He was always going to be a sellout but five years on, was Elton going to be any good?

Apologies for being boring, but yes. It was one of those gigs you know you won’t forget. The sound travelled for miles, with Sacrifice even being heard as far away as the beach.

Dressed in a long black jacket with a giant, glittering mermaid embroidered on the back, he got his big-hitters out early – the second song was Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting), followed by Tiny Dancer and Rocket Man, the song most people had been waiting for.

Elton played an extended version of the 1972 hit so it lasted a good ten minutes or more. And it was worth it – the crowd admired him for not simply churning them out as the crowd pleasers they inevitably are.

Sad Songs was jazzed up and made, well, not so sad, and that (along with some spectacular solo piano pieces) made the gaping difference between seeing Elton live and listening to the Best Of.

Despite the effort he put into making such well-loved tracks a bit more interesting, as soon as he announced they were playing material from the new album The Union (a collaboration with Leon Russell), a good 40% of the audience left to go to the bar. It was obvious the crowd were here for the classics and he humbly accepted that he would have to get back to the hit-list.

Next came Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, Are You Ready For Love? and one of the most memorable moments of the night – the dancing standing ovation for Bennie And The Jets.

Watching everyone jump up and swayed across the grass proved why the cricket ground should host more of these big gigs now the refurbishment is finished. Twenty-five degree heat and sunshine certainly helped, but 18,000 people on the pitch, with thousands more dancing on balconies and rooftops, letting off fireworks and singing along was simply unforgettable.

Your Song as the encore was a predictable, but perfect, way to end the evening. Despite the worldwide success of Ellie Goulding’s recent cover, Elton proved it was worth hearing from the man himself, as many were reduced to tears.

On the way out someone said, “He doesn’t have much personality does he? He’s not like Rod Stewart,” but that’s one of the most endearing things about Elton – he left the overbearing personality off-stage. He barely said a word; he didn’t have to.