http://markandcath.blogspot.com/2011/07/day-51-elton-john-140711.html
Back to Lucca to have a second look at the sights we were impressed with last week and a look through the shops. We stumble upon a roman amphitheatre which we missed the first time.
Looking for a restaurant that serves food before 730 is difficult. But we find somewhere with the tables on the square where the cathedral is very peaceful away from the masses of crowds that have been drawn for the concert.
Gates open at 730 support act scheduled for 830 and Elton john at 930. To get a good spot we get into the square so to see the last of the support have decent view of stage but the acoustics round the square are amazing.
Elton john comes on just before 930 and does a 2 and half hour set. Was absolutely amazing, all his best hits and old stuff that I hadn’t really heard much before but musically what a genius!!!!
The chanting big mouthed American family directly behind me managed to perforate my right ear drum, seriously how do they get so loud, and time stood up (not complaining but had no idea he would play for so long) made my legs sore (cant even believe im getting to an age where stuff like that happens) but had such a good night.
Oshawa's Elton John tickets snapped up in an hour
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/1028999--oshawa-s-elton-john-tickets-snapped-up-in-an-hourThey hopped and bopped to favourite Elton tunes. They power-napped in folding chairs. And they made instant friends.
When the sun went down on dozens of Sir Elton John fans waiting overnight at the General Motors Centre to buy concert tickets, Oshawa was feeling the love.
So much so that Linda Bryan wasn’t even fazed when the 7,200 seats sold out with her the next one in line Friday morning.
“To me it was an experience just waiting in line. I met so many nice people,” said the Oshawa resident.
The $90 and $150 tickets, also available by phone and online, were snapped up in an hour, leaving more than 200 fans empty-handed at the downtown arena where the pop superstar will perform Sept. 9.
With lineups that began at 5:30 p.m. Thursday for Friday’s 10 a.m. sale, many sacrificed a night’s sleep.
“It’s amazing,” said Shelley Hart as she and friend Debbie McKinlay waved tickets in triumph. “We were going to go to Vegas to see him if we didn’t get these.”
Some still couldn’t believe the solo artist, who’s racked up 35 gold and 25 platinum albums, is coming to their city.
“That’s gonna put us on the map,” said Rick Rawlings, owner of a trucking company who’s been hooked since hearing “Crocodile Rock” in 1972. He offered the night crowd a little mood music from his pickup truck parked nearby.
“I think it’s just awesome to have him in my own backyard,” said Tanya Bishop, waiting since 5 a.m. with her 15-year-old daughter, Alison.
“Four tickets anywhere, please!” she called through the sales window, squeezing her order in moments before the sell-out.
One man stood out for his selflessness.
“I’m buying them for my mother- and father-in-law who are huge, massive fans. I’m not even going myself,” said Todd Flagg, who waited all night with two of his five children. “Now I won’t be an outlaw any more.”
A handful of concert-goers played it smart and waited inside the air-conditioned Oshawa Centre, where the United Way kiosk was selling tickets.
“I’d normally be walking the mall, anyway,” said Mathew Manilla, 73, who relieved his wife at 6 a.m. “My neighbour’s coming at 9 with coffee because I’m buying tickets for them, too.”
Elton John fans snap up tickets
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/elton-john-fans-snap-tickets-143909607.html
The two upcoming Elton John shows in the Maritimes have sold out.
Tickets for the Summerside, P.E.I., show on Sept. 14 went first Friday morning.
In Sydney, N.S., the online ticket system crashed, forcing fans to wait for their tickets. Only single seats remained by noon, though, and those went quickly.
At one point there were more than 200 people outside the show venue, Centre 200 — many of them fans who had rushed to the arena because they couldn't get tickets online, the CBC's Adam Burns reported from the site.
Then there were problems with Centre 200's debit and credit machines, which had people running next door to the Nova Scotia Casino for cash.
Mary Arsenault waited in line with her mother since Wednesday afternoon, not wanting to rely on the computer.
She said she knew the old-fashioned way would work.
"I have a computer. I could have chose that option. I could have used the phone. To me, you wait in line, you got a better chance," Arsenault said.
"With so many people trying to get the system at 10 o'clock when the tickets went on sale, you knew there was gonna be a crash. That's why we waited three days in advance."
Tickets have already started popping up on eBay and Kijiji.
