No one fulfils the role of star quite like Elton John. He is a man of the people yet ultimately unreachable, slightly ridiculous and dependably capable of delivering quality entertainment (that's quality in the sense of "quality furnishing", of course). Now deliciously matronly, he takes the stage dressed all in black save, curiously, for a solitary wing embroidered on the back of his jacket.
The evening begins with - what else? - an overture complete with light show, kettle drums and castanets. A couple of the other musicians look as though they may once have played with the Muppet Band. Yes, it is slightly ridiculous, but you can't say it isn't enormous fun.
Tonight subtlety is in perilously short supply. John follows the Van Morrison school of singing, which means a lot of breathless blether and few discernible consonants. Drum rolls have survived unchanged from an ancient time when they could flatten cities. Rocket Man, a heartwrenchingly lovely song about addiction, is accompanied by swirly Dr Who-style projections of space travel; after leaving a vapour trail of delicate piano peals, it descends into a crashing bar-band workout. What is even more frustrating is that it is followed by I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues, surely a more appropriate vehicle for such vamping.
It is hard, however, not to be carried along by the relentless spectacle. The opening staccato piano chords of Bennie and the Jets, delivered tonight like smart bombs, are thrilling. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word earns its place as a modern standard, the "it's hard, so hard" bridge raising goosebumps. A run of The Bitch Is Back, I'm Still Standing, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting and Crocodile Rock may indicate how closely related these four songs are, but is a riot nonetheless. And as he introduces The Ballad of the Boy in the Red Shoes, John launches a swingeing attack on Ronald Reagan's failure to tackle the onset of the Aids epidemic. It's a much-needed reminder that the gloss of AOR frequently masks the sting of unhealed wounds.
· At NEC, Birmingham, tonight. Box office: 0870 730 0196. Then touring.
