40th Anniversary of the Rocket Man

40th Anniversary of the Rocket Man was a concert tour by British musician Elton John taking place in Oceania, Asia, North America, South America, and Europe celebrating the 40th anniversary of his top 20 hit single "Rocket Man".[1][2][3][4][5][6]

40th Anniversary of the Rocket Man Tour
Tour by Elton John
Start date10 November 2012
End date12 September 2013
Legs6
No. of shows45
Elton John concert chronology

Background

40 years ago, during April 1972, "Rocket Man" was released around the world. To celebrate the landmark anniversary of its release, Elton John has been taking the celebrations globally for a world tour and will be returning to Australia for his record 42nd Sydney Entertainment Centre show plus a very special run of shows, some in parts of Australia he has never been in.[1][4]

John added a second concert at the newly constructed Perth Arena on 10 November, opening the arena. Originally George Michael had been scheduled to open the arena, but pulled out and John took his place.[7][8][9]

Both the 2012 Greatest Hits Live tour and the 2012 legs of the 40th Anniversary of the Rocket Man tour made it onto Billboard's "Top 25 Tours of 2012" at #19 with 36 shows, 28 of which were sell-outs. John performed to 240,381 people, making $32,920,986 (£20,946,700).[10] On 22 March 2013 John's South American tour topped that week's Billboard Hot Tours. While in Brazil, he had played to 52,492 people and made $6,332,640. One of the Brazilian concerts, in Belo Horizonte, was sold out, the only sold out date of the tour.[11]

Opening acts

Set list

This set list is representative of the first show in Perth. It does not represent all dates throughout the tour.[14]

  1. "The Bitch Is Back"
  2. "Bennie and the Jets"
  3. "Grey Seal"
  4. "Levon"
  5. "Tiny Dancer"
  6. "Believe"
  7. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters"
  8. "Philadelphia Freedom"
  9. "Candle in the Wind"
  10. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
  11. "Rocket Man"
  12. "Hey Ahab"
  13. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"
  14. "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding"
  15. "Honky Cat"
  16. "Sad Songs"
  17. "Sacrifice"
  18. "Daniel"
  19. "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
  20. "Are You Ready for Love"
  21. "I'm Still Standing"
  22. "Crocodile Rock"
  23. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
  24. "Your Song"
  25. "Circle of Life"

