On Saturday I made the trek to the Hunter Valley’s Tempus Two Winery to see rock music royalty, Sir Elton John.
Young soul singer Eran James kicked off the event with songs from his new album, Ten Songs About Love. It blows my mind that this kid is just 18 years old. He’s got such a strong emotive voice, and the simple acoustic guitar backing let these songs really shine. But this wasn’t the venue for Eran. The punters were a lot more interested in chatting amongst themselves and sampling the winery’s goods than listening to this talented young singer. It’s a shame, because he really was very good.
The most startling thing is that the throng didn’t settle down for the main event. The rowdy drunks behind us loudly sang the wrong songs, or the wrong lyrics. The chain-smoking couple in front of us also put a dampener on my concert experience. I might suggest that I just got bad seats, but looking around I saw so many people getting up and moving around during the show that it staggered me. For the life of me I’ll never understand why people spend good money on a concert if they’re going to be disruptive or get so drunk they won’t remember it.
Again, it’s unfortunate because Elton did everything right. He strikes such a commanding figure at the piano, with his masterful playing and dazzling sequined jacket. Other artists may need a band to provide such a rich sound, but Elton does it effortlessly alone. He took us on a journey through his catalogue, opening with his first hit “Your Song.” The set was peppered with monster hits, and a few more obscure songs from the die-hard fans.
Initially he paused to tell us about the songs and the albums they came from, but these monologues became more infrequent as the set wore on. Perhaps he was just getting into the groove of playing or perhaps, like me, he was frustrated by the people who wouldn’t listen. I’d be embarrassed to think it’s the latter, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
Elton John has so many wonderful songs that you’re never going to hear everything that you would like. But he played enough that I couldn’t complain. My personal highlights included “Tiny Dancer,” “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues,” “Daniel” and “Blue Eyes.” We were having such a good time singing along to “Benny and the Jets” and “Crocodile Rock” that we didn’t even worry when the heavens opened up.
He may be sixty years old, but age hasn’t wearied this rock pioneer. He was brilliant. I wish I could say the same thing for the crowds. From me to them: if you’re planning on drinking to the point of obnoxious, please save yourself the ticket price and stay home.