PINK diamante glasses, sequin tailed coat, golden shoes - it couldn’t be anyone other than Sir Elton John, writes KATE PARKIN.

The Rocketman had the sold-out crowd at the County Ground, Hove, in the palm of his hand last night as he opened the British leg of his farewell tour - Goodbye Yellow brick road.

Sussex’s own Rag N Bone Man and David Walliams and comedians Alan Carr and John Bishop as well as Zoe Ball were among the star-studded crowd watching Sir Elton, who was on top form, 95 European dates into his tour. The highlight was his duet with Taron Egerton, who plays Elton in the hit film Rocketman.

Together they performed Your Song with Taron in a rainbow T-shirt and giant Elton style specs and the man himself in a glittering pink dressing gown.

At 72, Elton no longer jumps on his piano but his voice was that of a young man as he powered through a set more than two and a half hours long including all his hits from the opening Benny and the Jets to Tiny Dancer and Crocodile Rock, which had everyone on their feet including the people in the flats surrounding the county ground.

Elton thanked Hove for having him, the weather for staying fine and referenced some of his favourite subjects, HIV - he visualises a world where no-one has it - and Brexit, saying yhey voted to leave, we must leave. He said it was a special night for him with his dad’s family there, saying ‘I love you all so much’ then playing Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.