Fan Report from Jean "Little Jeannie" Goman
On Sunday morning, December 8, as the wheels of the British Airways jet touched down at Heathrow, I was filled with excitement to be returning to one of my favorite cities, and easily the easiest to navigate. I'd made my reservations in mid-March, shortly after I'd signed on for Rocket tickets to Elton and the band's London concerts at Wembley Arena; therefore, I'd had lots of time to plan how I wanted to spend my time—so I hit the ground running.
The first night, I met two gals at the hotel who were seeking guidance about where to eat. It's always been my feeling that one doesn't go to England for the food, so I suggested I take them to a little pub around the corner where they could get some "cottage pie" which is shepherd's pie made with beef instead of lamb and quite edible. That seemed a good idea to them, so when we get there, they ordered burgers which are just awful, awful—seasoned way too highly and cooked to a dark slate brown...
Monday is a bit of a blur although I recall shopping at Marks & Spencers and Selfridges, but Tuesday I tubed to Knightsbridge to have my way with Harrods. I had planned to "do" tea there at 3:30 with the two ladies I'd met Sunday. I arrived before they did and saw Muhammed Al Fayed, father of the late Dodie Al Fayed who had died in the auto accident with Princess Diana. He was just walking through the restaurant where tea is served and nodded to the hostess at the door. Tea was a treat! That evening I saw Les Miz for the fourth time, but my first time in London. It remains one of my favorite evenings in the theater.
Wednesday morning was a short shopping trip up on Oxford Street where my hotel is located. It is a street known for shopping. It's like New York City but everyone seems in even more of a hurry. That afternoon, I met with Mr. B, the friend of our Fuss, who had agreed to accompany me to Wembley for the concert on the 11th. It was a pleasure meeting him and having him share such a special evening with me. We took the tube to Wembley where we had dinner at the arena prior to the show. Our seats were (I'm still struggling to find the ticket stubs so I'm guessing at the exact rows here) 10th row, dead center—that meant I actually got to see Nigel and not just a cymbal on a body!! I was thrilled!
From the beginning I knew Elton was a tad grumpy—he didn't loosen up and smile much until about a third of the way through the evening. Elton's tinkering with "Take Me To The Pilot" has turned that wonderful song into a real knockout production. I was surprised and delighted to hear "Wasteland," "Original Sin," and "Holiday Inn." Absolute standouts were "Have Mercy on the Criminal" and "Pinball Wizard"! Everyone in the audience (because that's all I heard leaving the arena!) was disappointed that Elton didn't do "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" and "The Bitch Is Back." Security was a bear at all the concerts. Cameras were not permitted in the arena but some of us who were still struggling with the 20th century editions (NOT digital) got off a bit easier, as they seemed to be zeroing in on those newer cameras, even wading into the middle of rows to "stop action." There was only one sign that I saw all three nights. Everyone remained seated except for standing ovations at the end of each number, and during "I'm Still Standing." I was so pleased that my guest was enjoying the concert and having fun watching Nigel that I put him in charge of my binoculars!
The next morning, I walked several miles to the hotel in Russell Square where Mr. B was staying, as we'd planned to have breakfast there. I got lost after turning off Oxford Street but finally found it. I felt better when he said he'd done the same thing. He offered to walk me back to Oxford Street to get me started in the right direction back to my hotel, and we did it again! Got off on the wrong street. Easy to do in that section because of all the small streets which run off other small streets. Our walk took us to Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus, the theater district, really close to Haymarket (but I didn't know it at the time! Rats!), and up Regent Street toward Oxford. It was on Regent Street where I had earlier in the week gone to check out Elton's Out of the Closet sale. I later learned from Mr. B that he and I both grew blisters on our feet that day! How special!
