Leslie Massey
Elton John has had a long and successful career spanning several decades, with over 300 million records sold worldwide. He has a special relationship with Australia, where he has a huge fanbase and has performed more than 200 shows—more than in any other country besides the US and UK. John's first performance in Australia was on October 17, 1971, in Perth, and he has since toured the country 18 times. He has described Australia as one of his favourite countries, with some of his most memorable concerts taking place there. John's final Australian tour concluded in January 2023, marking the end of his six-decade-long touring career.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Performance Date | 14th December 1986 |
| Performance Venue | Sydney, Australia |
| Performance Orchestra | Melbourne Symphony Orchestra |
| Performance Songs | "The Greatest Discovery", "The King Must Die", "Tonight", "Have Mercy On the Criminal", "Tiny Dancer", "I Need You To Turn To", "Take Me to the Pilot", "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", "Rocket Man", "Benny and the Jets" |
| Performance Quality | Positive reviews for audio quality, mixed feedback for video quality |
| Performance Significance | Elton John was suffering from vocal difficulties due to polyps on his vocal cords, and had to undergo surgery just weeks after the performance |
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What You'll Learn
Elton John's first performance in Australia
The tour was the culmination of months of planning and preparation, as well as remarkable stamina from the singer. John's performance in Perth set the tone for the rest of the tour, with the Go-Set review stating, "By the end of the performance, the crowd had risen to its feet screaming for more. Never before has there been such an ardent response in Perth." Crowd sizes grew as the tour progressed, with reports of 10,000 or more people at some of the shows.
The final concert took place at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, where Elton played a white grand piano. The Sydney crowd, like the others before them, was rapturous, pounding on the stage, dancing in the aisles, and hanging off the speaker towers. Elton responded by taking off his shoes and throwing them into the crowd during the encore.
Elton John has since returned to Australia numerous times, performing over 200 concerts across 18 tours. He has described Australia as one of his favourite countries, stating that some of his most memorable concerts have taken place there. In addition to his performances, Australia has been central to many meaningful moments in his life. He was in Australia when his friend John Lennon died and held a memorial at St. Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne. He also married his first wife, Renate Blauel, in Sydney in 1984.
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His performances in Australia over the years
Elton John has a well-documented love for Australia and New Zealand, and he has performed in the region many times over the years. In 1986, he embarked on his Tour De Force tour of Australia and New Zealand, which included a series of concerts in Australia throughout the last two months of the year. The final concert of this tour, which took place at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on 14 December 1986, was particularly memorable. Accompanied by the 88-piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, this concert was later released as the live album 'Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra' in 1987. The album was certified gold in the US in January 1988 and platinum in October 1995. A home video release of the concert was also made available on VHS and laserdisc.
The 1986 concert in Sydney was especially significant as it occurred just weeks before Elton John underwent surgery to remove polyps from his vocal cords. At the time of the performance, John was suffering from vocal difficulties and did not know if he would ever be able to sing again. Despite this, he delivered a legendary set with passion and commitment. This concert also marked the last time John would perform in his legendary stage costumes, which he had featured in his shows since the early 1970s.
Fast forward to 2019, and Elton John's love for Australia and New Zealand was once again on full display during his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. With a staggering 34 Australian and six New Zealand dates announced, fans in the region were treated to some of the most joyful and celebratory concerts of his career. The concerts featured flashy staging, his cheeky personality, and even a diamond-encrusted Yamaha piano. The performances garnered rave reviews, with the Sunday Herald Sun describing the concert as a "once-in-a-generation farewell".
Elton John returned to Australia and New Zealand in January 2023 for the final leg of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, adding five special 'encore' performances to his already sold-out Australian run. He performed in Newcastle, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Christchurch, bidding a fond farewell to a nation he first visited five decades ago.
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His final performances in Australia
Elton John's final performances in Australia were part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which began in September 2018. The tour included 34 dates in Australia and six in New Zealand. The final performances in Australia took place in 2023, with the last show in Brisbane on 21 January.
The tour was extended, and a performance at the opening of Townsville's North Queensland Stadium on 29 February 2020 was added to the Australian leg of the tour. Tickets for the final performances were in high demand, with fans eager to see the legendary musician before his retirement.
