Elton’s on song for Excelsior

Preview of what pop icon has in store for Airdrie

It’s not easy to think about fun in the sun with the prospect of a long hard winter upon us.

But one particular night next summer was at the forefront of my mind as I braved bracing winds on the banks of the Tyne at the weekend.

As I’m sure everyone in Monklands knows by now, on June 24 the musical legend that is Elton John will make his eagerly-awaited North Lanarkshire-debut at the Excelsior Stadium.

And Saturday night’s sold-out arena show in Newcastle provided the perfect chance to catch a glimpse of what’s in store six months from now.

And if that performance is anything to go by – Airdrie is in for a wonderful crazy night!

An icon for decades, in more recent times the 69-year-old has been elevated to the status of national treasure.

However , it’s not until you see him strutting his stuff on stage that you realise just how special an entertainer he is.

Resplendent in a pair of his signature specs, gold pumps and a spectacular sparkling frock coat, Elton could never be described as understated.

But strip away the flamboyant attire and outlandish accessories he’s synonymous with, there still exudes a unique charisma.

Audience banter during the mammoth two-and-a-half-hour set was sparse but sincere. A strongly worded – two words to be precise – response to a tabloid story reporting his imminent retiral drew an

enthusiastic cheer from a spellbound crowd entirely in his thrall.

With almost 50 years experience he is a master of his trade and to witness him absorb the audience’s adoration is a sight to behold.

It’s always easy to see when a performer would prefer to be anywhere but up there on stage – an accusation that could never be levelled at Elton John. The more ecstatic the acclaim, the more energised he becomes.

The small, slighty rotund figure who starts the show is larger than life by its end. Performing defines him, that’s why talk of retiral is not only premature, it’s patently ridiculous. He’ll continue to do this until no longer physically able. And given how dextrous he remains on the piano, and how impressive he is vocally, that seems a long way off yet.

And of course, complimenting his physical talents is a virtually unsurpassed body of work.

Elton John has a vast back catalogue and no less than two dozen songs from it were given an airing on Saturday.

Classics from his 70s heyday such as Bennie and the Jets, Tiny Dancer and Rocket Man segued seamlessly into 80s hits like I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues and I’m Still Standing, while still finding time to drop in a couple of new songs from his most recent album Wonderful Crazy Night.

An encore comprising the iconic Candle in the Wind and rousing Crocodile Rock which ended with a cacophony of the chorus from the crowd brought the curtain down on a night that will live long in the memory.

Looking ahead once more to next summer, while there’s no guarantee that June 24 will be blessed with sun, on Saturday’s showing it’s a betting certainty that, regardless of weather, Elton John will provide fun with a capital F!

There are still some tickets available for Elton’s Airdrie event from ticketmaster.co.uk; tickets.amazon.co.uk; tickets-scotland.com; seetickets.com and ticketline.co.uk.