Elton John to say goodbye with closing UK gig at Glastonbury Festival
After months of touring, that is it – the ultimate likelihood to see music legend Sir Elton John performing reside within the UK.
The Rocketman is hanging up his hat (however hopefully not the massive glasses) together with his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. After some gigs had been rescheduled through the pandemic, this now ends in Sweden in July – however the star’s closing present on house turf takes place at Glastonbury Festival tonight.
Sir Elton is among the biggest-selling artists on the earth – a performer with 32 studio albums beneath his belt, 10 quantity ones, and greater than 300m in report gross sales – however surprisingly has by no means performed on the world-famous pageant earlier than. His headline set closing the Pyramid stage will likely be his first and final likelihood to expertise that 100,000-strong crowd, which so many performers who’ve skilled it earlier than him describe as like no different.
In interviews, Sir Elton has stated acting at Glastonbury “couldn’t be a more perfect ending”.
It’s onerous to think about how the star who has entertained the world for greater than 50 years will stroll away from performing fully – however what a stage to bow out on.
So will this actually be the tip?
Tom Smith, NME’s commissioning editor for music, says whereas there’s numerous hypothesis the star will not be in a position to withstand a comeback later down the road, it looks like this actually may very well be his farewell from reside performing.
“There’s always been a kind of ‘will he, won’t he’, but he seems pretty set that this is going to be the last UK show,” he instructed Sky News. “I think the way that he’s gone about it and prepared for the show and talked about all of the new bands he wants to celebrate in his career, you know, this long tour that he’s been on, it feels like it could be it, it really does.”
However, Sir Elton’s husband David Furnish told Sky News ahead of the festival that this won’t be the end of his music altogether.
“I don’t think he’ll be sitting on the sofa with a remote control,” Furnish stated. “He’s going to go back into the studio in October and start his next album. Which will be great. He’s not done a studio album in a long time.”
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We know for Glastonbury, the star plans to deliver out 4 particular visitors – Furnish confirmed it might be a star-studded line-up, however did not give something away.
Bookies are providing odds on everybody from Lady Gaga, Harry Styles and Rocketman star Taron Egerton, to current collaborators Britney Spears, Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa. Sir Paul McCartney, who headlined the pageant final yr and was noticed in conjunction with the stage for the Foo Fighters’ surprise set on Friday, can also be now a late addition to the hypothesis.
Sir Elton has additionally teased that he’ll play a distinct set to that performed on his farewell tour.
Whatever he sings, whoever he brings out on stage, one factor is definite – he’ll need to exit with a bang, and go down within the Glastonbury historical past books.
“You look at Paul McCartney last year – it was an incredible celebration of music for people of all ages, over his career, The Beatles to Wings and solo stuff,” NME journalist Tom added. “Elton’s got that level of repertoire and that goodwill among music fans. There’s every chance in 10, 15 years it could be: ‘I was there for Elton’s big send-off’.”
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Fellow Glastonbury first-timer Rick Astley – who drew a huge early crowd to the Pyramid stage on Saturday morning – believes few artists have had Sir Elton’s impression.
“With Elton, you’re naming one of the people who literally put one of the foundation blocks of music,” he stated. “There’s a few people, men and women, who’ve laid down the rule book, the story book – everything – for the rest of us, and he’s one of them. There’s just no one comparable to him.”
One fan who’s trying ahead to tonight’s present is Alex McGuire, 47, who lives close to to the pageant website in Taunton.
Now on his sixteenth time on the occasion, for the previous 5 events he has been making hats to have fun his favorite acts.
For Glastonbury 2023, he says the choice was straightforward.
“It’s Elton’s final tour and final chance to see him quite possibly. It’s absolutely amazing for the Eavises to get him,” he instructed Sky News.
Alex has recreated Sir Elton on the Pyramid stage, full with a grand piano and rainbow rockets – and it even lights up.
“It’s going to be a legendary moment,” he stated. “Like Paul McCartney last year – it’s the ultimate for Glastonbury.”
In the run-up to the pageant, Sir Elton has been teasing his efficiency – even sharing an image of some spangly custom-made wellies on Instagram.
“It’s just come at the right time,” he stated in a single interview. “I’m a great believer in serendipity and fate – this is the most wonderful way to sign off in England.”