Tour dates
Date City Country Venue
Oceania[5][15][16]
10 November 2012 Perth Australia Perth Arena
12 November 2012
14 November 2012 Canberra Canberra Stadium
15 November 2012 Sydney Sydney Entertainment Centre
16 November 2012[S]
18 November 2012 Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
20 November 2012 Launceston Launceston Silverdome
Asia[17]
23 November 2012 Shanghai China Mercedes-Benz Arena
25 November 2012 Beijing MasterCard Center
27 November 2012 Seoul South Korea Olympic Gymnastics Arena
29 November 2012 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Genting Arena of Stars
1 December 2012 Cotai Macau CotaiArena
4 December 2012 Wan Chai Hong Kong Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
6 December 2012 Guangzhou China Guangzhou International Sports Arena
8 December 2012 Quezon City Philippines Smart Araneta Coliseum
10 December 2012[S] Taipei Taiwan Nangang Exhibition Hall
13 December 2012 Bangkok Thailand IMPACT Arena
15 December 2012 Kallang Singapore Singapore Indoor Stadium
South America[18][19]
26 February 2013 Fortaleza Brazil pt:Estádio Governador Plácido Castelo
27 February 2013 São Paulo Jockey Club de São Paulo
28 February 2013[A] Viña del Mar Chile Quinta Vergara Amphitheater
2 March 2013 Buenos Aires Argentina Estadio José Amalfitani
4 March 2013 Montevideo Uruguay Estadio Gran Parque Central
5 March 2013 Porto Alegre Brazil Estádio do São José
6 March 2013[S] Asunción Paraguay Yacht y Golf Club Paraguayo
8 March 2013 Brasília Brazil Centro de Convenções Internacional
9 March 2013 Belo Horizonte Mineirão Stadium
10 March 2013[S] Recife Chevrolet Hall
North America[20]
16 March 2013 Memphis United States FedExForum
20 March 2013 Macon Macon Centreplex
22 March 2013 Montgomery Garrett Coliseum
23 March 2013 Chattanooga McKenzie Arena
28 March 2013 Houston Toyota Center
29 March 2013 Baton Rouge Baton Rouge River Center
30 March 2013 Biloxi Mississippi Coast Coliseum
3 April 2013 Dayton Nutter Center
5 April 2013 Nashville Bridgestone Arena
6 April 2013 Winston-Salem Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Europe[21][22]
17 June 2013[B] Murten Switzerland Pantschau Murtensee
18 June 2013 Vienna Austria Wiener Stadthalle
19 June 2013 Salzburg Salzburgarena
21 June 2013 Caen France Zénith de Caen
22 June 2013 Skive Fjord Denmark Rosenlund Parken
23 June 2013[C] Cork Ireland The Docklands
29 June 2013 Tallinn Estonia Tallinn Song Festival Grounds
3 July 2013[D] St. Malô du Bois France Poupet Open Air Theatre
4 September 2013 Leeds England Leeds Arena
5 September 2013 Berlin Germany Waldbühne
7 September 2013 Magdeburg Domplatz
8 September 2013[E] Isle of Wight England Robin Hill Country Park
12 September 2013[F] London The Roundhouse
Festivals and other miscellaneous performances
A This concert was part of "Festival de Viña del Mar 2013"[19]
B This concert was part of "Stars of Sounds Open Air Murten 2013"[22]
C This concert was part of "Live at the Marquee"[23]
D This concert was part of "Festival de Poupet"[24]
E This concert was part of "Bestival"[25]
F This concert was part of "iTunes Festival"[26]
S This concert was solo concert.
Cancellations and rescheduled shows
18 November 2011 Bogor Sentul International Convention Center Moved to Mata Elang International Stadium, never rescheduled.[27]
18 November 2012 Mackay Virgin Australia Stadium Cancelled. Replaced with Melbourne concert.[28]
29 November 2012 Busan Busan Exhibition and Convention Center Cancelled. Replaced by Kuala Lumpur concert.
12 March 2013 Quito Unconfirmed Venue Cancelled.[29]
15 March 2013 Birmingham BJCC Arena Cancelled.[30]
15 June 2013 Murten Stars of Sounds Open Air Festival Rescheduled to 17 June 2013 due to band illness.[31]
5 July 2013 Halle Gerry Weber Stadion Rescheduled to 6 July 2014.[32]
6 July 2013 Mainz Nordmole Zollhafen Rescheduled to 19 July 2014.[32]
7 July 2013 Heilbronn Frankenstadion Heilbronn Cancelled.[33]
9 July 2013 Barolo Piazza Colbert Cancelled.[32]
11 July 2013 Dresden Theaterplatz vor der Semperoper Postponed to 11 July 2014.[34]
12 July 2013 London Barclaycard's British Summer Time Festival Cancelled.[35]
13 July 2013 Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg Sports Palace Cancelled.[35]
14 July 2013 Krasnodar Krasnodar Basket-Hall Cancelled.[35]
17 July 2013 Lörrach Stimmen-Festival Rescheduled to 23 July 2014.
19 July 2013 Carhaix Vieilles Charrues Festival Cancelled.[35]
20 July 2013 Calella Festival Jardins de Cap Roig Cancelled.[35]
21 July 2013 Regensburg Schloss St. Emmeram Cancelled.[35]
23 July 2013 Carcassonne Festival de Carcassonne Cancelled.[35]
24 July 2013 Monte Carlo Sporting Monte-Carlo Cancelled.[35]

Box office score data
Venue City Tickets sold / available Gross revenue
Perth Arena Perth 21,782 / 21,782 (100%) $3,919,890[36]
Canberra Stadium Canberra 10,430 / 11,320 (92%) $1,718,940[37]
Entertainment Centre Sydney 18,056 / 18,056 (100%) $3,059,390[38]
Rod Laver Arena Melbourne 9,231 / 11,412 (81%) $1,584,640[37]
Silverdome Launceston 5,142 / 5,981 (86%) $940,104[37]
Jockey Club São Paulo 10,195 / 12,000 (85%) $2,662,790[39]
Estadio Zequinha Porto Alegre 11,294 / 13,500 (84%) $1,712,440[37]
Centro de Convencoes Brasília 5,862 / 6,900 (85%) $1,104,140[37]
Estadio do Mineirao Belo Horizonte 32,176 / 32,176 (100%) $2,405,660[37]
Chevrolet Hall Recife 3,160 / 4,600 (69%) $1,110,400[37]
Bridgestone Arena Nashville 14,896 / 14,896 (100%) $1,177,534[40]
Total 142,224 / 152,623 (93%) $21,395,928

Tour band

Sources:[41][42]

During the 2012 Asian tour the 2Cellos left the Elton John Band to pursue other projects following the release of their album In2ition.[43][44]

Controversies

John drew incredibly harsh criticism during his concert in Beijing when he dedicated the show to dissident artist Ai Weiwei. A state-owned newspaper accused the veteran British singer of being 'disrespectful' and said his actions could lead to a ban on other Western performers putting on shows in China. At the end of the show, John stunned his audience when he said he was dedicating the show to Weiwei. He said he was there to give tribute to Weiwei's 'honour and talent'. The Global Times, a paper run by the ruling Communist Parties, The People's Daily, said in an editorial: "John's unexpected action was disrespectful to the audience and the contract that he signed with the Chinese side, he forcibly added political content to the concert, which should have been nothing more than an entertaining performance. John's action will also make the relevant agencies further hesitate in the future when they invite foreign artists. John himself is a senior entertainment figure, but has raised difficulties for future arts exchanges between China and other countries."[45][46]

