Elton John excels in thrilling Farewell Yellow Brick Road show at the Utilita Arena

The farewell tour of one of the UK’s most beloved pop-rock stars returned to Birmingham last week for three headline shows at the city’s Utilita Arena.

Having initially been put back due to the pandemic, some people have been sat on tickets since 2019, but they made sure they put all their heart and soul into squeezing every ounce of enjoyment out of the show.

And on Saturday night, Elton – who was back in Birmingham after playing the first of four nights in the city at the Resorts World Arena in March – threw it back at all 15,000 of us in spades.

The setlist chooses itself in such circumstances.

A back catalogue of 55 years is always going to be difficult to fit into 135 minutes, so he understandably keeps it mostly to the hits.

Though he does treat us to deep cut Have Mercy On The Criminal from 1973, which is an epic early highlight, featuring a mighty guitar workout from Davey Johnstone.

John is accompanied with a tight-knit five-piece band, many of whom have played with him since his mid-70s pomp, and making good use of a huge rear screen to accompany the songs, this is very much a show.

Multiple cameras capture his dexterous finger-work up close, the band going hammer and tongs, and occasionally showing the crowd down the front going into ecstasy.

His piano even glides around the stage at times.

It all helps to make the audience feel much closer to what John is doing, rather than him simply being a dot in the distance.

Border Song is given extra drama as John regales watching Aretha Franklin perform it as part of her final 2017 show at his annual AIDs Foundation gala.

Rocket Man would always be a special moment, but it’s breathtaking when the band extend the songs outro into a progressive delight.

Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding kicks off the second half with much aplomb, and after one final deep cut of Burn Down The Mission it is time for a home run of top 10 hits, beginning with Sad Songs, which sees an outbreak of boogieing in the aisles.

And for an artist closely associated with ballads the triumvirate of I’m Still Standing, Crocodile Rock and Saturday Night is a pretty rocking way to finish the main course.

A short, sweet encore wraps things up. He thanks us all for the love we have given him over his career, before an emotional rendition of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ends with our hero ascending on a cherry picker into the starry back screen and out of sight.

A truly moving moment. A goodbye in the style of his choosing, OTT and very Elton.

Elton John played:

Benny & The Jets

Philadelphia Freedom

I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues

Border Song

Tiny Dancer

Have Mercy On The Criminal

Rocket Man

Take Me To The Pilot

Someone Saved My Life Tonight

Levon

Candle In The Wind

Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding

Burn Down The Mission

Sad Songs (Say So Much)

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me

The Bitch Is Back

I’m Still Standing

Crocodile Rock

Encore:

Cold Heart (Pnau remix)

Your Song

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road