Elton John in Leeds: When a Rocket Man touched down in the city centre

"Salute Captain Fantastic!" read the headline of the Yorkshire Evening Post review.

By Andrew Hutchinson

Published 6th Jun 2023, 11:30 BST

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

"He came, he sang and boy, did he conquer" observed journalist Steve Kendall who was at Leeds Grand Theatre to watch Elton John perform in April 1976. This gallery using rarely seen images from the YEP archive uses snippets of his review to tell the story of the performance. Were you among the crowd that night? READ MORE: The night Freddie Mercury and Queen rocked Leeds LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook

"Elton John stood on top of his glittering piano and was hailed not just as a man of many faces but as THE rock king, THE master showman, THE pop ambassador and THE master clown," wrote Steve.

1. Elton John at The Grand

"Elton John stood on top of his glittering piano and was hailed not just as a man of many faces but as THE rock king, THE master showman, THE pop ambassador and THE master clown," wrote Steve. Photo: Steve Riding

"The flamboyant little man from Pinner... looked delighted by the overwhelming reception at Leeds Grand."

2. Elton John at The Grand

"The flamboyant little man from Pinner... looked delighted by the overwhelming reception at Leeds Grand." Photo: Steve Riding

"He came on like a happy schoolboy, exuberantly threw his piano stool off stage and set off at a blazing pace and a sound that more than lived up to his billing as "louder than Concorde."

3. Elton John at The Grand

"He came on like a happy schoolboy, exuberantly threw his piano stool off stage and set off at a blazing pace and a sound that more than lived up to his billing as "louder than Concorde." Photo: Steve Riding

"Fans stood, cheered and sang long, and loud, danced in the aisles and unanimously acclaimed his masterful blend of musicianship and eccentricity."

4. Elton John at The Grand

"Fans stood, cheered and sang long, and loud, danced in the aisles and unanimously acclaimed his masterful blend of musicianship and eccentricity." Photo: Steve Riding

"It was the stunning fervent climax to a remarkable unbroken two and a quarter hours in which the allegedly shy extrovert had started his mammoth 29 date UK tour as if there was no tomorrow."

5. Elton John at The Grand

"It was the stunning fervent climax to a remarkable unbroken two and a quarter hours in which the allegedly shy extrovert had started his mammoth 29 date UK tour as if there was no tomorrow." Photo: Steve Riding

"He blazed untiringly through a string of rousing rockers reaching a peak on 'Bennie and the Jets' and a spanking version of Lucy in the Sky' and attacked the piano with honky tonk relish."

6. Elton John at The Grand

"He blazed untiringly through a string of rousing rockers reaching a peak on 'Bennie and the Jets' and a spanking version of Lucy in the Sky' and attacked the piano with honky tonk relish." Photo: Steve Riding

Leeds Elton John Yorkshire Evening Post Queen