Live Review: Elton John, Schmidt, 2Cellos

Warning: to follow is a review so glowing that you may need '70s-style Elton John glasses to read it. But the man was that good. Treating the cavernous Entertainment Centre like a cabaret lounge with supports Schmidt and 2CELLOS (the first a relatively straight German lady crooner, the second two spunky boys playing electrified covers on, um, two cellos), Elton John didn't keep us waiting and after these went pretty much straight on stage to play two-and-a-half hours straight. Solo. Playing a souped-up grand piano to allow for the odd piece of electronic trickery (an occasional soft synth addition to the slower songs), he kicked off The One then jumped a couple of decades back to his second-ever album with Sixty Years On. The decade leaps continued throughout the night but his energy grew, with the now-croaky speaking voice only fuelling his singing. Sure, it's not the same type of power it was in his 20s, but man it's still goosebumpy. This writer dissolved during Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me and Daniel particularly, while the tour title track Rocket Man was the mass sing-along all expected.

Between tracks John told war stories, including the story of meeting and eventually setting up a working relationship with local electro poptarts Pnau. John's story about finding them on a touristy record shopping trip was divine in itself (he's Elton John, he doesn't need to go out to buy records!) and confirmed his position that 40 years on he's still a music fan – and that excitement was infectious. The Pnau kids joined him for an additional half an hour to end (their Elton John mash-ups with him singing and playing live) and a whole new party started. It was confident, generous and gorgeous all 'round.