Elton John was great but so was percussionist Ray Cooper, says Wyn Drabble.
Elton John was great but so was percussionist Ray Cooper, says Wyn Drabble.
These reasons are based on keen observation at Sir Elton's Mission concert on Waitangi Day. Only the last one is mine.
1. To see how sunburnt you can get. The fine sunny day really assisted with this but if you took things seriously you could arrive early and spend allday soaking up the rays without wearing any protection.
2. To meet up with some old friends you haven't seen for a while. Of course there will be a lot of catching up to do so that the legendary performer on the stage becomes just background interference.
3. To see how much liquor you can imbibe. There were clearly people who had consumed what can only accurately be described as "a lot" and were at the falling-about-the-place stage. Not that this was easy to achieve. There were quantity limits in place so having "a lot" could involve many trips to the drinks tent but you don't achieve anything without some hard work.
4. To stand in queues. There's the major one to get in first then there are the much longer single file ones for food and drink ("Who's got ticket number 92 for dumplings?") or for the women's toilets (men had the convenience of the mass trough urinal).
5. To get rid of old unwanted furniture. Of course, you have to carry it in at the start and that can be more hard work but home comfort is assured when you have armchairs and the like. At the end of the show, you simply get up and walk away from the furniture because someone else will clear it up. Sure beats pesky dumping costs.
There are 10 reasons why you should go and see Elton John, reckons Wyn Drabble.
6. To take lots of selfies. This can mean you have your back to the stage a lot but I suppose it's worth missing much of the show to gather evidence that you were there.
7. To talk a lot. This has to be done very loudly so that key phrases can be discerned over the volume of the music. It does mean that people standing near you will learn more about the break-up of Brian and Raewynne (not their real names) than they wanted to know – especially during Candle in the Wind – but, hey, you've got to catch up, don't you.
8. To test your mountaineering skills on the hill which is not an easy ascent or descent especially in the dark while carrying food hampers, drinks, chairs, rugs, glow sticks and the like.
9. To find new ways of smuggling liquor into an event, though, for some, weed was clearly an easier option because they don't search in bottles for that.
10. To celebrate and enjoy the outstanding body of work being offered by a legendary performer on his farewell tour aided by a band of consummate musicians. Space only permits me to deal with one of the band here so I choose percussionist Ray Cooper.
I have admired his work for decades (mostly his work with Elton John but also with Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Mark Knopfler ...).
It seems he is always positioned right up the back at the highest altitude of all and he doesn't just play myriad percussive instruments, he performs with them and coaxes theatre from them.
Our six o'clock arrival meant no queues at the main gate, only very short ones for a drink and limited attack by the merciless sun. We stood and watched and listened for the duration of the show and, apart from the odd interruption such as the one involving Brian and Raewynne, we focused on the class entertainment in front of us.