Fans began to line up for the tickets in Sydney on Wednesday and in Summerside on Thursday morning.
In Summerside, nearly 400 people were in the queue by the time the 5,400 tickets went on sale. About 100 people in line succeeded in getting tickets — as many as eight per person.
There were 6,236 tickets on sale in Sydney.
John played two sold-out shows in Halifax in September 2008
Bernie Taupin Exhibit: Beyond Words
http://events.tboextra.com/tampa-fl/events/show/200581505-bernie-taupin-exhibit-beyond-words
Wednesday, Sep 28 10:00a
to
6:00p
at
Michael Murphy Gallery M,
Tampa,
FL
Price: Free
Phone: (813) 902-1414
Age Suitability:
All Ages
Michael Murphy Gallery, Tampa's premier
Fine Art Gallery, presents "Beyond Words", an extraordinary collection
of contemporary artworks by legendary songwriter and lyricist Bernie
Taupin. Beginning Sept. 24, the public will be able to preview the
artwork at Michael Murphy Gallery. Exhibition previews will run through
Oct. 1, with special appearances by Bernie Taupin on Oct. 1 and 2.
RSVP’s requested (813) 902-1414.
Elton John to Work on New Album Next Year
http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/elton-john-to-work-on-new-album-next-year/9041896
Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:04:52
Elton John plans to work on a new album next year with producer T-Bone Burnett.
Elton revealed that he has booked two weeks in the studio in January
and that his writing partner, Bernie Taupin, is already penning songs
for the effort!
John told Music Week that "I just want to make an album of good songs. I'm just going to go in the studio and write and see what happens." What a smart approach, Elton. We also hope that you work with Lady Gaga, who also happens to be your son's godmother.
Do you think Elton John and Lady Gaga will do a duet on his next album?
—Amy Sciarretto
07.21.11
John told Music Week that "I just want to make an album of good songs. I'm just going to go in the studio and write and see what happens." What a smart approach, Elton. We also hope that you work with Lady Gaga, who also happens to be your son's godmother.
Do you think Elton John and Lady Gaga will do a duet on his next album?
—Amy Sciarretto
07.21.11
UPDATE: Concert sells out before noon
http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2011-07-22/article-2671497/UPDATE%3A-Concert-sells-out-before-noon/1
Nancy MacPhee/Journal Pioneer
Christine Arsenault of Wellington
holds the first tickets sold for Elton John’s Sept. 14 concert at Credit
Union Place. Arsenault was among a couple hundred fans that camped out
overnight to get tickets to the once-in-a-lifetime event.
SUMMERSIDE - Selling out the Elton John concert was bittersweet, says event development officer JP Desrosiers.
"I'm very, very pleased the show sold out, I mean we got great support for this event. It's just tough to see all these people who waited in line (not get a ticket)."
The highly-anticipated Sept. 14 concert sold out in less than two hours at about 11:50 a.m., leaving many people in line at Credit Union Place very disappointed. Those who were unable to buy tickets were put on a list should any become available.
Desrosiers said the Credit Union Place website peaked with 26,000 hits at one time. About 4,000 of the 5,400 available tickets were bought online.
Social network websites were abuzz with complaints that the website couldn't handle the traffic. Some people complained yesterday they were charged for tickets from the website, but didn't receive them.
Credit Union Place is urging those people to contact the centre right away to have the issue resolved.
Some in the crowd were unhappy that no tickets were set aside specifically for those going to the box office.
Desrosiers said the promoter, Live Nation, helped them decide how to sell the tickets.
"Our goal was to be as fair as possible from the start and put everything on sale all at one time," he said. "I really wanted to make sure everybody in line got tickets, but at the same time they want to make it as fair to the true fan as possible, so if there is a fan from Souris, P.E.I. who can't get to Summerside, they should have equal access online."
Others in the crowd were upset that up to eight tickets could be bought at a time.
Desrosiers said the ticket amount per purchase was given to Credit Union Place by Live Nation.
"I think eight is a good number because if you get in line first and you want to buy for four of your friends, then you'd be able to do that," he said. "Again, we're so new at this type of thing it's not easy for me to say, 'Oh yeah, we should have went with four.' But when Live Nation, the biggest promoting company in the world says eight, you go with eight."
Within minutes of the concert selling out, online classifieds had tickets popping up for sale. Some were selling for as high as $700 a piece.
