Fan report and photos by Anna Montras.

On October 20, 2009 the long wait was finally over and Elton was back in my hometown: Barcelona. The last time he played here his only companion on stage was his black piano, six years later he was back to rock Barcelona with the spectacular Red Piano show. After seeing this show a few times, and after the wonderful shows with Ray Cooper, I was afraid I would be disappointed by yet another Red Piano show. However, if Captain Fantastic is coming to your town, you know it’s gonna be a special one, and so it was!

Two days after the show I still have the biggest smile on my face, the show felt kind of different from other Red Piano shows. To begin with, everyone on the floor area of the arena was standing, creating the perfect party atmosphere that such a fun show deserves. It was clear from the minute Elton took the stage that we were in for a great evening, and as soon as he finished "Bennie and the Jets", before he had even said hello, the 18,000-strong crowd was chorusing his name in unison, setting the mood for the whole evening, to which he reacted with a “yeah”, knowing that he already had the audience in his pocket!

The set list was no surprise, of course, but I thought some of the songs sounded really good, I love how he's singing "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word" lately, for instance, and the solo in "Bennie" was just great. He’s also been playing some little fresh piano parts in songs like "Pinball Wizard" or "Saturday Night’s Alright".

Some weeks ago, my friends and I tried to think of a gift for Elton that we could hand to him at the show. Knowing his passion for football, the choice was obvious, so we bought him a FC Barcelona T-shirt with his name on it, and handed it to him (actually we had to throw it to the stage) after "Rocket Man". Elton picked it from the floor, held it up and showed both sides to the audience, and then walked across the stage waving it, after which he received another great ovation from the crowd. After that, he even dedicated the next song, "I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues", to Barcelona player Lionel Messi.

All in all, an amazing evening, I must say I had the time of my life singing along and dancing the whole evening, it was an extra special one: Elton in my hometown and a chance to reunite with some wonderful friends that I don’t see enough.

A big thank you to Elton and the boys in the band for an amazing evening!

Following is the complete set list of the Red Piano show in Barcelona on October 20, 2009:

• Bennie And The Jets
  
• Philadelphia Freedom
  
• Believe
  
• Daniel
  
• Rocket Man
  
• I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
  
• Someone Saved My Life Tonight
  
• Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
  
• Nikita (solo)
  
• Tiny Dancer
  
• Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
  
• Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
  
• Candle In The Wind (solo)
  
• Pinball Wizard
  
• The Bitch Is Back
  
• I'm Still Standing
  
• Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
  
  
• Your Song

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