John Reilly and Lewis Nitikman are a partnership of talented musicians, one born and raised in Liverpool and the other a Canadian, who met in Toronto and are now domiciled in Sheffield. Both are original songwriters, with John the lead singer of Boy On A Dolphin who were signed to Atlantic Records in the early nineties and then having collaborated with Lewis on a well-received solo album ‘Zebulon’. However, their current live activity focuses on shows dedicated to the music of Billy Joel and Elton John.

This prestigious Central London show- in the Crazy Coqs cabaret venue attached to the art deco ’ Zedel’ French brasserie in the heart of Piccadilly- had the strapline ‘Two Rooms’ and was focused (though not exclusively, as we shall see) on the songs of Sir Elton and Bernie Taupin, with both performers admitting their deep love for this body of work and how it had influenced them.

While not a traditional tribute act as such, John did bear a passing resemblance to latter-day Elton in baseball cap, thick black glasses and a spangly jacket. Opening with ‘Circle of Life’, the duo filled out the sound to closer to a full band, Lewis playing bass synth pedals as well as piano, and John percussion much of the time, be it timpani or an African djembe.

On ‘Candle In The Wind’, it really stood out in this intimate environment how John’s vocal phrasing and the way he controlled his breathing really captured the timbre of Elton’s voice in its various ranges. With the great man himself officially retired from shows, this may be as close as you can get to hearing the songs delivered as they should be. After I guess ‘That’s Why They Call It the Blues’, ‘Your Song’ saw Lewis switch to the venue’s grand piano, putting to the test their joke that they were reluctant for people to sing along and, if so only in tune.

That love for Elton and Bernie’s songs showed in a varied setlist that covered the full range of his long career. Alongside familiar favourites like ‘Tiny Dancer’ and ‘The One’, there was a generous selection of seventies album cuts. These included ‘Have Mercy On The Criminal’ with percussion and piano creating a very atmospheric sound, ‘Burn Down The Mission’ and ‘Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters’.

However, in a departure from the theme of the evening, the pair dramatically, and brilliantly, reinterpreted Cher’s huge dance hit ‘Believe’ as a big slow ballad. Perhaps encouraged by that, a visitor from Hong Kong piped up to request ‘Arthur’s Theme’ by Christopher Cross and the two produced an authentic shortened version at the drop of the hat, which was as much proof of their talent as delivering the advertised programme.

Getting back to the theme of the evening, the extended intro of ‘Tonight’ was the perfect vehicle to appreciate Lewis’ piano playing, but with two shows a night in the venue, they were up against a short timescale so it was back into hits territory for those off-kilter melodies of ‘Bennie and The Jets’, and a medley of ‘I’m Still Standing’ and ‘Sacrifice’.

Finally, they sneaked in an encore which appropriately was ‘Rocket Man’. The show was not only a treat for Elton John fans but the way they breathed their heart and soul into his and Bernie Taupin’s songbook (plus the odd surprise) was a taster of how much these two talented musicians can offer.

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 16 November 2025.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This 600th show was first broadcast on 18 November 2025

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen live or listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 1 December 2025

We feature all the artists selected in this sequence in 2025.

Featured Albums w/c 1 December 2025

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

Our occasional Newsletter signposts latest additions to the website(s). We also include a selection of recent top albums, based on GRTR! reviewer ratings. The newsletter is sent out a few times a year.

If you’d like to register to receive this occasional mailing please complete the form:

If using a smartphone/tablet please tap here or re-orientate your device

(Note that this registration is separate from site registration which allows you to leave comments and receive daily emails about new content. If you wish to register for this – in addition or separately – please click or tap here – for more information – the form is at the foot of each page. Please read our privacy policy when opting-in to receive emails.