ITALY: ELTON JOHN WOWS FANS WITH FREE CONCERT NEXT TO ROME'S COLOSSEUM

Record ID: 503428

  • Title: ITALY: ELTON JOHN WOWS FANS WITH FREE CONCERT NEXT TO ROME'S COLOSSEUM
  • Date: 23rd March 2006
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (SEPTEMBER 3, 2005) (REUTERS) WIDE SHOT OF THE COLOSSEUM LIT UP FOR THE CONCERT
  • Embargoed: 7th April 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Entertainment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9D1AHURXLUPN959SGTL0NMH7A
  • Story Text: Elton John wowed fans playing a free concert next to the Colosseum.
    British music star Elton John delighted a crowd of at least 300 000 in Rome on Saturday (September 3, 2005) with a free concert organized in collaboration with Telecom, an Italian Telephone Company and the City of Rome.
    Elton John's performance was the third free concert in recent years set in the ancient Colosseum in Rome, with the crowd rocking along Via dei Fori Imperiali. The singer followed in the footsteps of Paul McCartney, who performed at the same location in 2003 and Simon and Garfunkel, who took to the stage there last year.
    Surrounded by the ancient Roman ruins, the audience enjoyed songs that tell of forty years of pop history, from the earliest hits like "Rocket man" and "Crocodile Rock" to the songs of his latest work, "Peachtree Road".
    The concert started with a hit by The Who, "Pinball Wizard", with Elton John wearing a Yohji Yamamoto black dress, decorated with big white blossoms.
    People started arriving at the site from early afternoon, amongst them many Britons, on holiday in Rome.
    "This is great, because it's free. We paid a hundred pounds to see him in Newcastle, so we're hoping it's gonna be as good as, he's a good performer and he'll get the crowd going, I'm sure," said Tony Hamblin, from Newcastle.
    A large number of Italians from other cities and towns also arrived for the free concert, and Romans were happy and proud to guest such an event in front of "their"
    Colosseum.
    "I think an international star coming here to Rome is a quite an important thing for all the Italian people," said Marco Giraldi, from Rome.
    Italian audiences won't have the chance to see to Sir Elton until 2007, after the singer starts his world tour in Toronto on Monday (September 5).
    However, there is consolations in rumours, according to which the next free performance at the Colosseum could come from the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd or U2 leader Bono with Peter Gabriel.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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