Elton John, fresh from his collaboration with Australian dance act PNAU, is doing his Australian fans a favour and heading down a national tour.
Well, to be more accurate – doing some Australian fans a favour for semi-national tour. According to The Herald Sun, Elton John’s latest visit to Australia later this year as part of a global tour to to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of ‘Rocket Man’, including his 42nd performance at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.
The 65-year-old will be performing in Sydney on November 15, with additional concerts at the Perth Arena and Canberra Stadium the same month, but bizarrely, is skipping over Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide.
So what of fans who want to catch Sir Elton outside of his itinerary? Chugg Entertainment, who are handling the tour, are figuring people will simply make travel plans.
Matthew Lazarus Hall, chief executive for Chugg Entertainment, has told The Canberra Times that the tour promoter is “anticipating people would come to the Canberra concert fro Victoria and South Australia,” saying “hopefully that will be good for the local economy.”
Chugg are expecting 12,000 attendees to John’s live show with a five-piece band at the Canberra Stadium, considering the performer’s first and last appearance in the Australian capital was December, five years ago – when 10,000 people where washed out by heavy rain downpour during the concert.
When asked about concerns of a similar incremental weather to his 2007 apperance, Hall indicated that Canberra stadium was suitably ‘sheltered’ and they would have insurance to protect the performers and audience.”
‘‘We are confident we can get 12,000 people. I think the tickets are priced well, just under $120, and in November the weather should be beautiful,” said the Chugg representative.
Meanwhile, Sir Elton has noted his enthusiasm for his record-breaking appearance at the Sydney Entertainment Centre for the upcoming tour, saying “it will be brilliant to be back in Sydney at the SEC. I am very proud to hold the box office record for number of shows there, and feel very fortunate to have been able to perform in front of the people of Sydney for 41 years,” said the singer.
“I also feel particularly close to this wonderful city at the moment because PNAU are from Sydney,” said John, speaking of PNAU’s remix project Say Good Morning To The Night which re-imagines songs from John’s classic period of 1970-1976.
The album releases next week and the Sydney-based electronic duo of Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes, along with John, are hoping the collaboration will be a big success in the latter’s native country.
They’re confident it’s like to debut at #1 in the UK charts, which would mark PNAU’s first British #1 and John’s return to the top of the charts in almost two decades, with the singer telling press he thought the record is “sheer genius”
Not much solace for fans in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia who’ll be missing out on the Elton John touring schedule. Call us crazy, but maybe if Harvest Festival organisers roped in PNAU for a late spot on the bill, they could convince their new pal to do some of that “sheer genius” in the live setting? Stranger things have happened…
ELTON JOHN // AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2012 DATES
Tickets on sale Monday 6 August at 9am via Ticketek
Monday 12th November – Perth Arena, WA
Wednesday 14th November – Canberra Stadium, ACT
Thursday 15th November – Sydney Entertainment Centre, NSW
