A large portion of Australia, and the Illawarra, have been talking about Elton John in the Gong after the announcement was made Wednesday morning he will play a one-off show this year.
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“I saw Elton John at the Sydney Entertainment Centre but I will very much enjoy seeing him in my homeland,” said Lindsay “The Doctor” McDougall from band Frenzal Rhomb.
The former Triple J radio host, whose family still live in the Illawarra, said it shows the diversity of music fans in the region and no doubt will bring an array of benefits.
“He’s one of those legends when it comes to songwriting, and he’s been doing it since the ‘60s but he’s still so in touch with music today,” he said.
“He’s just this force of nature.”
He joked people will come from all over Australia to camp out behind WIN Stadium just to get a glimpse of the sequins and glitter.
“People [will] just camp in the dunes around South Beach and stuff … and set up little illicit tents,” McDougall said.
Chris from Wollongong told the Illawarra Mercury it was a great get for the city.
“I think the more we get artists into Wollongong the more we publicize Wollongong, the better it’s going to be for our economy," he said.
Fans have been flooding the Illawarra Mercury’s Facebook page by tagging their friends and family to alert them to the news or simply posting the letters “OMG”.
“That's a big thing for Wollongong,” wrote Pat Irving Moran.
“I saw him at Wembley Stadium and he was amazing. He is the best showman I have ever seen,” posted Gail King.
“Another great positive for Wollongong - this will be the start - it just takes one artist to take the plunge and the rest will follow,” said Glenda Papac, director of Illawarra Women in Business.