I got back to my hotel about 1:30 and at 1:45 climbed into the shower to prepare for meeting Susan (SOX) from Oxford, who would accompany me to Wembley that evening. I was to meet her bus at Marble Arch (just down the street from my hotel) at 3:15-3:30. I had lathered down and had a creme rinse on my hair when the fire alarm sounded. I rinsed off all the soap, etc., threw a towel around me and grabbed another towel and began trying to disperse the steam from the bathroom. I'd seen this done at hockey games! But, the piercing alarm didn't stop. I peeked out into the hallway and a gentleman said, "We've got to get out of here". Okay. Do I run out wrapped in a towel, or take the time to towel off, find clothes to put on and become the cinder which is later identified by my dental records? I opted to drop the towel, put on my leather coat (comes to mid-thigh) and chose shoes I could slip on, grabbed my handbag and out I went. I ran down four flights of stairs and found everyone crowded in the lobby. We were directed out of the hotel, down the street to this very stuffy Churchill Hotel, where the doormen wear silk top hats and costumes. Wonderful! We were herded into a large reception room where I discovered people who had been in the midst of holiday partying at the hotel and were still wearing party hats, no coats, and wearing broad, cheesy smiles. One lady bumped into me, asked what I was doing there and I said I was there to see some shows. She said, "Well, I'm at a party and I've had waaaaaaay too much to drink." My inclination at the time was to throw open my coat and say, "Me, too", but I checked that impulse. Perhaps I'd save it for the snobs in the lobby who had looked upon this motley crowd like we were maggots on a silver tray! As I stood there pondering this situation, I could only think: (1)I must get to Marble Arch to meet Susan or she'll think I've stood her up, and (2)I'll just bolt here, run up to Marks and Spencers, buy some clothing and, dripping hair and all, meet Susan at the bus. We were finally released to return to the hotel. In the end, I was only a few minutes late meeting Susan, and a welcome sight she was. I knew this would be a friendship crafted in the heavens. She's so easy to talk to and unassuming and such a big, big, big fan of Nigel. The last time she'd seen him was at Wembley in 1984, so this would be a nostalgic trip for her. The smile she greeted me with was the same smile she wore until she caught the bus the next morning for Oxford! She was clearly happy and ready for this event.
At the hotel she presented me with an authentic piece of Royal English bone china—a beautiful bird touched with gold—she and I share a love of birds; a wonderful desk calendar from Oxford; and a tape she made for me of an early Nigel recording. I'll treasure them all. Soon we left for the tube station and off to Wembley we journeyed, to have dinner there first, and then just drink in the music. If only I had captured Susan's face on film during the concert. I don't think she was aware of anything but Nigel and the music, and that smile never left! I think we both felt like teenagers that evening. Our seats were row 9, toward the left side which left me unable to see anything but Guy, Nigel's head and Bob Birch's head (except during his vocals) because of that big old piano of Elton's. But, we did have a wonderful view of Elton and his hands on the keyboard. And, the large overhead was directly in front of us. During "Crocodile Rock," where Elton always fools with the words, he said something that broke up the entire band and I've never seen this before, but Elton was laughing so hard he couldn't sing for a few bars! The show was wonderful—even better than the night before. I really hated to see Susan leave that next morning because I knew we'd forged a warm friendship and it would be far too long before we'd see each other again.
Friday was an adventure! I had planned to meet Phyllis, Denice, Jeff and Neil and Marian (all from an Elton news group) at the pub of the Northwood Hills Hotel where the Elton John Band played very early in its existence. I arrived first, and was soon joined by Phyllis, Denice and Neil—Jeff had forgotten the tickets for the concert and had had to return to Russell Square! What a wonderful piece of history here. Phyllis and Denice had visited Out of the Closet, as well, and purchased clothing worn by Elton and David, some of which they were wearing! Phyllis bought a three-piece suit of Eltons, a Versace, of course, which he had performed in and was pictured in the SFTWC programme. She had the jacket with her. Pictures were taken, we were clearly having fun, and Jeff took a picture of the "area" where the band had played while performing there. The locals found us to be a curiosity and the manager/barkeep was so pleased to have us that he gave us all new Tetley's Ale bar towels, and when he saw Jeff taking pictures of the football (soccer to us Americans) jerseys displayed over the bar, he took two of them down and gave them to Jeff and Neil, which they promptly donned. The jerseys belonged to two members of the team which the bar sponsored. Believe it or not, there were hugs and kisses all around as we left, Phyllis got signatures of the regulars at the bar, and a sweet old gent who introduced himself to me as "Huey, the alcoholic" told me I was welcome back "any time" and he'd buy me drinks for the evening! What a hoot! He proudly showed me the hole he'd worn in the cushion of the bench along the wall! He waved goodbye to me, saying, "Remember, I'll be here!"