Elton John's love for Australia and New Zealand was evident throughout the tour, and he received an overwhelmingly positive response from his fans in both countries. The shows were described as "joyful and celebratory", with Elton John delivering hit-laden sets that garnered rave reviews.
At his final Australian show in Brisbane, Elton John gave a heartfelt message to the crowd, thanking them for their support throughout the years. He described Australia as "the most incredible country" and expressed his love for performing live. He also shared his plans to spend more time with his family and continue making records after the tour.
The Brisbane show was an emotional and memorable night for fans, who took to social media to express their gratitude and honour of attending the legendary musician's final performance in Australia.
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His thoughts on performing in Australia
Elton John's 1986 tour of Australia culminated in a legendary performance in Sydney with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. The show, which took place on 14 December 1986, was made even more remarkable by the fact that John was suffering from vocal difficulties due to polyps on his vocal cords. He underwent surgery to remove the polyps just weeks after the tour concluded.
During the tour, John experienced pain and struggled with his vocals. He had already received a consultation, where a doctor warned him that without a biopsy, they couldn't rule out throat cancer. This took a toll on John mentally, yet he chose to continue with the tour. In his autobiography, John confirmed that the prospect of losing his ability to sing or even talk was one of the reasons he didn't cancel.
Despite these challenges, John delivered a powerful performance, showcasing his incredible talent as a pianist and vocalist. His commitment and passion shone through, and his fragile state only added to the emotion and power of the music. The performance has been described as one of the most significant concerts of his career, with John's determination and professionalism lauded.
The set list included some of his greatest hits, such as "Rocket Man" and "Benny and the Jets," as well as lesser-known songs that took on new life with the orchestra. The combination of his classic songs and the orchestral arrangements created a unique and memorable experience for fans.
Overall, Elton John's performance in Australia, particularly the final night in Sydney, holds a special place in his career. It demonstrated his resilience, passion, and exceptional talent, leaving a lasting impact on both the artist and his devoted fans.
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His live album, 'Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra'
Elton John's live album, *Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra*, was recorded on 14 December 1986, at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. It was the last of a series of concerts performed during the final two months of 1986 as part of John's Tour De Force tour of Australia and New Zealand. The album was released in 1987 and was John's 28th official album release.
The concerts consisted of two sets. The first featured John and his 14-piece Elton John Band, including backing vocalists and the Onward International horn section. For this set, John wore flamboyant stage dress, including Mohawk and Tina Turner wigs and outlandish eyewear. The second set featured John, the band, and the 88-piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, with John dressed as Mozart.
James Newton Howard, who had previously played keyboards in John's band during the 1975-1976 Rock of the Westies Tour and Louder Than Concorde Tour, conducted the orchestra and wrote new arrangements for the larger group of musicians. Howard also wrote entirely new full orchestra parts for songs such as "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", which previously only had a horn arrangement.
The album features most of the songs recorded in the second half of the show, excluding "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", "Carla/Etude", "Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year)", and "Slow Rivers", which was sung by John alone.
The home video release of the concert received mixed reviews, with some customers praising the audio quality and John's vocal performance, while others found the video quality lacking. The video documents a legendary night in John's career, as he had suffered pain and vocal difficulties due to polyps on his vocal cords throughout the tour, and he did not know if he would be able to sing again after his surgery to remove them, which took place just weeks after the tour ended.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Elton John has a special relationship with Australia and has stated that it is one of his favourite countries. Australia has housed a huge Elton John fanbase for decades, and outside of the UK and the US, he has performed there more than in any other country.
Elton John has had many meaningful moments in Australia, and it is central to many of them. He has enjoyed a great many special personal moments in the country, and some of his most memorable concerts have taken place there.
Elton John has toured Australia 18 times, performing over 200 concerts. His first tour of Australia was in 1971, and his most recent tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, concluded in July 2023.
Elton John's performances in Australia have been characterised by his energetic stage presence, including handstands on the keyboard, dance steps, and leaping and jumping. He has also been known to wear flamboyant costumes during his performances, including wigs and outlandish eyewear.
