h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Elton John was amazing at the O2 (in Dublin) last night.

The house was not quite full - there was a small block of unsold seats at the very back left. I don't know the capacity of the O2 but it looks like around 10,000 at €100 a head.

Elton came on stage at 8:10. He played solo until 9:35 when he was joined by Ray Cooper on percussion, who is amazing. They continued without a break until 10:45, then he left, returned, signed some autographs and played "Candle in the Wind" as an encore. The whole thing was over by 10:55. A wonderful concert and great value for money.

El had to play in a concert of her own, and wasn't finished until 9:40, so she rushed from Kevin Street to the O2, got there by 9:55 and still got to hear a good hour of music!

Oh Ray Cooper is so

in fact he plays with so many good musicians often we say "who's that up there on stage with Ray? "

I've seen Elton John twice now - and each time it's been an absolutely fantastic show. It sounds like you had a fab time.

Sounds like a fab time.

The only break that Elton took was at the end of each song he would stop playing, stand up, wave to the crowd and take a sip from a glass of water. Then he'd sit and start the next one. He kept this up for 2.5 hours.

And when he started playing rock and roll on the piano, I got the impression he could go on without a break all night.

That's pretty good going - after all, he's no spring chicken

Yes - his live show is far more entertaining than his records would lead you to believe. He really can captivate his audience. He plays the songs differently from the way you know them from the radio/CDs, so you really do get your money's worth and feel you have been to a special performance.

I saw him in 1976 and again in 2006 (both years estimated as haven't got access to my files on this!). Both times in Mannheim. The first time, it was quite exciting as I saw him going in the stage entrance a couple of hours before the show, but I didn't approach him. I think that the most memorable song on both occasions was "Benny and the Jets". And Ray Cooper was part of it both times.

Elton could teach newcomers a lot about how to entertain a huge audience.

Is he promoting a new record, Gnomon, or was he just on tour?

There's a new album, and about 40 minutes of the material in the concert was from the new album, but he wasn't heavily pushing it - there was loads of other stuff as well, both well-known and unknown. It was very different from a concert my daughter went to in the same venue - Paramore. They played for 'almost an hour' and everything they played was on their new album.

Benny and the Jets was one of the last numbers Elton did in the concert and it was certainly very memorable, as was a wonderful rock and roll number which evolved from "In the Mood" into "Take me to the Pilot".

Oh yes, Benny and the Jets for me too both times.

But at the Rock am Ring - 1990? 1991? whenever it was anyway - he played Funeral for a Friend followed by a storming Love Lies Bleeding. I've been to hundreds of gigs and I don't think anything will ever top that one.