From one English queen on the red carpet, Helen Mirren, to one old queen at his very own after Oscars party. Elton John, now 60, and boyfriend David Furnish, took over the opulent post normally held by Vanity Fair, as they stood down this year, leaving the veteran song writer and piano player to be the centre of attention at his 16th annual viewing dinner and after-party benefiting the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

After greeting each table, the ever flamboyant Elton, who wore an ornate Yohji Yamamoto black suit, silver tie, and black-framed eyeglasses, pointed at the crowd and banged on his piano, (isn’t there a law against doing that in public, ask George Michael!!!) while he pounded out the first of 11 songs, the first time in several years that he has played a full set with an entire band at his own party.

Elton was very nearly upstaged as Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, clad in a neon yellow-green suit, jumped on John’s piano and did the twist. Now that might just be legal!

The others among his ‘captive’ audience, Calista Flockhart, Harrison Ford, Petra Nemcova and Sean Penn, swayed, waved arms and basically bopped as Elton dueted with Mary J Blige on an evening which sounds as though it turned out to be a tribute to Elton.

ABB