Elton John was a busy man 50 years ago. He began 1974 with a tour to Japan and Australia, embarked on a frenetic 45-date trip to America and Canada from September to December before ending the year with five concerts at the Hammersmith Odeon. In between, he played two shows much closer to home.

The best known was in May 1974 when Nazareth and Rod Stewart joined him for a concert at Vicarage Road, but prior to that he also took to the stage at the Top Rank club for a testimonial concert for Watford defender Duncan Welbourne. These wonderful archive pictures are from that show.

With just his Steinway & Sons piano for company, the future Watford owner and chairman delivered what our late Hornets correspondent Oliver Phillips, writing in 2014, described as a “staggering solo performance”.

(Image: Watford Observer)

The images show the venue was packed for the concert with some enthusiastic audience members near the stage reaching out and hoping to touch Elton as he made his way to the piano.

(Image: Watford Observer)

(Image: Watford Observer)

(Image: Watford Observer)

Elton John with Duncan Welbourne backstageElton John with Duncan Welbourne backstage (Image: Watford Observer)