We traveled from Northwood Hills, past Pinner, then on to Wembley where we met Stephan Heimbecher from Hercules. He was distributing the crocodiles many of us ordered to be used during "Crocodile Rock." He's a lovely, gentle giant of a man, over 6' 8". Jeff, Neil and I had dinner at Wembley before splitting up for the concert. My seats were a few rows closer, I think row 8, and very nearly the same location on the side. Drat! I wanted to be away from security so I could use the camera. This night the band was outstanding. So tight and sharp. Phyllis bucked security and ran up front with the newly purchased jacket (benefiting the Elton John Aids Foundation), Elton motioned her to come up. He took the jacket, put it on the piano, signed the inside of it and when he returned it to her, thanked her and kissed her hand. She was totally out of it after that! Her friend, Denice, was later restrained from going to the stage when "Original Sin" was over and the usual rush to the front takes place. She was very upset. They wouldn't give her a reason why she was being singled out. It was that evening that we learned from Elton that Bob Birch was suffering a slipped disk and that's why he was being hidden from view—seated on a stool, I suppose, behind the piano. He was courageous to go on, because I know a slipped disk is so painful. I had certainly wondered why he wasn't coming out front for the backing vocals as he had been before. Everyone seemed in a great mood that evening—even Davey seemed to be more animated.
I traveled back to the hotel, deep in thought and more than a bit sad that the concerts were over for me. Phyllis and Denice still had Shepherd's Bush ahead of them on Monday. I'll never, never forget those three concerts, the people I met who enriched my life, and the sheer joy of having seen Elton and his Band back where it all began.
I wound up my stay in London by seeing The Lion King (which is a master class of creativity), and the new
As the wheels lifted off the runway at Heathrow, I knew I was bringing back a lot more than I'd arrived with—not just in neat purchases I'd spent way too much on, and very special gifts I'd received, but memories that I could never put a price on. The only regret I have is that Elton and his band can not possibly know how deeply the love and loyalty run in the veins of their fans. They give us such joy for those few hours that we all share the same air.
Elton John's Songs From The West Coast 2002 Tour
Richmond, Virginia September 5, 2002
A Fan Report by Mrs. Nancy Roelke
What can I say about an Elton John show? It's like icing on a cake! His performance is like having a famous masterpiece of art in your own living room. Elton's always amazing his fans everywhere he goes. No other performer can match him and sound so good. Elton's band are all great musicians who put so much feeling into their playing, which makes Elton's music shine! It was the best concert I've ever been to and the memories will last me a lifetime. Thank you Elton and the Band for giving us fans a show to remember—a once-in-a-lifetime concert.
The show started with Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding and first out was the
band followed by Elton John. When Elton did come out, the whole place went WILD!
Elton had on a plum suit with diamond trim on the jacket and his pants had diamonds down the side...and he wore matching eyeglasses! The rest of band all dressed
nicely. Some of the fans in the first few rows and I got out of their seats and
ran in front of the stage. I was near Elton and watched him playing his piano
for awhile. It felt so good to be so near Elton seeing him live like that.
Elton then looked out at the fans and he noticed my baseball cap with
eltonjohn.com on it. He gave me the warmest smile I've ever seen and he focused
on me for the rest of the song. Wow! He kept smiling at me. Nice Elton! I then
wanted to be near Nigel and Davey, so I worked my way towards the middle of the
stage and was right in front of Nigel's drum kit. Nigel looked so handsome up
close on his drums. I wanted to get his attention, so I put up the sign I'd made saying "N.O.F.C. Is #1." He gave me the biggest smile then, but when he noticed the t-shirt I had on—Nigel's t-shirt from his website—he laughed out loud and was trying to talk to me, like having a conversation with me. I nodded my head yes about the shirt, but did not really hear what he was saying. Then he laughed again and gave me a very big smile. Boy, that made my night. Everyone knows how nice his smiles are. They can melt your heart! Thanks, Nigel. At this time I was so close to Davey that I was in awe. It was nice watching him play his guitar there, right at the stage and I could almost touch him. I then got his attention, hoping to get his guitar pick. I was the first fan he gave one to that night. He gave many later to other fans during the night, towards the end of the show. Thanks, Davey!
