Elton John Explains Why He Walked Off Stage in Las Vegas
Elton John explained how the actions of a “rude” fan led to him walking off stage during a performance in Las Vegas on Mar. 1. Towards the end of his Million Dollar Piano show, he cut short classic track “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” as a result of one audience member’s behavior. He returned to finish the set, but announced that, because of the incident, he would no longer invite fans on stage during the song.
“Thursday night in Las Vegas a fan put his hands on the piano keys while I was playing and continued to do so even after I asked him to stop,” John said in a statement. “He then proceeded to reach over the piano and try to take pictures, completely disrupting the performance. I bring fans onstage every evening when we play 'Saturday Night' in the set… it is always a lovely part of the show where I get to meet them, shake their hands and have them right there with me while I play.
“They have always been very courteous to the fact we are in the middle of playing a song live. This guy was rude, disruptive and had no care or respect for our show and so I let him know how I felt, then left the stage until they had removed him.”
He didn’t say whether he’d stick to his threat of ending the stage invitations, after having told the crowd on the night: “You fucked it up.” It’s the second time a Million Dollar Piano performance was disrupted during “Saturday NIght’s Alright,” following an incident in which a necklace was thrown at John. His Vegas run continues until May 17, then he commences his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour on Sept. 8.