Gut Reactions (post-gig memories and other trips): Elton John, Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, OVO Hydro, Glasgow. Saturday 17th June, 2023

Rescheduled from 24 Nov 2020 and 13 Dec 2021, this farewell had been a long time coming. He told us it was his 320th show, the second to last of the UK tour, and the 27th time he's played in Glasgow, relating how he always kept back from the front of the high stage at Green's Playhouse (Later the Glasgow Apollo) in case he fell off. He thanked the crowd for coming out all dressed up in their feather boas, fancy costumes and lots of plastic spectacles that lit up. They're a wide age range, from kids to pensioners, with a lot in their twenties/thirties, much to my surprise, and everyone's here to have a good time, celebrating his last hurrah.

I wouldn't call myself the greatest Elton John fan. I know a lot of his songs and even know some of the lyrics, but I've always been put off by his ego and historic temper tantrums. Tonight, none of that was on display. He did his thing at the piano, chatted more than usual and put on a great performance, surrounded by a talented band of musicians, some of whom had been around him for over half a century. The staging looked amazing with a giant central screen framed by a sculpted stone-effect border, which, when you studied it, contained details of his career, with the Lion King logo, the Watford FC badge and other iconic images from his life.

I didn't engage early on. Maybe it was tiredness. Maybe I wasn't that interested. My view wasn't that great, despite the price of the seats, with a few tall people between me and Elton's piano stool. The giant screens didn't always show his performance, instead playing unrelated videos of groovy kids busting dance moves or models in T-shirts over which slid images of icons and other such nonsense. So far, so dull.

My mind wandered. Why am I more excited to see Tim Minchin next month when essentially it's the same as this: a bloke singing at a piano?

Then something magical happened. The band got in a groove. They gelled, played faster, and something stirred inside me. It was like the music took hold of my heart, gave it a shake and woke me up. From then on, I got it. This wasn't about Elton or the show. This was about the music. It wasn't about recreating the singles. It was about elevating them, performing them to the best of their abilities. This was his superpower and I'd only just got that.

It was clever the way they had a camera at the side of the piano so we could sometimes see Elton playing. When the screens showed images of his past glories, the nostalgia was palpable and fitting.

I'll admit to being amused when Elton took his piano for a spin around the stage. I couldn't help but think this was him on his mobility piano. Sorry, Elton.

He left us at the end on a lift that carried him into the screen whereupon we saw him walking away from us along the yellow brick road into the sunset. An apt image to finish on.

Was it the most incredible show I've ever seen? No. Was it worth it? Yes. One more icon ticked off the list.

Ticket Price: £170.25 from Ticketmaster (seated section 002, floor level)

On-stage time: 7.30 pm.

Off-stage time: 10 pm

Setlist

Bennie and the Jets

Philadelphia Freedom

I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues

Border Song

Tiny Dancer

Have Mercy on the Criminal

Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)