Fan report and photos by Peter Bucek (Bratislava, Slovakia).

It's not the support act that I would like to write about in this report, because I am sure I was not the only one who was really bored by her. Her name will stay secret ... just to be sure.

Nice old city Lucca, the city with the best saved authentic city barriers, the city of big Italian location Tuscany, welcomed Elton and his band with open arms and open throats. What a wonderful mood not just on the stage, but primarily in the audience. Elton's band added with backing vocal singers (black ladies) and two youg men from Croatia already known as duo 2Chello did great job again.

This was Elton's third concert during three days and I was execting something like a tired voice for the first songs, but his voice sounded very clear from his very first notes in "Love Lies Bleeding". The set list was probably the same as on may other shows during this European tour, but finaly I heard "Hey Ahab" and "Monkey Suit" live. The third song from last album, "Gone To Shiloh", I saw him to perform last year on concert with Ray Cooper. One could never say these three songs has been written and released in 2010. What an energy in those songs!

Elton had to be surprised with Lucca´s audience. Lot of young people were like crazy to sing all lyrics with the band with specific gestures. I saw many transparents with messages to Elton. One of those was "TONIGHT IT'S MY 18th BIRTHDAY", about 10 meters straight in front of Elton. When Elton was introducing the band, before the name Bob Birch he told that tonight is anybody in audience who has 19th birthday? Then he played a short music clip "Happy Birthday To You" on his piano. It was very polite, no matter if it was 18 or 19 years old girl. Elton also told that tonight is also another person who has birthday and it was Bob Birch (55).

Long awaited stage rush came ... I forgot. It was such a huge hysteria that I don´t remember that song during which people in first 10 rows started to run to the stage. From that position I made such bautiful pictures like from good magazine. I used my camera with big focus with no problem, because security were forgiving; of course I did not use the flash.

Concert was outdoor, so we waved with LP covers unnecessarily. No matter, because to know that the old man and fresh father in one person is still full of energy, full of great musical ideas, always with new materials and still with taste to play live. The fact that he is singing better then ever is banal, but right. My happiness ended with my wife Zuzka, who bought me the t-shirt right after the show. Well, the first I bought before the show, so I got two different and need nothing more for this day. What a feeling again.

Thank you guys, keep on rockin´, we will enjoy it forever. We do the best as your fans because you all do the best as "our" musicians.

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