The last dance with one of the greatest showmen ever - Karen Koren

It’s awhile since I’ve been to a big live concert but on Sunday night I went to the show that’s been four years coming. It was Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. And what an amazing show it was.

Elton John performs during his 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' tour

I gave my granddaughter, Lily, four tickets to Elton John’s show for her Christmas in 2019, she cried when she received them, she was so excited. Lily has been playing the piano and singing since she was a toddler and she’s always loved Elton’s music.

She knows all his work even the more obscure. So it was a long time coming, at one point she lost the tickets as they had fallen under her chest of drawers in her bedroom and she had such a panic thinking they had been thrown away.

Luckily her Mum found them when she was tidying her room. Disaster averted and Mum looked after the tickets for the next few years. Safe to say that Lily and Susan (her Mum, my daughter-in-law) had a good cry when Elton appeared on stage. Kristian (her Dad, my son) and I were more reserved and danced and sang, though as the evening progressed the emotions kicked in.

The show brought back so many memories, the graphics brought the 70s back to life and the hits kept on coming. The musicianship from Elton’s long-standing band was some of the best I have ever seen, from the moment Elton and the band stepped on the stage at 7.20pm starting with Bennie & The Jets, a favourite, Elton and the band were on stage for two and half hours with no interval. It was all so worth waiting years for.

Davey Johnstone, from Edinburgh, is the musical director, guitarist and backing vocalist, he is an indispensable part of the band. They have toured together since 1971 and played on many albums together. There’s three percussionists: white-gloved drummer Nigel Olsson plus multi-instrumentalists Ray Cooper and John Mahon – everything from maracas to xylophone. Newer musicians complete the band; bassist Matt Bissonette and keyboard player Kim Bullard.

My favourite part of the show was Funeral for a Friend – the graphics started with a thunderstorm and went from there into hundreds of lit candles with a huge candelabra, the sound was explosive. No expense spared at this memorable concert, all hits were sung, Elton’s voice is as good now as it was 50 years ago.

His last outing will be Glastonbury next weekend and we will never see the likes of Elton John and his band again. The atmosphere was electric and we all felt very special to have seen one of Britain’s greatest showmen.