Azy Night

synonymous with, there still exudes a unique charisma.

Audience banter during the show was sparse but sincere. Early on when he expressed his delight to be back in “Bonnie Scotland” the crowd went wild.

With almost 50 years’ experience he is a master of his craft 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 5ft 8in figure who starts the show seems 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.

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

Elton John has a vast back catalogue and around 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 newer numbers from his most recent album Wonderful Crazy Night.

A rousing Crocodile Rock, with thousands belting out the unmistakable “La lalalala la” chorus was a particular highlight as was the epic eight-minute opening to Rocket Man during which Elton even included a few bars of Scotland The Brave.

An encore of the iconic Candle in the Wind brought the curtain down on a night that will live long in the memory. ENCORE: