Live: Rocket Men Performing the Hits of Elton John (12 May 2022)

It never ceases to amaze me. The discography of Sir Elton John born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 27 March 1947 is one of the most expansive and impressive I’ve come across. I’m just going to fire off his albums here, if you don’t mind, since I think it bears repeating: Empty Sky (1969), Elton John and Tumbleweed Connection (1970), Madman Across the Water (1971), Honky Château (1972), Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973), Caribou (1974), Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy followed by Rock of the Westies (1975), Blue Moves (1976), A Single Man (1978), Victim of Love (1979), 21 at 33 (1980), The Fox (1981), Jump Up! (1982), Too Low for Zero (1983), Breaking Hearts (1984), Ice on Fire (1985), Leather Jackets (1986), Reg Strikes Back (1988), Sleeping with the Past (1989), The One (1992), Made in England (1995), The Big Picture (1997), Songs from the West Coast (2001), Peachtree Road (2004), The Captain & the Kid, a sequel to Captain Fantastic (2006), The Diving Board (2013), Wonderful Crazy Night (2016) and Regimental Sgt. Zippo (2021, recorded between 1967 and 1968). Altogether, how many singles?

Elton has become a force in musical theatre and cinema, with soundtrack work for movies such as Friends (1971), The Lion King (1994), The Road to El Dorado (2000), Gnomeo and Juliet (2011) and his recent biopic Rocketman (2019). In 1997 Lion King was transformed into one of the longest running stage musicals of all time, followed by Elton and Tim Rice’s second theatrical collaboration Aida (2002), the musical version of Billy Elliot (2005) and an upcoming stage musical based on The Devil Wears Prada.

There is more still and I could go on, but I'd better not. Since this is a review about an Elton John Tribute Act named ROCKET MEN which I had the pleasure of witnessing last Thursday night at Geelong's Piano Bar.

It had been a while since I'd seen the old town, and as soon as I arrived at the entrance to the venue, I couldn't help noticing the ambience of the place, the tranquil feeling of the colour blue, and then the band members all dressed in costumes preparing before the show. Band members consisted of Rohan Windle on Piano and Vocals (a smoking piano too, no doubt, almost like Elton could score a musical of "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"), Matt Eastwood on Bass, Adam Parsons on Guitar and Jake Schutz playing Drums, and all of the Members providing Vocals at various points throughout. I also have to mention Guest Singer Erica on "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" who also made me feel like a Special Guest ushering me toward my seat.

The show took place in two parts, almost like the acts of one of Elton's musicals.

We began with solid and humorous narration from Rohan Windle, interrupted here and there by enthusiastic noises from yours truly whenever "Lion King" or Tim Rice or Bernie Taupin got a mention.

The first half commenced with one of the earliest Elton songs I can remember: "Crocodile Rock" from 1973's "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player" and actually what a perfect way to start it off. Doing that song seemed to immediately grab the crowd, myself and I, but apparently there was some kind of technological problem backstage which I failed to notice and therefore probably should have failed to mention.

Firstly, let me just say Rohan's vocal performance is so convincing that when I closed my eyes for a moment there, I almost thought I had front row seats to an Elton concert. Imagine that, sitting across from Elton. Well, folks, this may be the closest that I get.

Next up was "I Guess that's why they call it the Blues" from 1983's "Too Low for Zero". What also struck me about this was the guitar solo from Adam Parsons who I was just comparing to Bert at the start of "Mary Poppins" with his one man band. Adam is almost like Mary Poppins herself with that magical carpet bag, touching an effect on his pedal board and generating sounds from an acoustic guitar that I could not have imagined happening when Elton was starting out. Please don't let that take away from the bassist or the drummer, not to mention the Elton vocalist at the smoking piano. More on that later!

What followed were the band's versions of "Levon" from 1974's "Madman Across the Water", Rohan once again providing lead vocals to a solid band accompaniment, the 1980s evergreen "I'm Still Standing" with drummer Jake shifting into the role of lead vocalist, backed up by the Eltons as they referred to themselves throughout, a stunning take on "I Want Love" from 2001's "Songs from the West Coast" with Matt on vocals, and then...

Well, I'm glad I wasn't the only overly excited audience member, as I couldn't stifle my noises at the moment "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" was announced.

This song was the childhood of so many kids in the 90s. This song for many of us was that imperative introduction to Elton's music that’s stuck with us ever since. "The Lion King" is one of the most successful animated movies of all time, and in turn one of the most celebrated blockbuster musicals of the twentieth century, and that single Elton recorded with the video clip featuring moments from the 1994 Disney classic *is* such a part of the 90s for me. I'm thrilled they performed it, but I don't see why they wouldn’t have.

Next up, bassist Matt Eastwood came to the forefront with this version of "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" from 1997's "The Big Picture", but more familiar to me as the other song on the "Candle in the Wind 1997" single released when we lost the Princess of Wales. There are certain emotions and memories that come into play here, when either of these songs should come up, but I do think they did it justice. And from what I could tell, the audience did too.

Next Erica came onto the stage and sang the Kiki Dee part on "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and out of all the pictures I snapped of the band, this was one of the moments I forgot to reach for my phone. I'm guessing this is probably because I was engrossed not only in the novelty of another performer coming onto the stage, but a successful version of one of Elton's enduring radio classics.

Our narrator Rohan talked for a while about the comforting power of music, and for sure I've gotten that reward many times from listening to Elton's music and others, and this indeed made a nice segue into "Sad Songs", another radio classic. Once again we have Rohan playing and more solid backing from the band.

Next, one man guitarist standing on the precipice of a magical chalk painting (really, we're going to keep doing this Mary Poppins bit?) Adam Parsons gave voice to 1973 classic "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". This is one of my personal favourite Elton songs and this version managed to do it justice. Have I even mentioned the guitar solo that came out of those chalk painting pedals?

The first set of the evening came to an end with "The Bitch Is Back" from 1974's "Caribou" and even just the title is terrific. The audience bubbled over with appreciation and throughout the interval made their way to the playing area to get pictures with the band. That's the first time I've seen that happen at a gig like this, one of a few novel little moments on offer, and I'll get to that in the second part.

Part two kicks off with "Tiny Dancer", taken once again from the classic "Madman" album, and we've got Rowan leading the band again. The Rocket Men are strong and the audience is giving them a strong reaction. Nobody is sitting on their hands, thank Hercules.

Up next is "Honky Cat" from 1972's "Honky Château" and this is the moment the smoking piano effect comes into play here. I tried taking a few pictures and one of them was just spectacular. Look, I plead ignorance about nearly anything to do with Elton live in concert, but Elton's musicals were being written at a time where productions had a reputation for spectacular set pieces like the floating tire in "Cats", the barricades in "Les Mis", the chandelier in "Phantom" and the hovering helicopter in "Miss Saigon", and this smoking piano onstage just happens to feel right at home in the world of Elton musicals, and bring on more smoking piano as long as these gigs are being done. By the way, all of the musicians are doing a solid job here. The smoking piano isn't the only star. Oh no.

Next we have "Border Song" from Elton's eponymous second only album, this time with drummer Jake performing vocals. Around this point, by the way, those novel moments I mentioned earlier are really coming into effect here, because suddenly all of the band members are beginning to move between the audience and the stage. This is interactive rock theatre. I don't think I've ever seen this happen at a gig. The smoking piano was impressive enough, not to mention Rowan’s twinkling jacket and the colourful array of costumes worn by the band.

Before we get to the next song, Rohan tells us a little story about how the bassist Matt introduced him to Elton’s music with "Your Song", which Matt will play for us on the piano. It's a nice moment for me, given it brought back memories of the guitarist introducing me to Pink Floyd. For all of these reasons, this was a classic moment in the evening. Was this improvised? Who cares? It was great.

Next we have "Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting" from the magnificent double album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Everyone's on fire here, but thankfully not the piano or we would have all been evacuated. Audience members are joining in too, dancing right in front of us. And there goes the guitar solo. By the way, I'm trying not to think of this music playing at the Q Awards when Elton left the stage after blasting Madonna for lip-syncing.

Suddenly the band erupts like an electrical display of lights at Luna Park with this smashing rendition of "Pinball Wizard" which Elton performed in the 1975 Ken Russell version of "Tommy". Damn, this was electrifying.

We are getting toward the end of the evening now, with Rohan leading the way again with "Take me to the Pilot" taken from that eponymous second album. Everything seems solid here. Everything seems strong.

Following is "Daniel", from "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player" and this is one of those transcendent moments of the evening, as the song appears to have been dedicated to one of the bassist's family members. Wasn't that nice?

"Candle in the Wind" is the moment of truth for me. It's not just the original version talking about Marilyn Monroe (I feel the same as the songwriters) but Princess Diana. Looking back I couldn't help but realize that Jake was reaching out to the crowd the way the Princess reached out to her people. This is probably unintentional but it makes the performance even more stirring.

The mood changes with the thunderous "Bennie and the Jets" with the audience roaring along to that super infectious hook. Bennie! Bennie! Bennie! Bennie! It could have gone on for another ten minutes and I probably wouldn't have cared.

Let's wrap things up now with the smoking piano and "Rocket Man". As the fog drifts through the theatre, for a moment in my mind's eye I see a musical version of "2001: A Space Odyssey" with the human embryo floating in outer space. Just a moment! If the audience hadn't shouted encore, I could have happily left things here, which is nothing against the audience, and anyway we get "Don't let the sun go down on me". Did the ending need to be more upbeat, I think a few people wondered, but then again you could always reprise "Crocodile Rock" at the end?

Speaking of that audience, I want to make special mention of them as well and also Greg working on sound, because your involvement was spectacular too. The energy just feeds the music and vice versa until we're all floating away on the mists of a steaming, gleaming, glittering crimson red keyboard. This was also the band's debut show, so technological gremlins were to be expected, but I honestly wasn't expecting any of them.

"Rocket Men performing the Hits of Elton John" will be performing some more dates including 19 May at the Piano Bar in Ballarat and 26 May at the Piano Bar in Bendigo. It's my advice that if you own any of Elton's records, you get along and check out this show because we need this colourful music.

Thank you,

Ryan.