It was later revealed that as a result of John's comments at his concert in Beijing that Chinese authorities were considering tightening concert rules so that only artists with University degrees could perform in the country. This would rule out any return to China for John. He was also questioned by Chinese authorities after the concert regarding his remarks.[47]

Conservative campaigners demanded that John should cancel his concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Although John's scheduled performance went ahead at the Genting Arena of Stars, he faced fierce opposition from Muslim activists who object to openly gay performers performing in Malaysia as homosexual activities are illegal in the country. John faced down similar protests when he performed his first ever concert in Malaysia at the same venue just a year before.[48][49][50][51]

References
  1. "CELEBRATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ROCKET MAN – ELTON JOHN RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA". Sydney Social. 23 July 2012. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  2. "'Rocket Man' Elton John to return to Hong Kong on anniversary tour". South China Morning Post. 22 August 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  3. "Elton John and Band – 40th Anniversary of the Rocket Man". Hong Kong Ticketing. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  4. "Elton John tour to celebratethe 40th anniversary of'Rocket Man'". Faster Louder. 20 July 2012. Archived from the original on 24 August 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  5. "Sydney Entertainment Centre – Elton John". Sydney Entertainment Centre. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  6. "Rocket man Sir Elton John to tour Melbourne again as part of Aussie showcase". Herald Sun. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  7. "Rocket Man to Perth Arena rescue". Western Australia Today. 30 September 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  8. "Sir Elton to open Perth Arena". MSN 9 News. 30 September 2012. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  9. "George Michael pulls out of Perth Arena gig". ABC News. 30 September 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  10. "Top 25 Tours of 2012". Billboard. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  11. "Elton John Tops Hot Tours as 40th Anniversary Outing Hits Brazil". Billboard. 22 March 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  12. "Elton to play Melbourne". Elton John. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  13. "Elton taps PNAU for Sydney gig". Herald Sun. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  14. Paul Cashmere (11 November 2012). "Elton John Officially Opens Perth Arena SETLIST". Noise11.com. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  15. "Elton John to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his hit Rocket Man". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  16. "Elton John Finally Adds Melbourne Show". Noise11. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  17. Sources for Asian Tour
  18. Sources for South American Tour
  19. "Elton and the band for Chile in 2013". Elton John. 12 December 2012. Archived from the original on 17 December 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  20. Sources for North American Tour
  21. Sources for European Tour
  22. "Switzerland is Elton's first 2013 date to be announced". EltonJohn.com. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  23. "Elton John At The Marquee". The Cork News. 14 December 2012. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  24. "ELTON JOHN & Band". Festival de Poupet. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  25. "Elton John: 'Bestival seems to be a people's festival'". The Guardian. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  26. "Elton and Band to Play 2013 iTunes Festival in London on September 12". Elton John. 8 July 2013. Archived from the original on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  27. "Elton John's Indonesian concert postponed". The Jakarta Post. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  28. "It's goodbye to Elton John". Daily Mercury. 2 August 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  29. "Ecuador concert update". Elton John. 14 February 2013. Archived from the original on 23 February 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  30. "Elton John Cancels Show For 'Medical Reasons'". Sky News. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  31. "Elton's June 15 Show is Rescheduled to June 17". Elton John. 14 June 2013. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  32. "Elton Has a Virus, Three Concerts Cancelled". Elton Daily. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  33. "Elton John kommt nicht nach Heilbronn". Stuttgarter-Nachrichten. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  34. "Dresden Concert Postponed to 2014". Elton Daily. 8 June 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  35. "Elton's Summer Tour Postponed". Elton John. 9 July 2013. Archived from the original on 13 July 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  36. "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard. 11 January 2013. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  37. "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  38. Sources for SEC Boxscore
  39. "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  40. "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  41. "ELTON FOR AUSTRALIA IN NOVEMBER". Elton John. 20 July 2012. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  42. "NEW BASS PLAYER FOR ELTON'S BAND". Elton John. 3 September 2012. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  43. "The Diving Board Delayed, Elton Returning to Oz Next Year, 2Cellos Leaving the Elton Band". EltonDaily. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  44. "2Cellos Leave the Band, Not at Bangkok Concert". EltonDaily. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  45. "China: Elton John Dedicates Gig To Weiwei". Sky. 26 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  46. "Elton John upsets China with Ai Weiwei dedication at concert". Metro. 26 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  47. "China tightens concert rules after Elton John's 'disrespectful' Beijing show". The Guardian. 10 February 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  48. "Elton John Urged To Cancel Malaysian Show". Contact Music. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  49. "Elton John's Malaysia show draws protests from Islamic group". Digital Spy. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  50. "Malaysia's Islamic party protests against Elton John concert". The Guardian. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  51. "Malaysia Muslims call for 'immoral' Elton John to be banned". The Telegraph. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
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