Elton John Songs From The West Coast Tour

Munich Germany 23.06.2002

... "I've put it together and it falls apart" ...

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Review of that night:

My second and last EJ show for this year, couldn't attend any other show. .

The ticket were as hard to get as these for Stuttgart but this time 6'th row floor seats middle block right side and 3 seats away from the middle gangway. close to perfect!

Arriving early at the venue we still had time to look around and have a drink. It was very hot that day, the sun was not only shining, it was like stitches when you stood in the sun for more than a minute. I saw that they were checking even the smallest bags for what ever, so I knew I had to hide my camera to get it in. Always good to have a look at the entrance first. Inside the venue it was not much colder than outside, so it has been the right decision to wear a short summer dress.

The show started right in time, with Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. Quite a couple of seats were still empty, people kept coming for a while.

Elton wore a turquoise suit and the revere was surrounded by a small row of sparkling stones, on the back was too a medusa head made of them, and the end of trousers legs had the same sparkling stones. His Glasses where with a golden frame and dark violet/brown tinted. A few seconds after Elton had sat down at the piano he started shaking his head and pointing in the direction of his left monitor. The technical guy cam and replaced it. But Elton was not satisfied, and it was replaced again, with no success. They also replaced the right one and again the left on. I stopped counting after the 5th change. I only crossed my fingers that it wouldn't end in a tantrum of Elton and the concert would be ruined. But he welcomed everybody without any anger in his voice, telling the audience that he would play some old and some new songs, some we will know and some we maybe won't know, and he also mentioned the high temperatures inside the arena. And welcomed two people from Canada by name. The audience gave him a huge welcome and the applause after each song was always very big.

During Bennie And The Jets, the monitor switching went on. Pleas don't ruin Eltons mood pleas! Elton apologized for the technical problems with the hope that it wouldn't effect the audience. Hey if it doesn't affect you we can stand it! Elton again introduced Ballad Of The Boy With The Red Shoes as a song about a ballet dancer dying of aids, I was astonished about the massive attack against Ronald Reagan, as he said something like "The president of the 80's on the absolute throne, doing nothing at all about aids, so thousands of people had to dye". During the song they once again worked at the monitors, seams like they changed the volume or something like that, till Elton finally was pleased. Philadelphia Freedom is so great with band, next time I will go for a concert with no seats, it's so hard to sit during rocking numbers. The audience was astonishing going with this rocking numbers, nearly everybody was moving to the rhythm. After the song a man with a small child tried to reach the stage, but security stopped her. Elton saw it and came to the front of the stage and the man lifted the boy up so he could hand him the roses. That was very cute, the audience loved it.

The wasteland he introduced as a blouse number from his new album. It is my favorite track of the new album because it really rocks. The version of Rocket Man was again very long and had a fabulous middle part. Once again, the monitor wasn't working right, but it still didn't have any harm on Eltons mood. After the Song Elton stood up and walked all across the stage huge applause filled the arena. I Want Love got credit as the first single from the album, and for This Train Don't Stop There Anymore he said is the last track and his favorite song of the new album and the second single from the album. The piano intro to Take Me To The Pilot was new again, and fabulous, wish to get a recording of it. It is so great to see Elton do such improvisations.

Than the band left the stage, "I now will do a view songs on my own" Elton stated. Sacrifice was only him at the piano, for Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, Guy, Nigel and John supported him, the last two on Vocals. After that Elton again solo, played Candle In The Wind, no Sweet Carolina. The band came back and he talked about the next song American Triangle that is about the murder of Matthew Shepard, that touched him so much that he wanted to make a song about it, so he asked Bernie to do the lyrics. At the end of the song he directly went into Have Mercy On The Criminals. That's a great contrast if you considered the lyrics, but a great combination. He than introduced the band. Backing Drums, Percussion Drums John Mahon although Backing Vocals...., Guy Babylon Keyboards and Orchestra, Upright Bob Birch Bass Guitar and Vocals, on Drums from the original Elton John Band 30 years way back the one and only Nigel Olson, and Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin and singing like a Bird fabulous Davey Johnstone.

For Holiday In he only mentioned it is of the Madman Across The Water album, but it was so nice hearing and see Davey play the mandolin. Then he said "The next song is the latest single from the new album". Whoops he skipped Tiny Dancer, that even was new to the band and left Davey without a guitar. Elton was joking "You don't have a guitar? That cant be. There are probably 700 of them around the corner. That's because I changed the set list." He referred to the many guitars Davey changes during a concert, from a concert guitar, to a two steel guitar and and and. So everyone had to wait till a guy brought Davey the right guitar, Elton filled the time with the joke that he made yesterday about Tiny Dancer so he said that the next song will be featured in the new movie about Kenny G. called shut up the fucking... or something like that.

Already during the last part of Original Sin the run for the stage started. Because I had to get past 3 people in my row, I stood up a little early but there were already people ducking in the aisle and than before Elton ended the song the security guy nodded and everyone ran. I was lucky enough to end up right in front of Elton in the 3d row again. I'm tall enough so that doesn't matter, but to prevent any trouble I've wore my highest heels to make sure. The chance to take some photos and have a great time, again. I was happy to have a digital camera with a monitor so I can take photos without holding the camera in front of my face.

Elton enjoyed the crowed in front of him. We rocked the house down during I'm Still Standing and it didn't matter how hot it was there. During Crocodile Rock the boy in front of me had a crocodile hand puppet that he held in the air and rocked with it. That made Everyone laugh even Elton so he messed up a view words.

Then Elton left the stage. He returned for Pinball Wizard, great to rock along. After Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me he walk across the stage, but no shaking hands, no autographs this time.

Elton returned for the second encore in a blue and white adidas running suit and frame less violet tinted glasses, the suit did fit him much better than that one yesterday. He thanked the audience "Thank you very, very, very, very, very, very, very much! Take my love, take care ... God bless you"!

After Your Song everything was over two and a half hours of great pleasure. The humming sound in my ears, was there again, they play very loud, but a rally great show. .

 

Set list of that night:

Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding

Bennie And The Jets

Daniel

Someone Saved My Life Tonight

Ballad Of The Boy With The Red Shoes

Philadelphia Freedom

The Wasteland

Rocket Man

I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues

I Want Love

This Train Don't Stop There Anymore

Take Me To The Pilot

Sacrifice

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

Candle In The Wind

American Triangle

Have Mercy On The Criminal

Holiday Inn

Original Sin

I'm Still Standing

Crocodile Rock

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Pinball Wizard

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

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Your Song

 

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