Electric Light Orchestra fans are hoping for a few special guests when the band play their final show at Hyde Park.
Jeff Lynne confirmed the five UK dates would be the band’s last, calling time on the group which formed in 1970. Hyde Park will mark the final show of Lynne’s ELO, preceded by two dates in their hometown of Birmingham and a further two in Manchester.
Discussing the news of the final Hyde Park show, fans of the band wondered whether a few surprises were in store for those heading to the gig next year. Hyde Park had previously hosted the band’s first gig in thirteen years, with Lynne’s ELO headlining the Festival in a Day event, hosted by BBC Radio 2.
Fans are now having their say not just on which song should be played last but who should appear, with some hopeful of a few nods being made to the band’s earliest members. One user wrote: “I’d like him to do some not to known songs like On the Third Day stuff and stuff from the cover album really enjoy his Beyond the Sea cover.”
It prompted another fan to reply: “Ultimate when-pigs-fly performance: Roy Wood and Bev Bevan show up and they do a few Move songs.” Wood had founded the band alongside Lynne but left after the release of their second album, the aptly titled ELO 2. Bevan was also a member of the initial line-up and was responsible for ELO spin-off band ELO Part II.
Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne announces band's final concert at Hyde Park following the death of keyboardist Richard Tandy
byu/jlowry71 inelo
Others who wrote into the Reddit thread suggested bringing in Ace Kefford and Trevor Burton too, with both men co-founding The Move, which Lynne was a member of before ELO was formed.
Some had song suggestions for the band and suggested what they feel is a perfect closer for the shows. One user wrote: “Final song suggestion: Last Train to London.” Those who attended the US dates revealed the band had timed the song to play at 9:29, referring to the opening lyrics of the classic Discovery track.
Another user wrote: “We saw them in Washington, D.C. recently (it was incredible) and it was the 7th song in their set list that night. Mr. Blue Sky was the encore. For their last ever performance, being in London, it feels to me like Last Train to London should be moved to the end.”
The last time ELO played Hyde Park they ended their set with an encore of Roll Over Beethoven. It followed the performance of Mr Blue Sky, which capped off the regular set. Said set also featured performances of Evil Woman, Strange Magic and Traveling Wilburys track, Handle with Care. Whether Lynne makes any changes to the setlist which was used in the US leg of the Over and Out tour is yet to be seen.
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Trevor Burton won’t be able to make it, his state of health isn’t good and he is house bound. His mates from former Brummie bands held a benefit concert to buy safety equipment so that Trevor can still live in his home rather than move into a care home. It has not been disclosed what is wrong with Trevor, I send him my best wishes for the future.
It’s nowhere near the band that it was in the beginning, or the end.
Jeff’s current band are all top notch musicians and singers.
Jeff’s ELO sounds much better than the original when they played live.
I’m not sure what the current relationship is with the past members, but I don’t see the need for bringing any of them onstage.
There’s obviously a reason none of them are in the current line-up.