After the first few song were played, everyone who'd been at the stage had to go back to their seats. Oh, it would have been nice to stay there for the rest of the show, but I did like my seat. I had ordered from eltonjohn.com Rocket member tickets and members do get very good seats. It was well worth the money. I had row H on the floor (which is the 8th row), seat 6, Section F, which puts you right in the center of the stage. I was sitting right in front of Nigel! Wow, how lucky can you get!
You could see everyone and Elton and they can see you in that area. As I said
before, I had made up signs. One was for Elton which said: "Elton's
S.F.T.W.C. Is Awesome!" Oh, when Elton saw that sign he smiled at me more
than before. Then I really wanted to let the Band know how much I do care about then too, besides Elton. I made a sign for Nigel, and one for Bob Birch, the bass
player. His said this: "What A Great Website, Bob!" and under that had the web
address: www.bobbirchfan.com. He saw the sign and he really smiled at me.
Thanks, Bob! The last sign was for all the band members. It said this: "Davey,
Nigel, Guy, Bob, and John Are THE ONE Who Makes E.J.'s Music SHINE!" and I drew a
sun after that. I got great smiles from John Mahon and Guy Babylon and the rest
of band for that. Elton was looking during the night at those signs for the
band. I wanted him to realize how some fans do care for this band and are fans
of theirs too.
Where I was sitting the music sounded so good! It was the only
concert I've seen that you could really hear all the instruments together and how
those songs should sound LIVE! Elton's playing was just fantastic and that
wonderful band of his was AWESOME! No words can describe the feelings the songs
have hearing them perfomed LIVE! All the songs that were played that night were
just cooking! There were two songs that just overwhelmed me that night. One of
the new songs from S.F.T.W.C., "American Triangle". That song was
played with such emotion that it almost made me want to cry, due tothe fact that
it was true event of a very sad deed. Wow, it just moved me. Then there was
one song that Elton did and it was played so hard and together that it took my
breath away! "Have Mercy On the Criminal". Wow, this one really did
everyone in as they just cheered at the end of the song. Awesome is all I can
say.
During the night a fan tossed up on stage a pair of plastic eyeglasses with
wipers that really worked, that ran on batteries. It landed right under Elton's
piano bench. Elton was away from piano as he was going for his drink. After he
came back, he saw it before he sat down again. He then placed them on his piano
and they stayed there for the rest of the show. Another time, John Mahon was
tossing his tambourines in the air spinning them and catching them both when they
came back down, in time with the music. What a true showman he has become. I'm
glad that Elton added this song again: "Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters". I just love how Davey plays the mandolin on that song. Very nice, Davey!
I think I said in the begining of this fan report that it was the night of everything coming my way, now I have to tell you what I did get before the show was over and after the show. When Elton came out in his jumpsuit he had
a pen in hand. Luckily I had my CD sleeve cover of the "Songs From The West
Coast" and quickly took it out so he could sign it. He came right to me and
took my sleeve cover and yes, I have Elton's autograph. Thanks, Elton! Now the
moment I had been waiting for for such a long time and what I really wanted all
night from him, was Nigel's drumsticks! Yes, he did want me to have those
drumsticks, so he opened up his area where you can see under his drum kit or under
the stage and he gave me a very warm smile again, then tossed out those drumsticks
towards me. Well, the drumsticks had another way of coming, as one was coming
towards me the other went away from me. My good friend Suzie Barnett and her
husband who were standing near me made sure I got them. He leaped onto the stage
on his stomach, half on and half off, and stretched over to get the drumsticks on
the floor of the stage. He got both! After all he had done to retrieve them for
me, I thought it was only fair for one drumstick should go to Suzie! She was so
happy I did that for her. Well, all can I say after that is what a wonderful
night to remember. I felt just like Cinderella who went to the ball! (I also
met another fan/friend Rebecca Eagleson and her husband before the show).
Set List:
Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Bennie And The Jets
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Ballad Of The Boy In The Red Shoes
Philadelphia Freedom
The Wasteland
Rocket Man
I Guess That's What They Call It The Blues
I Want Love
This Train Don't Stop There Anymore
Take Me To The Pilot
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
Oh, My Sweet Carolina [Ryan Adams]
American Triangle
Have Mercy On The Criminal
Holiday Inn
Tiny Dancer
Original Sin
I'm Still Standing
Crocodile Rock
Pinball Wizard
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Your Song
HOME (IE) | HOME (NS)