Kylie: a true showgirl

Last night, John and I went to Wembley Arena to see Kylie in concert. This was a continuation of the Showgirl Homecoming Tour which she tragically had to postpone in 2005 when she discovered she had breast cancer.

We decided to drive there as John had arranged with his colleagues at the Wembley depot to park in their carpark, which is literally a few hundred yards away from the arena. Handy eh? See it's who you know not what you know! This saved us dosh and time - actually we arrived far too early really and had to hang around for a couple of hours. The time on the ticket said a 7:30 start so we found our seats a good 10 minutes beforehand. We were in scetion N3 which was to the side of the stage was fairly high up. It was clear that it wasn't going to start that early as half the arena was still empty. I guess they tell you that to get bums on seats well before the show starts.





































So, it was approximately 8:15 when the lights dimmed and the excitement and anticipation of Kylie's emergence circled around the arena. Of course, it was a dramatic entrance, coming up through the floor at the back of the stage, all glammed up in feathers. The welcome she was given was electrifying and Kylie just stood there taking it all in. It was actually really emotional, and I could feel the tears welling up. I know she's not the only person in the world to suffer from cancer, but to see her come through it so bravely and with such dignity, and to then carry on with the tour, is truly the makings of an incredible woman. I admire her greatly.

The show kicked off with 'Better The Devil You Know' which instantly got the crowd up dancing
and clapping their hands. She covered pretty much most of her hits over the years with a few unknowns (to me) thrown in. I particularly enjoyed her version of 'The Locomotion' which was performed in a jazzy 'Chicago' style. After the interval, she emerged from the ceiling sitting on a half moon and sang 'Somewhere over the rainbow' which also made me emotional (that song always does).

It was amazing how many costume changes she made; it must have been about eight. Each time, Kylie would disappear down one of the three holes in the stage floor and then re-emerge as a different character. When it was time for 'Especially For You' I was so hoping that Jason Donovan would walk onto the stage but sadly it wasn't to be. Instead, she got the audience to sing Jason's lines.

The complete schedule went as follows:

ACT ONE: HOMECOMING. Theme of a chorus line.

Showgirl Overture
Better the devil you know
In your eyes
White diamond
On a night like this

ACT TWO: EVERYTHING TABOO. Theme of a London nightclub, late 1980s.

Shocked
What do I have to do
Spinning around

ACT THREE: SAMSARA. Theme of the dawn of time.

Confide in me
Cowboy style
Too far

ACT FOUR: Athletica. Theme of a boxing gym in Hollywood, late 1950s.

Red blooded woman
Slow
Kids

ACT FIVE: DREAMS. Theme of the moon over Broadway, late 1930s.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Come into my world
Chocolate
I believe in you
Dreams (impossible princess)

ACT SIX: Pop Paridiso. Theme of movie stars and pin-ups.

Burning up/Vogue
Locomotion
I should be so lucky
Hand on your heart

ACT SEVEN: DANCE OF THE CYBERMEN. Theme of the age of steel, the far future.

Can't get you out of my head
Light years

ENCORE:

Especially for you
Got be to certain (at the request of a fan)
Love at first sight

I always like to see how artists interact with the audience. Right near the start, I think Kylie had a couple of marriage proposals and declarations of love, to which she giggled and put her hand over her mouth (see pic). She had a good chat with some of the kids near the stage at the end which was really sweet. She does seem like a very warm-hearted person.

It was a fabulously enjoyable concert, one I would highly recommend. Despite having a cold, I found the energy to wiggle my hips and clap my hands all night. Thanks Kylie for a great night. You are a true showgirl!