Elton John has dedicated his Sydney concert to Australian EMI music executive Ken East who died on the weekend.

Before opening the sold-out show at Sydney's Acer Arena on November 28, 2007, Elton said the night was a special one because it was the first time he had played in Sydney alone. But he said it was also special because of the recent death of a good friend.

"Tonight is also very special because I want to dedicate the whole show to a friend of mine who passed away on Sunday: Ken East," Elton said. "Ken was probably without a doubt one of the greatest record men I have ever met. He was a great man. He was also a great Australian, which is more important."

Elton said that while East spent much of his time overseas, he always called Australia home. "His great love was to come back here by the bay and look out over the ocean," he said. "That's where he died, looking out over his beloved Sydney Harbour. I was so pleased to be able to be here to say goodbye to him."

Sir Elton dedicated the concert to East and his wife Dolly. "I hope he gives me the inspiration to play well for all you who I love so much," he said. He then launched into "Your Song".

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David Furnish has pledged his support to a new bill aiming to make homophobic jokes illegal in the U.K.

The Canadian film producer agrees with the new legislation, which will potentially result in seven-year prison sentences for those found guilty of promoting hatred against homosexuals.

He says, "I think any sort of hatred is unacceptable so yes, I support it. That said, I think this country is unbelievably tolerant and I feel privileged to live here and to be married to a Brit - as well as thankful that I can be married to a Brit."

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Elton loves surprises. For his solo concert in south-east Queensland on November 25, 2007 he walked on stage 15 minutes early and launched into "Your Song" while most people were still parking their cars.

The whispers had been circulating all week but it was only fitting that Sir Elton be the surprise guest at the glamorous cocktail soiree for another mock-royal, David Beckham. Elton and David are good friends with the superstar footballer and his fashion plate wife, Victoria Beckham. Since the Beckhams moved to Los Angeles, Elton and Furnish have been to visit and have also hosted the Beckhams at their London home.

Sydney's A-list may have been starstruck but it took Elton John to break the ice at the Foxtel is Football party, greeting guest of honour David Beckham with a cheeky quote, "Allo Golden Balls". David and Elton kicked off the fun at Cafe Sydney, where the A-list went ga-ga over the LA Galaxy superstar.

While the rest of the team were happy to take in the view, local eyes were fixed on the bronzed Beckham. Ian Thorpe, Antonia Kidman, Collette Dinnigan with Richard Wilkins and Sydney FC co-owner Anthony La Paglia who used his star power to pull together last night's glamour grudge match against Galaxy, added to the stellar night.

Beckham proved the greatest guest of honour, happily posing for happy snaps with guests, including NRL star Matt Cooper, party princess Kate Waterhouse and radio babe Bianca Dye.

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Following is the complete set list of the Canungra, Australia show on November 25, 2007. Photos by Darren George.

• Your Song
  
• Sixty Years On
  
• The Greatest Discovery
  
• I Need You To Turn To
  
• Border Song
  
• The Boy in the Red Shoes
  
• Daniel
  
• Honky Cat
  
• Rocket Man
  
• Tiny Dancer
  
• Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
  
• Nikita
  
• Philadelphia Freedom
  
• Sacrifice
  
• Ticking
  
• Roy Rogers
  
• Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
  
• Candle in the Wind
  
• I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues
  
• Electricity
  
• Carla/Etude
  
• Tonight
  
• Take Me to the Pilot
  
• Blue Eyes
  
• Levon
  
• Bennie and the Jets
  
• Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
  
  
• I'm Still Standing
  
• Circle of Life

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Capital C: Concerts has added a number of elements to the concert on December 6, 2007 that will make the event a momentus one. Special lighting effects alone will compliment the ‘Festival Of Lights’ that will be on early this year.

Promoter Phil Sprey at Capital C: Concerts said, “We never just put an artist on a bare stage, we look at making each of our concerts a complete experience. We could have gone to other cities with bigger audience capacities than the TSB Bowl of Brooklands but believed from the outset that his solo tour would ‘feel’ better in the surrounding that New Plymouths number one venue has.”

With the maximum capacity of approx 15,000 only a handful of tickets remain in the last 2 weeks prior to the show. As Sprey added, “when you have a great artist appearing in a provincial city the one factor that always comes to bear is accommodation, which in New Plymouths case is a bursting point. Venture Taranaki the regional tourism authority has however found a number of spaces still exist is short distance from New Plymouth and these are now being ‘discovered’ by those out of town visitors coming to the concert.

