Massive organisation to get the show on stage

preparations for elton John’s excelsior stadium extravaganza on saturday are already well underway.

Work on the huge outdoor stage for the pop icon’s only Scottish performance began on Monday and will take the experienced team of 32 crew members five full days to erect - and then a further two days to dismantle. At 180ft wide, 55ft deep and 60ft tall, the structure will provide a fitting stage for the star to strut his stuff. It is built using an 80 foot crane, three fork lift trucks and one very large cherrypicker. The crew comprises 30 technicians for sound, lights, video, back line and stage manaa management, along with eight truck and fourfouur bus drivers.

A further 60 people area employed on the day to assist in assemblingas the set and equipment, and andd subsequently getting it down and packedpackk away.

The show will take e eight hours to load in and soundcheck soundcheckk Elton’s stage equipment.

It takes a further two hoursh to focus and programme the lighh lights, and three hours to get them doo down after the performance.

Every concert is recordd recorded for Elton’s archive with 113 shows filmedfi last year using six cameras.

The footage is broadcastbroadca on two, 6m wide by 5m high screens left and right of the stage, each weighingweighii 1.3 tonnes.

Since the start of the yearye the Rocket Man has entertained audiencesau more than 40 times in NorthNort and South America, Australia, Asia and Europe.

He has performed overovv 860 songs, been on stage for 5000 minutes and consumed 144 glasses of sparkling water.

The tour’s caterers will serve approximately 400 meals to the musicians and technical crew per day.

And the band – comprising Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone, John Mahon, Matt Bissonette and Kim Bullard – have favourite items on their dressing room rider, including crisps, Pepsi, coconut water, green juice and Starbucks decaf coffee.

Sir Elton has five travelling pianos called Kay, Nina, Nikita, Aretha and Winifred.

Each piano is tuned once or twice a day and re-checked before Elton takes to the stage. His personal piano tuner travels as part of the crew.

Nigel Olsson tours with three drum systems, the primary snare drum head is changed daily to avoid failure and he uses three sets of new sticks per show.

On the road between 14 and 16 guitars and basses are maintained, cleaned, tuned and restrung on a daily basis.

The show will last between two hours 20 minutes and two hours 40, including a set list of between 24-28 songs.

To keep hydrated Elton will drink around three to four glasses of San Pellegrino water on stage per show.

Thousands of tickets have already been sold for the highly-anticipated show but there will be some available to buy at the stadium up to and including Saturday.