SUNDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT

ELTON JOHN / 2Cellos / Eran James

Burswood Dome
Sunday, December 11, 2011

It was Sir Elton John’s second time in our fine city over the past few years, and Burswood Dome was thriving with patrons young and old, pumped to see one of the most revered musicians of a number of generations.

Starting off the night was Melbourne musician Eran James who, quite frankly, was a bit of a disappointment in the prestigious slot of Elton John’s first support. James’ vocals were fine, but just because you can sing doesn’t mean you should write music. The tone and subject matter of the songs – entitled You Broke My Heart and Down The Road – was bland and unoriginal, accompanied by average acoustic guitar and average backup musicians.
2Cellos then graced the stage after a video introduction from Elton himself, and sat down with – well, their two cellos. The crowd was a little listless by this point, and the thought of another low-key performance was distressing. But then, oh dear lord, the two Croatian cellists began to play. They launched straight into a mad electric cello version of Smooth Criminal, did an awesome cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit, and then pulled out a spectacular rendition of AC/DC’s Highway To Hell. Their musicianship is unparalleled, and unlike anything around at the moment. Who else can amp up a crowd with no vocals and two cellos? The crowd loved them, and not just because of their dashing looks (though this reviewer is now considering a move to Croatia).
It was a slight surprise when Elton John’s band began to hit the stage to back up the 2Cellos one by one, and eventually, the man himself strutted out in a pink shirt and glittery jacket. John launched straight into Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting), and it was immediately evident that he is indeed worth the hype – the man is a star. His vocal ability is still as strong as it was 30 years ago, and he is an amazing pianist. John and his band ran through a number of lesser known songs from albums like 1971’s Madman Across the Water for a significant portion of the set, then launched into the hits – Tiny Dancer, Philadelphia Freedom, Bennie & The Jets and so on. The hits were fantastic – Elton didn’t miss a beat, and the crowd loved it. Though the acoustics within the Dome aren’t exactly top-notch, Elton and his band completely owned it, and not much can compete with those magnificent vocals.
Other reviews have raved about the 10 minute piano solos, drawn out classics with instrumentals mid-song, and musical genius of many of the tunes played by Sir Elton throughout the night. And yes, his musicianship is stunning, and very few artists can match up to his talent. However, in the interest of full disclosure and objectivity, the solos were a little overbearing. Indeed, the first few instrumental parts were amazing, and yes, Elton can do whatever the hell he wants, but only diehard fans and musicians themselves were appreciating the long piano sagas. Perhaps he wanted to show off musical depth and ability, but instead of building up the crowd, he ended up creating a slightly restless mood.
But, Elton is unequivocally an amazing showman, and king of the fist pump - he regularly left the piano to point to sections of the audience and give them a rocking wave. His band are traditional rockstars, with two of the original members, drummer Nigel Ollson and guitarist Davey Johnstone, still joining him on stage. Those dudes may be in their 60s and 70s, with the same hairstyles and clothing that they rocked in the ‘80s, but damn can they play. An estimated 15 guitar changes (including a kickass double-necked guitar) from Johnstone could be called excessive, but hey – why the hell not?
John played for a whopping two-and-a-half hours without a break, ending on a beautiful encore of Your Song. No matter how old he gets, no matter what artistic license he takes with his music, and no matter how many times he tours, Sir Elton John will always be a musical god.

_CHLOE PAPAS