Sir Elton John will arrive in New Zealand on December 6,2007 direct from a concert in Townsville Australia and may drive north into New Plymouth from Wellington and enjoy a bit of scenery before the performance.

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Elton John did his bit for the local economy on November 23, 2007, stocking up on Aussie music and shocking staff at the Virgin Megastore in Sydney's Martin Place when he dropped by for a CD binge.

With two bodyguards and an assistant in tow, Elton hit the store - and hard, with the music star filling the arms of his attending entourage with new releases.

Heading for the Christmas stockings of his friends were a few festive finds. He asked for and snapped up Olivia Newton-John's new seasonal CD. A Confidential source said a staff member then told him about Kylie Minogue's new album, which had just arrived, and "his eyes lit up as he said: 'I'll take five copies'."

One shelf elf said: "Elton was pleasant and gracious to all, including some fans who recognised him."

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Following is the complete set list of the Tokyo show on November 20, 2007.

• Your Song
  
• Sixty Years On
  
• The Greatest Discovery
  
• I Need You To Turn To
  
• Border Song
  
• The Boy in the Red Shoes
  
• Daniel
  
• Honky Cat
  
• Rocket Man
  
• Tiny Dancer
  
• Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
  
• Nikita
  
• Philadelphia Freedom
  
• Sacrifice
  
• Ticking
  
• Roy Rogers
  
• Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
  
• Candle in the Wind
  
• I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues
  
• Electricity
  
• Carla/Etude
  
• Tonight
  
• Take Me to the Pilot
  
• Blue Eyes
  
• Levon
  
• Bennie and the Jets
  
• Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
  
  
• I'm Still Standing
  
• Circle of Life

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Elton John and David Furnish kicked off the winter party season with a glitzy charity cocktail party in London's Covent Garden Piazza on November 14, 2007 - and their friends pitched in to make it a glamorous affair.

Fashion designers Christopher Bailey and Patrick Cox, artists Sam Taylor-Wood and Dinos Chapman, and actress Liz Hurley designed five fantasy cocktail bars which were auctioned off to guests. David Furnish also created his own piece - a Las Vegas-themed aquabar, with two male pole dancers and a mermaid model in a tank.

Party-goers included Kelly Osbourne, Camilla Fayed and David Walliams, fresh from the BBC2 screening of Stephen Poliakoff's drama Capturing Mary, in which Walliams's straight acting received mixed reviews. 'Don't give up the day job' (in Little Britain), said one critic, while another praised his portrayal of 'casual wickedness'.

All proceeds from the event, sponsored by Grey Goose, go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

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Brian Paddick, the controversial former top cop chosen by the Liberal Democrats as their candidate for London Mayor, is being backed by Elton John, Sky News reports exclusively.

Paddick, Britain's first openly gay senior policeman, operated a softly-softly policy on cannabis when he was Metropolitan Police commander in Brixton, south London, a strategy condemned by many MPs. Now he is challenging London Mayor Ken Livingstone and Conservative rival Boris Johnson in a contest next May that has already been dubbed a race between three mavericks.

Revealing his celebrity backing from Elton, Paddick told Sky News: "Before I got the nomination, I got a text from David Furnish saying 'We'll support you'." He says there has been no pledge of financial support so far. But I'm sure big-spending Elton can afford to donate a few bob to a political campaign.

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Sir Alan Sugar is selling the Bentley he bought from Sir Elton John. The silver motor is expected to fetch £100,000 at Bonhams in December 2007.

Elton bought the 1956 S1 Continental Sports Saloon in 1976, the same year "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" shot to Number One in the UK singles chart. He had power steering, a new stereo system, and air conditioning installed.

Sir Alan, 60, who is seen driving a black Bentley complete with customised number plate on BBC1 show "The Apprentice", has done only 1,000 miles in the vintage car. He bought the Bentley at the Sir Elton John Collection sale in 2001.

Former owner Sir Elton has described the Bentley as the "most beautiful-looking car that's ever been designed". The sale will feature around 80 cars, including the world's oldest Rolls-Royce, which is expected to break auction records by fetching up to £2 million. The two-seater was built in 1904, the year Rolls-Royce was founded.

Bonhams' annual Olympia Motoring Sale takes place at Olympia, London, on December 3, 2007.

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