Watch Sudden Rain and Hail Force Elton John to End Concert
Elton John was forced to prematurely halt an Australian concert due to a sudden downpour of rain and hail.
The onslaught occurred roughly 95 minutes into his set today at Rochford Wines in Yarra Valley, causing damage to instruments onstage.
The singer was performing his 1973 song "Funeral for a Friend" when the bad weather struck. Fan-shot video below shows the song's premature end, along with John being helped offstage.
The concert's organizers acknowledged the situation in a statement, confirming that John's next show at the venue — tomorrow as part of the "A Day on the Green" series -- will continue as scheduled.
"Unfortunately, due to tonight’s short but heavy downpour that occurred 95 minutes into Elton John’s set resulting in damage to musical instruments and monitors onstage, the show could not continue," the statement read.
"We too are upset about the impact of the weather on tonight’s show. Please hang on to your tickets to await further information. As soon as we have any further details, we will let you know. At this stage, tomorrow’s show is proceeding as planned."
Ironically, John started off the set remarking on a much different form of oppressive weather: the heat. "It's fucking hot," he playfully told the crowd before thanking them for attending.
John's farewell tour continues throughout 2020, including a North American run that kicks off March 26 in Indianapolis. The singer — who pledged $1 million to support Australian wildfire relief — is nominated for Best Original Song at the 2020 Academy Awards, along with lyricist partner Bernie Taupin. The track, "I'm Gonna Love Me Again," appears in the biopic Rocketman.
John recently joined Slash to appear on Ozzy Osbourne's new song "Ordinary Man," the title-track from the Black Sabbath singer's upcoming solo LP.