Video: Elton John reveals he’ll retire soon, orders guards away from his enthralled Leipzig audience

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I didn’t think I’d get such a rush of adrenaline going to the Elton John concert, part of his 2015 World Tour, at Leipziger Messe this Sunday. He probably didn’t think so, either – the audience started out kinda quiet, and very well-behaved (I even tweeted about that, thinking I might be mildly delighted at best sitting relatively far from the stage), and he said he wasn’t used to playing in the afternoon. But then, suddenly, people started moving to the front, near the stage. When they tried to get nearer, right up against the stage, the venue’s security guards brusquely tried to stop them. Sir Elton John got very angry and yelled and cursed at the guards, ordering them to go away and let people enjoy the music freely. The audience went wild. I went wild too, and rushed with the rest to stand, for the rest of the concert, only a few feet away from the legendary musician. Later he expressed his appreciation for his German audience (present and past), and announced he won’t be performing for much longer because he wants to see his kids grow up. I was amazed at how much he connected with the public, making eye contact with individual people, cheering with us, touching people’s hands, signing a bunch of autographs. I felt like he was really singing just for us, in an intimate way, although the venue was quite crowded. His percussionist even gave away his sticks as they left the stage at the end. The best €100 I’ve spent in a long time, for sure!

Below is a 10-minute video with some of the highlights I managed to capture from my privileged spot right up against the stage at the Elton John concert in Leipzig. It includes, close to the beginning of the video, the snafu with the security guards and his “soon-to-be-retired” announcement, interspersed with and followed by parts of a few of his most famous songs… and a whole bunch of applause and excitement.

Were you there as well? Feel free to share your thoughts!

A Global Studies doctoral degree holder and former newspaper reporter, avid eater, pseudo-philosopher and poet, occasion-propelled singer, semi-professional socializer, movie addict, Brazilian-American nomad. In this space, she will share some of her experiences and (mis)adventures regarding various topics, with special attention to social issues.

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