It was the wettest of days in Dunedin but it was white hot inside Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Sir Elton John arrived for a second time at the venue and rocked the crowd with plenty of swagger and glee.
He may be 72 but he danced like the best of them. From the start with Bennie and the Jets, onwards through a deep and stunning repertoire, Sir Elton delivered pop at its absolute finest.
The elder statesman of song belted out hit after hit and the audience, not surprisingly, lapped it up.
The sound was great and the massive crowd of more than 35,000 enjoyed every minute.
Concerts can be many things to many people — the lights, the atmosphere, the booze, the seating — but really it comes down to the people on the stage.
And Sir Elton, and his backing band, were at their best — not hard, though, when you have combined to pen some of the best pop songs in the past 50 years. Daniel is a great song and was majestic last night while the crowd got up rocking near the end as I’m Still Standing and Crocodile Rock among others got an airing. Rocket Man with guitarist Davey Johnstone to the fore was superb. Sir Elton’s voice is perhaps not what it was but still more than good enough.
Apparently, it took him 15 minutes to write Your Song, the song that set him on the way to stardom and a 50-year musical career.
Well, what a trip it has been. And he got to lay it all down in fine fashion at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
When Sir Elton came to the stadium in 2011 it blew a howling gale.
Last night, the ark would have been in use such had been the rainfall in the city.
Sir Elton may have seen the worst of Dunedin’s weather.
But Dunedin saw the best of him last night.
