Ok ...enough of Atlantis !
Coming up.......We have dinner with Norman Bates' Mother, and
Elton tinkles the ivories,

E is getting twitchy. He always likes to know when he is going to eat, and preferably what and where - whereas I tend to eat as I go along.

As this is the Land of the Burger - I decide that's what I fancy.
E agrees , just happy that some sort of sustenance has been decided on.

The Forum's Planet Hollywood fits the bill so we dive in. Now, neither of us can remember when we last went into a PH so we look abit wary as the manager scoops us up. Immediatley, we are hit by flashing lights , thumping music and movie memorabilia.
The movie connection just hasn't registered,so I was a little unnerved to see sitting nearby and leering at us, a rotting corpse of someones's granny.
'Ughhhh...what's that.!'
'I think it's Norman Bates' mother' says E, sardonically
Closer inspection ...and it is !
I thought he was joking.
Anyway, despite Planet Hollywood's sensory overload, the burgers were great ...so were the cocktails ..and off we go.

CAESAR'S ! Plunging into the throng, I'd forgotten how vast Caesar's is. It all feels very grand and I can sense a sashay walk coming on. It's evening and everyone seems dressed to the nines, the chandeliers twinkle and there is an air of warm, glowing
sophistication about the place.
Pick up the tickets.
'Just to warn you guys' says the box office clerk ...'this show has adult content' ....
We are rather amused by this.
Neither of us are easily shocked, but the notion that the man who has virtually achieved Queen Mother status in the UK may be upping the stakes abit we are curious to see!
I've never seen Elton live but he is something of a National Treasure these days and I feel I've grown up with him.
E is of the opinion that you have to 'see these people before they die'..............................hang on !...he's not that old !
Find our seats in the upper circle. It's Elton's First Night back so it's packed. Two Londoners sit next to me ...my ear is now
so tuned to the colourful shades of the American accent that it's a shock to hear broad cockney so far from home.
We swap notes on where we've been and what we've seen...
The lights dim...and a big jangling note blasts out as an enormous suspended 'E' flashes like lightening....
.. a beat ,another note and the 'L' crackles with electricity ..another note and the 'T' ...it's the opening to Benny and The Jets and we all roar with appreciation as the man himself bounds onto the stage.
A little older, a littlle less lithe, but the same impish grin, blinking owl-like at us through colourful spex.
The Red Piano is waiting in it's spotlight ...the Elton letters are flahing megawatts and the backing band is belting it out . It's a great opener!
...and it's a real crowd pleaser of a show ...all the hits and one or two new songs, and lots to look at ...It's very tailored to Vegas with big flashy electric fx and huge inflatables bouncing around.
A massive screen over looks the stage for the films that accompany each song. Some are surreal, some enchanting and some quite near the edge. All are mesmerising. It's the films that come with the warning. So were we shocked?

No ....and yes.
The films are very much a psychedelic stream of consciousness .....sometimes drug hazed,with a whiff of danger and a vein of eroticism running through. All quite spell binding.
So what shocked us ?
Well
Given the Elton we all know and love ...they were all surprisingly ....
heterosexual....
Elton does nearly 2 hours ..when he's not thumping the piano at full stretch he 's a very funny raconteur. He loves Vegas and adores America, that much is clear.
One interesting thing happened while we were there
. About 15 minutes into the show a young couple were shown to their seats in the middle of our row. A minor irritation you may think...but wait...there's more.
Not only is it annoying when you have to stand and shift about when a show has already started ......but these 2 were brandishing open bottles and very obviously in party mood, talking and laughing loudly as they arrived. ( ie ...'drunk' )
And they carried on in this manner ...whooping and shouting 'we love you Elton ' at random moments.
..Now 's that's ok......but not during the quiet bits !
The wife of the London guy sitting next to me stoically bore the brunt of it, while he whispered to me that he was going to slap them if they didn't quieten down. He didn't. But I wish he had.
E will tell you that I have no qualms about getting stuck into situations and if they had been next to me I would have given them an ear bashing. Eventually with alot of people tutting around them they did settle down. But it took awhile.
I couldn't believe that Caesar's would show someone to their seats
after a show had started , when they were very obviously drunk ...and carrying alcohol. So I tackled a couple of secuity guards about it afterwards. They said it should have never have happened .
I am guessing a tip was exchanged somewhere ....?
Anyway, it didn't ruin the show .. I just think our 2 party animals had no idea how to behave and probably thought they were watching television!
All in all we were pleased to see Elton ...there's no denying
he's a great showman ..whether you are a fan or not !
and so...on to the casino ! and a 'close encounter' ........!