Sir Elton John kicked off his three year residency in Las Vegas last night (28.09.11).

The ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ hitmaker took to the stage at the Caesar’s Palace hotel for the first in his series of The Million Dollar Piano shows.

He told the crowd he named the concerts after his new piano, which it took manufacturer Yamaha four years to build, at a cost of $1 million.

He joked: “It has a spin cycle washer- a microwave and an aquarium.”

He then added the only thing missing was “a barbecue.”

Speaking about what the audience could expect ahead of the show, he said: “It’s going to surprise a lot of people.

“This isn’t like the old days. It’s going to be certainly different from anything you’ve seen from me before, as was my last show, The Red Piano.”

The show featured hits from across Elton’s 40 year career, with video screens on either side displaying shots of memorabilia sent in by fans from his previous shows in the city.

Elton’s last Las Vegas residency spanned five years and ended in 2009. The first 16 dates of his current run will be staged throughout October, with the rest yet to be announced.