SIR ELTON John's spectacular show might have been new for Newcastle, but for friends Andrew Mason, Paul Rice and Darren George the magic has never gotten old.
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The trio travelled - Mr Mason from Broken Hill, Mr Rice from Latrobe in Tasmania and Mr George from the Gold Coast - to see Elton kick off his final tour of Australia at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
They also have tickets to the Tuesday night show.
Combined, they have seen Elton more than 150 times.
"I've been a fan of 40 years and just love the music and I believe he gets better with age," said Mr Rice, who has Elton's signature tattooed on his right bicep.
"Nobody else has been going for more than 50 years continuously and is still in the charts."
Mr Mason said Elton "can't be beaten live", while Mr George said he relished "hanging out with these guys and the atmosphere".
The trio were at the front of one of the several queues of fans - many in sequins, feather boas and sunglasses - who waited in the stadium's carpark for gates to open.
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An announcement over the public address system told concertgoers it was the first show the stadium had hosted since February 1990.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban were later spotted inside.
The Newcastle Herald reported last week that of the 50,000 tickets sold for the two shows, 11,000 were bought by people from outside Newcastle, 2000 from interstate and about 120 by international visitors.
It is estimated the shows will inject $10 million into the local economy.
Elton, 75, has played in the Hunter Valley several times but never in Newcastle.
Sunday's show was his first in the city, plus his first since playing at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on November 20.
Mr Mason, Mr Rice and Mr George are going to all seven Australian shows, before Mr Mason and Mr George head to New Zealand for three.
Mr Mason is also going to Paris, Barcelona and London.
Piggott's Pharmacy invited 80 of their staff members along for a belated Christmas party and as thanks for their efforts during the pandemic.
Founders Christopher and Shirley Piggott and their children Andrew and Maddi said Elton was '"timeless and transcends".
Sisters Kim and Lee Stockham bought their mum Ruth tickets for Christmas. The trio wore matching t-shirts.
"You can't not see Elton when he is in Newcastle," Kim said.
"It's the backdrop to your whole life, Elton songs. I'm interested to hear if he's going to do Tiny Dancer remix style or his original... he's an artist you have to tick off your list when you have the opportunity.
"We're so grateful he's in Newcastle, what a gift to Newcastle and Novocastrians. I left when I was 23 and came back two years ago so I'm so proud of Newcastle and the changes.
"Come on, let's do this great and then let's get some more artists in town."
Jo Roberts-Thomson of Kotara last saw Elton in Sydney in 1986 when she was just 15 and has loved him ever since.
"When I saw he was coming to Newcastle I thought 'We have to go'," she said.
"I'm 51 now, so the reverse of 15, so it feels like full circle.
"We couldn't let him be here and not come and see him.
"[Being the first show] makes it more exciting, I feel like we're welcoming him to Australia."
Ms Roberts-Thomson brought along her daughter Evelyn and the pair wore matching rainbow coloured feather boas and giant glasses from Spotlight.
"I grew up listening to the music Mum played and she did play some Elton so it's a bit of that and a bit of support as well," said Evelyn, who also wore a space-themed shirt.
Ms Roberts-Thomson said it was hard to narrow down what she wanted to hear live but said her favourites included Two Low For Zero, I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues, Bennie and the Jets, Rocket Man and Your Song.
Lizzie Curran from Tomago decorated her face mask with Elton's name.
"I'm here to see the one and only Elton John, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity," she said. "Since I knew he was coming I got my ticket straight away and got very lucky.
"[I decorated my mask] because I love him so much. I love his music, every song, he's an icon. All his music just speaks to me. I write music myself and my daughter does as well."
Sisters Renee Haisell from Waratah and Tanya Peverell from Albury said the show was a trip down memory lane.
Ms Peverell bought the tickets for Ms Haisell as a Christmas gift. "She wanted to go and then the renovation for her bathroom blew out so I got her a ticket," Ms Peverell said. "We grew up with these songs, dancing around with them in the lounge room."
Ms Peverell, a school teacher, bought an orange pair of pants and top for Harmony Day but the pair debuted them for the show. "We want to be part of his party," she said.
Helen Gregory
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
