Music

Tonight’s gig was witnessed in three stages – inside, outside and up close and personal.

Starting off taking photos during Benny and the Jets, the next 15 minutes were spent outside the gate waiting to be let back in without any photographic equipment.

An extended version of Rocketman bounced back with an echo, which was disconcerting, but once safely inside, it was a different story.

As the sun set over the stage, the crowd went from holding lighters in the air to getting on their feet, as he played ‘Are you ready for love’, Crocodile Rock’, ‘I’m still standing’ and ‘Saturday night’s alright for fighting’, which Elton and band built to an enthusiastic crescendo, before leaving the stage.

Instead of spending time backstage before his encore, he spent five minutes signing autographs, which was an unexpected yet admirable move, before finishing with ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’ and ‘Your Song’.

For all of the myths surrounding Elton John - with his flower habit, celebrity mates, and infamous tantrums - his performance at Durham was that of a true professional, and a very entertaining one at that.

To see photos of Elton and of the crowd, go to the 'see also' section in the top right hand of the page.