Fan report by Anne Schroeder.

As a German who just moved to London I was curious to see what the English crowd would be like at an Elton John concert. I had bought a ticket for the ‘cheapest’ seats fairly shortly before the event and it turned out to be at the very back on the upper tiers of The Valley, the stadium of Charlton Athletic FC, the worst seat I have ever had. It taught me that trying to save money when buying Elton John tickets is not the best thing to do.

Half an hour after supporting act The Storys had finished their show I saw the band walking towards the stage and two silver cars stopping behind it. Elton and the band were greeted with a warm yet mild applause because many people were still trying to find their seats.

Throughout the performance Elton seemed to be in a very good mood, getting up after almost every song, pointing at people and walking the stage now and then.

There were no changes to the set list in Oberhausen. After "Philadelphia Freedom" Elton thanked the audience and the people from Charlton Athletic FC for a warm welcome and he explained that as a kid he used to go to the stadium with his family and watch the games. With Watford now playing in Premier League he wished Charlton well for the coming season ‘whatever happens’.

Again, Elton’s voice was clear and energetic. The long version of "Rocket Man" was a highlight during the first part of the show, I just wish Elton would do something like that to more of his often played songs.

The real downside of the cheaper seats was that when it came to "Are You Ready for Love" and people would run to the stage I could not access the ground so the only thing I could do was watch about 17,000 people party. And party they did.

After the concert I got out quickly and came by a silver car with shaded windows in the back, looking strangely familiar to the one I had seen arriving behind the stage so shortly before Elton had entered the stage. The driver asked a security guy for directions which gave me time to walk around the car and because I could not really see inside I just gave the inside a knowing look and a grin.

Following is the complete set list of the London show on June 4, 2006:

• Bennie And The Jets
  
• Philadelphia Freedom
  
• Believe
  
• Daniel
  
• Rocket Man
  
• I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
  
• Turn The Lights Out When You Leave
  
• They Call Her The Cat
  
• The One
  
• Take Me To The Pilot
  
• Funeral For A Friend
  
• Love Lies Bleeding
  
• Tiny Dancer
  
• I Want Love
  
• Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
  
• Sacrifice
  
• Are You Ready For Love
  
• Sad Songs (Say So Much)
  
• I'm Still Standing
  
• The Bitch Is Back
  
• Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
  
  
• Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
  
• Your Song

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