Big reputation for a small stage: the stark reality of Elton John’s Los Angeles debut
There was something of a paradox behind Elton John‘s stardom.
A boy once crippled with social anxiety, scared of his own shadow, who could simply dream of standing on a stage performing to a sea of screaming fans. But once he embraced the elaborate nature of his on-stage persona, adorned in glitter and feathers, a star was born, ready to contradict the anxious nature of his true personality.
Naturally, that sort of disposition made him the perfect fit for America, a country he would soon break better than anybody else. The self-proclaimed land of opportunity was the perfect landscape for Elton to harvest his new persona and establish himself as someone willing to wholly embrace the grandiose nature of the industry’s lifestyle.
Having spent the late 1960s garnering a well-respected reputation in London, it was time for him to make his big debut in America. With two albums under his belt and another written and ready to go, Elton landed in Los Angeles in August of 1970, where he had a gig booked in an iconic venue.
The Troubadour awaited, with the shadows of its previous attendees looming large over the stage, threatening Elton’s American breakthrough before it had even started – Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and The Byrds were just some of the glittering alumni to have graced the stage. To make matters worse, Elton’s PR had gone to serious work, ensuring Quincy Jones, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, Brian Wilson, Randy Newman and worst of all, his idol Leon Russell were all on the guest list to see the next big thing in action.
Elton donned his feather boas and prepared himself for what may have been the biggest show of his lifem but to his surprise, the room was anything but large, as he explained, “When I saw it, I couldn’t believe how small it was.”
Adding, “I’d played bigger clubs in England in the 1960s, when I was still the keyboard player in Bluesology. It was very welcoming, but I wasn’t sure we could fit my piano and my two backing musicians on the stage.”
Elton overcame the barriers put in front of him and delivered a show that defined his career and announced him on the American stage as a force to be reckoned with. The glittering guest list all left, remarking what an incredible show it was, and Elton had defined a new era of piano-led rock and roll.
“We rocked,” he remembered. “It’s not a comparison anyone else ever made, but I thought we were like The Who, with a piano instead of a guitar. I wanted us to be as visually exciting as The Who too. If I couldn’t smash up a piano the way Pete Townshend smashed up his guitar, I could still put on a show: kick my piano stool away, do handstands on the keyboard, wear outrageous clothes from Mr Freedom.”
The reputation of Elton the live performer ultimately started that night, in a humble venue too small to fit his entire band – it just goes to show that grassroots venues will always be the lifeblood of music.
