It was 2016 the last time Kim Wilde played to a Perth audience on this very stage, and you got the feeling tonight that a few of them had been counting down the days until her return a mere 8 years later almost to the day. Tonight the Astor is in ‘concert mode’ meaning that the seats were out and that of course gave us all plenty of room to dance – what else would you do at a Kim Wilde show?
With a setlist that spanned a career now into its fifth decade and comprising 15 studio albums with another on the way in late January there was something for a fan of any era. Prior to the show the anticipation was confirmed by a line around the block excitedly sharing memories and moments, and it was great to see a range of ages in that line for what must have been close to a sell out. Many of course will have seen Kim back in the day but for many this was the big first night!
With no support tonight Kim and band hit the stage at 8.30 on the dot with Kim sporting her signature blonde curled bob, and a red and black outfit along with dark wraparound sunglasses and boots. The roof is almost raised as she takes centre stage and the band launches into ‘Rage to Love’ from her fourth record ‘Teases and Dares’. It’s a rocker to start the set with plenty of energy and immediately sends the crowd into overdrive.
‘Never Trust A Stranger’ is not far behind and with the band on point and Kim delivering a flawless vocal (despite rumors of her not feeling too well) it’s a great sign of things to come when whichever way you look everyone is fixed on the stage and singing right along. ‘Water On Glass’ her third single and the first song from her 1981 debut, gets a huge cheer and Kim simply beams back at us. The Astor is a wonderful place to be tonight.
And in a set that keeps on giving you get to realise what a career Kim has had – ‘Can’t Get Enough (Of Your Love)’ keeps us buzzing and the majority dancing whilst the rest of us look on transfixed. The sound tonight is wonderful and the band aren’t afraid to let loose with some rocking moments set against the poppier or moodier numbers.
On stage Kim’s banter is wonderful, she gushes about Perth and a visit to Kings Park and comes across, like she did in my pre-tour interview, (Check it out on the site or YouTube) as completely positive, humble and a little endearingly scatty! The audience loves it before the band pushes into ‘Words Fell Down’ a song that comes as a nice unexpected gem from ‘Select’ Wilde’s second album. Never a single, you can tell by the numbers singing along that it should have been!
‘The Second Time’, another from ‘Teases and Dares’ (I’d have loved to have heard Bladerunner too but it was sadly not to be!) segues into M’s ‘Pop Muzik’ to make it a little more 80’s adding a vibrant splash of vintage joy to the song. The first of some incredibly well chosen career cover versions comes with the Bee Gees ‘If I Can’t Have You’ (I always preferred the Yvonne Elliman version to the Bee Gees own) and sees the last of the seated on their feet!
Kim takes to the mic again to bring the mood down with stories of previous visits to our shores and news of a new album in the new year which will be the sister record to 1988’s ‘Close’ and titled ‘Closer’. We get a taste of what’s to come later when the band play ‘Trail Of Destruction’ before that though we hear ‘Four Letter Word’ and ‘Love in the Natural Way’ from ‘Close’ and the gentler ‘Yours Till the End’ from newer album 2018’s ‘Here Come the Aliens’.
There’s more chat after that and Kim talks at length before being reminded by her brother that it’s the small matter of introducing the band that she has forgotten! And what a band she has behind her who do a remarkable job of replicating and even enhancing the catalogue. Key to the sound of course are brother Ricky and her niece Scarlett, a writer in her own right.
We step back to the 90’s for the wonderful ‘Love is Holy’ before another track from ‘Close’ – ‘Stone’. It’s ‘Cambodia’ though that might have received the biggest cheer so far with even those seated at the back on their feet again. ‘Cambodia’ has always been one of those perfect moments in time – a song unlike the pop or the rock that Kim is synonymous with. It still clearly has a big piece of everyone’s hearts here.
The ‘pre-encore’ selection of songs kind of sum up a big part of Kim’s appeal – there’s the wonderful 80’s retro Pop sound, the energy and crash of guitar, sing along choruses and the beautifully chosen cover which in this case is the wonderful Holland-Dozier-Holland composition made famous by The Supremes – ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’. But that comes after the classic one-two punch of ‘View From A Bridge’ and ‘Chequered Love’ that lift the crowd just that little higher.
Most artists wouldn’t have anywhere to go from there but Kim and her band do. Returning to the stage for the encore resplendent in glittery red cape and captain’s hat, she looks like a glittery denizen out of Flash Gordon’s 80’s revamp. ‘You Came’ sees a few cracks forming around the roof as it prepares to lift, as everyone inside launches into the song. If you could bottle this you might even have the antidote to today’s negative society.
We can of course only close with one song and as the synth throbs the intro to Kim’s first huge hit ‘Kids in America’ it’s a song I can never tire of and one that reminds me of a pre-teenage me with a Kim Wilde poster on my wall. I swear even the crew and staff were singing and as the band take their bows the crowd erupts. What a wonderful way to spend a spring night in Perth. With a promise to come back maybe even next year and a new album on the way in late January it’s a great time to be a Kim Wilde fan Downunder.
All I can say if you have tickets to the sold out Adelaide show tomorrow you will have a night to remember and if you’re on the fence about attending the final show of the tour in Melbourne then grab your tickets now!
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