as up-close as you could get in this section.

The stage was aglow with a massive mural of Elton, stepping through a doorway in a brick wall to a golden path awaiting him. Framing the edges of the scene were bricks etched with career achievements in a style reminiscent of hieroglyphics. The words ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ were emblazoned along the top, and the whole set was drenched in warm mauves and turquoises.

The two smaller side-screens displayed the following message: “Elton John encourages all his guests to stand & dance in front of their seats. Please keep the aisles clear but express yourself!” That was the first time I had ever seen a message like that at a concert – and I’ve been to a lot. I thought this show was definitely going to be fun.

Soon enough, the lights went down, and a piano began playing one note at a time. A familiar key, in a familiar cadence. And just like that, Bennie and the Jets burst into real-life. The show was on!

The massive screen came to life, too, projecting the live performance. Extra interesting was how the visuals extended from the bottom of the screen and angled down along the sides of the stage, stretching to the very front, making the entire stage part of the projection surface.

Philadelphia Freedom was the second song in, as brightly dressed dancers took over the big-screen. The funky disco vibe just begged for dancing, and I’m pretty sure every single person got up and did just that. The feeling of being in that giant room, along with 20,000 strangers grooving to live Elton John was quite indescribable.

After that came hit after hit. I mean, how could it not be? Every song was accompanied by a visual show. Tiny Dancer was an actual short film depicting multiple locations in Los Angeles, all separate situations yet intersecting at different times. Rocket Man peacefully projected views of outer space throughout, before culminating into a trippy extended version with a ride through morphing cosmos.

Candle in the Wind was a poignant tribute to Marilyn Monroe with glimpses into her life through archival footage and re-enactment. The Bitch is Back was another short film, this time a hilarious and unexpected story about a bitch, who came back. Literally.

MORE TO COME: My next Travelations column will be the final chapter of this trilogy, sharing more about the concert, the special souvenir from the end of the show, and a spontaneous event the next day that ended up being the double icing on the cake…