Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Add Reply
Elton John
Topic Started: Nov 27 2011, 07:50 PM (292 Views)
Caro

On Friday there was a concert at the Dunedin Stadium with Sir Elton John, supporting act two Croatian cellists, who I heard were wonderful.

But what surprised me was how popular this concert was. I live 110kms (about 70 miles) from Dunedin and everyone I spoke to was either going or had relatives who were going to this. My son and dil, living three hours away went. I never even considered going - find Sir Elton's music bland and boring. My dil went through a dozen of his songs and none of them appealed to me (once she'd hummed them so I knew what they were).

But my husband said when he left work at 4.30 from a town an hour from Dunedin he couldn't understand why there were wall-to-wall cars on the main street - something he'd never seen before - and then he realised what it was for. My kids said the traffic was horrendous (and it was a ghastly windy day for driving too. I had to go out and drove home 20kms slower than the speed limit all the way.) and they were almost late for their booked meal.

Is Elton John still so popular in Britain? I have never heard of such an audience for a concert down here. A more 'mature' audience, apparently, though my dil was rather shocked at the amount of drinking there. One woman had gone to sleep before Elton John arrived on stage - she thought that was a big waste of money - and tickets weren't cheap. It was the first concert in the new and much praised Dunedin Stadium (all seating), so I suppose that brought people too. We had been there for two of the Rugby Cup games - and are off to a soccer one in a couple of weeks.

Cheers, Caro.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
rumbaba
Member Avatar

I''m not a fan.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Hugh Mosby-Joaquin
Member Avatar

I do not think Elton John would draw that sort of adulation in Britain any more, if he ever did. That sounds more like the sort of crowd (say) U2 or Paul McCartney might expect.
Maybe it was the Croatian cellists who were the magnet; I'd be more interested in hearing them than Sir Elton.....
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
madfor4

I liked the 'early Elton'....However, I imagine, at least in the UK, Elton is more famous for 'being Elton' than anything musical..
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mobson
Member Avatar

Elton John is an important contributor to the British music scene, admittedly the early work is more original and endearing; he certainly had his moments and has to be included in the history of contemporary music.
Along with other musicians, I like him for what he was, not necessarily for what he has become! <doff>
Edited by Mobson, Nov 28 2011, 06:43 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
becky sharp
Member Avatar

When the Rugby World Cup was on I heard a presenter on the radio talking to someone from the New Zealand media and he jokingly said to him "Do you still step back 20 years when you get off the plane in New Zealand "which the other person took in good part.... it's obviously a well known joke within certain circles.. ....perhaps Elton is still seen as hip over there.... ;)

I'm not a great fan of his ( he is very witty and humorous in interviews) but I do like to see him sat at a piano singing Your Song or watching Ewan McGregor singing it in Moulin Rouge...lovely song.

It has made me wonder hearing of the disruption/excitement resulting from Elton John's concert if there aren't many visits to New Zealand from stars from the music industry.

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Caro

There aren't a huge number of international acts come to Dunedin - partly because Dunedin people don't like to book early and promotors like to know where the money is coming from. Also Dunedin is quite a small city, just over 100,000 people. I don't actually know where else Elton John was performing in NZ.

I think the main reason for this concert being so highly attended was the fact that it was the first performance in the Dunedin Stadium, which has some world-class and unique features. But it was also a mature audience, according to my daughter-in-law, and according to the people I know who went to it. I recall Pink being in Dunedin a few years ago and this made big front-page news but I don't know anyone who went to see her, whereas everyone I talked to here had a relative going, if they weren't going themselves.

Cheers, Caro.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Music · Next Topic »
Add Reply