What an experience! The luck of the draw. We won two tickets to see Elton John at Broadcasting House in a
concert live on Radio 2 and the iPlayer. There were less than 400 of us there out of 77'000 who applied for two tickets
- a one in 400 chance of success!
What an experience going to Broadcasting House too. Instead of queuing
in the rain, we could go straight into the café to wait whilst eating (other gig venues take note!!) our own sandwiches.
It was all very civilised, overlooking the News Centre and watching Peter Gibbs deliver the 6.55pm weather live on air.
We
were then ushered into the hall by ticket number - still standing but enough room to dance. Not enough time, however,
to whip up the largely middle-aged audience into a frenzy for, before the atmosphere could build, we were on air with Jo Whiley
introducing the great man. With such a surreal build-up to a quite unique live music occasion, it's perhaps not surprising
that it took a couple of songs for everyone to take it all in.
Elton came on stage and began with The Bitch Is
Back and Benny And The Jets. He was clearly on great form vocally and musically though it wasn't until a sublime Goodbye
Yellow Brick Road that the mood really hit me. A beautiful swathe of backing vocals supported the great man on the refrain
and chorus of one of his most poignant songs. After this, it was highlights-a-plenty in an on-air set crammed with greatest
hits and, quite surprisingly, only two promising songs from his new album The Diving Board.
Elton was on brilliant
form vocally with his rich, slightly deeper voice holding the notes with superb authority. I've seen televised concerts in
recent years in which he's struggled with the older songs though there was none of this at Broadcasting House. His fantastic,
virtuoso piano playing was also prominently featured, especially on the lengthy coda of Levon, the most obscure old song in
the set list.
Further highpoints from a fantastic on-air performance included Rocket Man with its slower first verse,
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting and I'm Still Standing which is surely one of the songs which epitomises the 80s. As
if that wasn't enough, he also discussed the new Mercury Music Prize shortlist with DJ Jo straight after his set on-air without
losing a breath.
That was it for those in radioland though the audience were treated to a four song encore (DVD extra?)
including Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word and an epic Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, surely one of the original (and
best) power ballads recorded. Equally excellent, it was all then over at the civilised hour of 930, giving us all time to
get home to bed at a reasonable hour - as long as we had come down enough from the event to get some sleep.
All in
all then an incredible, unforgettable gig and experience, seeing a true legend at the top of his game at such an intimate
venue free of charge. All I can recommend now is that you put your name down for a few events at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/tickets/ - after all, it could be you!
12.9.13
