Review: Billy Joel headlines BST Hyde Park concert

The Piano Man sang belter after belter, opening his set on Friday July 7 with My Life followed quickly with Movin’ Out (Anthony’s song), the first of many songs about characters.

Charming a crowd he admitted he did not see often, the singer/songwriter said: “I don’t get to come here that much. And I’m not sure when this old ass is going to be back again.”

He added: “I got good news, I got bad news. The bad news is we don’t have anything new to play to you. The good news is you don’t need to hear anything new.”

Throughout a two-hour set, he checked in with us, included us and made us feel special.

Billy Joel’s two hour set at Hyde Park included multiple moments chatting and joking with the 65,000 strong crowd (Image: TWS)

Onstage from late afternoon on a revolving piano turntable, he said: “The brightest sun I’ve ever seen on stage is in England,” before reminding us to put on sunscreen.

He gives us a choice “cos I can’t sing everything” – Just the Way You Are or Vienna? The latter wins.

Zanzibar brings a tempo change, as well as jazzy trumpet and saxophone solos.

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist, I’m not Mick Jagger,” he says as standing up draws a whoop from the audience, making some mock dance moves as the band plays the Rolling Stones’ Start Me Up opening riff.

Now 74, he tells the crowd he wrote Innocent Man 30 years ago and might no longer be able to hit the high notes. “Your voice deepens as you get older. I didn’t think I’d do this song in my 70s… I didn’t think I’d be doing this gig in my 70s!”

Asking for a prayer, he delivers the song, with arms outstretched, his voice as full as ever it was. 

The crowd then joins in a capella with Longest Time before the sultry New York State of Mind, followed by Allentown, with graphic backdrop images of working class decline.

During arguably one of his most beautiful love songs Always A Woman, the camera pans to women in the crowd, revealing the age and gender diversity of fans.

He then swings into Only the Good Die Young, with it immortal line “I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with saints, the sinners are much more fun…”

His 1993 hit River of Dreams includes an interlude of River Deep Mountain High in tribute to Tina Turner, led by the phenomenal vocals of band member Crystal Taliefero-Pratt.

Then a hush descends as fellow band member Mike DelGuidice sings Nessun Dorma.

Joel is a generous performer, and even a triangle percussionist gets her moment in the spotlight.

The sound of the harmonica introduces The Piano Man as the 65,000-strong crowd sings along each verse and chorus.

Joe Jonas and Billy Joel sing Uptown Girl at BST Hyde Park (Image: Dave Hogan)

A multi-song encore includes Start the Fire, Big Shot and Joe Jonas joining as the downtown man for Uptown Girl.

A big fan of the Beatles, Joel then sings A Hard Day’s Night, before ending with You May Be Right.

Joel has just ended a 10-year residency in Madison Square Gardens, New York. We hope he’ll be back in London soon.

Taking his lyric: “Play us a song you’re the piano man, play us a song tonight, for we’re all in the mood for a melody and you’ve got us feeling alright.”