Fan report by viking_fan@fsmail.net.

Well, he was just in one of those moods. And when Elton's in one of those moods you can see it straight away and you know it's gonna be a memorable event. From the opening notes of "Funeral For A Friend", Elton was gonna rock tonight, come hell or high water. And my oh my, did he rock?!!!!

It was one of those gigs when you could feel the chemistry between the band members, and the mutual affection between peformer and audience. In Elton's own words....."This is the best venue in the UK, but only by a hundred milllion miles!!".

The guys couldn't contain their smiles tonight, and in the boyancy of the occassion they even got up to some rather amusing jiggery-pokery (for example, Elton's cue to the band to start "Crocodile Rock" by doing the "lollipop" pop of the cheek with the finger, and Davey's interference with a camaraman's sensitive area with the end of his guitar!!).

He gave us an incredible 26 songs tonight, with "Sacrifice" and "I'm Still Standing" returning to the set. Every song was recieved with gratitude and adoration from the spell-bound crowd, and why wouldn't they be? "Rocket Man", a song which has experienced many incarnations over the last four or five years, was mesmerising. "All The Girls Love Alice" burst itself into your soul, such was the conviction with which it was performed. "Ballad Of The Boy In The Red Shoes" was divine, and the solo versions of "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" and "Sacrifice" never fail to deliver.

Elton proved he still holds his unique ability to make a song sound even better live than on disc with faultless renditions of "Come Down In Time" and "Philadelphia Freedom", whilst a surprise highlight was "Are You Ready For Love" (a song I've never been keen on, but which was simply brilliant live tonight). The 30 minute out and out hard rocking section towards the end hit you like an Alex Ferguson half-time team talk.

To top it all, I got my "Captain Fantastic" vinyl signed by Elton, met David Mills in the bar (plays prop forward for my home-town Rugby League team Widnes Vikings) and tonight I've secured Rocket fan club tickets for July 3rd orchestra gig! It's a better day than a bloody birthday!!

The blues of it all, the funk of it all, the rock and roll of it all. This was a roller-coaster event, a two and half hour musical journey, and I wouldn't miss and Elton gig for a million quid. What a rush!!

Following is the complete set list of the Manchester show on December 7, 2003:

• Funeral For A Friend
  
• Love Lies Bleeding
  
• Bennie And The Jets
  
• Daniel
  
• Someone Saved My Life Tonight
  
• Ballad Of The Boy In The Red Shoes
  
• Philadelphia Freedom
  
• The Wasteland
  
• Rocket Man
  
• I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
  
• I Want Love
  
• This Train Don't Stop There Anymore
  
• Take Me To The Pilot
  
• Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
  
• Sacrifice
  
• Come Down In Time
  
• Candle In The Wind
  
• Are You Ready For Love
  
• Harmony
  
• All The Young Girls Love Alice
  
• The Bitch Is Back
  
• I'm Still Standing
  
• Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
  
• Crocodile Rock
  
  
• Pinball Wizard
  
• Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
  
  
• Your Song

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