Live Nation's president, Riley O'Connor, said there were no plans for another concert in Summerside, but didn't rule it out after tickets sold out so quickly. Elton John's tour schedule shows a gap between his Summerside show and his next performance in Brazil. Credit Union Place's website has no event planned for Sept. 15.
"I'm very, very pleased the show sold out, I mean we got great support for this event. It's just tough to see all these people who waited in line (not get a ticket)."
The highly-anticipated Sept. 14 concert sold out in less than two hours at about 11:50 a.m., leaving many people in line at Credit Union Place very disappointed. Those who were unable to buy tickets were put on a list should any become available.
Desrosiers said the Credit Union Place website peaked with 26,000 hits at one time. About 4,000 of the 5,400 available tickets were bought online.
Social network websites were abuzz with complaints that the website couldn't handle the traffic. Some people complained yesterday they were charged for tickets from the website, but didn't receive them.
Credit Union Place is urging those people to contact the centre right away to have the issue resolved.
Some in the crowd were unhappy that no tickets were set aside specifically for those going to the box office.
Desrosiers said the promoter, Live Nation, helped them decide how to sell the tickets.
"Our goal was to be as fair as possible from the start and put everything on sale all at one time," he said. "I really wanted to make sure everybody in line got tickets, but at the same time they want to make it as fair to the true fan as possible, so if there is a fan from Souris, P.E.I. who can't get to Summerside, they should have equal access online."
Others in the crowd were upset that up to eight tickets could be bought at a time.
Desrosiers said the ticket amount per purchase was given to Credit Union Place by Live Nation.
"I think eight is a good number because if you get in line first and you want to buy for four of your friends, then you'd be able to do that," he said. "Again, we're so new at this type of thing it's not easy for me to say, 'Oh yeah, we should have went with four.' But when Live Nation, the biggest promoting company in the world says eight, you go with eight."
Within minutes of the concert selling out, online classifieds had tickets popping up for sale. Some were selling for as high as $700 a piece.
Live Nation's president, Riley O'Connor, said there were no plans for another concert in Summerside, but didn't rule it out after tickets sold out so quickly. Elton John's tour schedule shows a gap between his Summerside show and his next performance in Brazil. Credit Union Place's website has no event planned for Sept. 15.
Windsor fans line up for Elton John tickets
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2011/07/22/wdr-elton-john-ticket-sales.htmlCBC News
Posted: Jul 22, 2011 1:05 PM ET
Last Updated: Jul 22, 2011 2:40 PM ET
Elton John fans lined up - some overnight - to
secure tickets to the solo artist's concert coming to Windsor, Ont. in
the fall. (Pat Jeflyn/CBC)
The chance of getting tickets to see Elton John at the WFCU Centre was snuffed out like a candle in the wind on Friday morning.
Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. and by noon on Friday, only select seats were still available said Jason Toner, WFCU spokesperson.
Toner said more than 250 people showed up at the WFCU ticket office and close to one hundred of those were camped out before the box office opened. Some fans spent the night outside in the sweltering heat to secure tickets for the top-selling solo artist's concert.
"We've never had a reaction this big from the media partners and the fans," said Toner.
The arena can accommodate up to 7,300 seats, and Toner said people should keep there eyes and ears open as more seats might be released closer to the concert date.
Fans camped out overnight
Sandra Gignac was first in line, setting up camp at 4 p.m. on Thursday to make sure she had top-notch seats."Well worth the wait," she said.
Gignac ended up with four tickets in the third row. She plans to go to the show with her parents and sister.
Fans said they were excited that they wouldn't have to travel to Detroit to see the pop musician, whose career spans five decades.
Elton John will play the WFCU Centre on Saturday, Sept. 10th. Courtesy of Sam Taylor-Wood/EltonJohn.com"Hopefully
a lot of people follow in his footsteps, said Johnathan Holmes, fourth
in line for tickets. "We've got a great venue here."Toner said it was important to sell lots of tickets so superstar acts, like Elton John, will be motivated to book shows in Windsor.
"It only does better things for the building, for the city, to bring bigger and better artists for the future," Toner said.
Elton John holds the record for the biggest selling single of all time for the song Candle in the Wind '97 — a tribute to the late Diana, Princess of Wales — which sold over 33 million copies.
He also won an Academy Award for his collaboration on The Lion King 's movie soundtrack.
Elton John will grace the arena stage on Saturday, September 10th.
