That old tongue-in-cheek saying; nostalgia ain’t what it used to be, came to mind tonight. When you rock up to a venue to see an artist or band whose prime time was a few decades ago, there is always that unanswered question of will the singer still have the voice to carry off the songs we know and love.
Will they chop the arrangements about and/or lower the key to their songs, or even miss out certain songs altogether. You may have seen some singers let others in the band or the backing vocalists sing the higher notes.
Kim has an ace six-piece band who deserve a pat on the back for their performance…
Some even just encourage the fans to sing parts of the songs while they stay quiet. While many cobble together a medley of a bunch of their hits and miss out vast chunks of each song.
That was where my head was at tonight, at the sold out (1800 capacity) all-seated Indigo at the 02 in L0ndon, for 80s teenage pop star Kim Wilde and her band, plus support act Cutting Crew.
At £50 to £90 a ticket, you can bet there was more than just me wondering if this artist could still deliver a headline concert worth a chunk of their weekly pay packet.
Well, Kim is still a hot ticket it seems, with her current and recent touring taking in nine countries, and packing decent sized venues.
Plus the fact her latest album, ” Closer”, her 15th solo album has done very well and received unanimous praise from fans and the media. The “follow-up” to her her 1988 LP “Close.”
On the latest album, “Closer”, Kim’s guest is Midge Ure on a song called “Sorrow Replaced”, and offers up a bunch of snug-fit new songs in a pop meets new wave style. That includes the radio “hit” singles “Trail Of Destruction” and “Midnight Train”.
On this tour she sings a good few from the album and it’s predecessor, “Close”, and those who want to hear the hits are not disappointed.
London-born Kim achieved 20 chart hits back in the day, including eight which reached the Top 10, and she had more chart hits than any other British female solo act of that decade.
She had two Top 10 albums with the self-titled debut and “Close.” Music is in her DNA, with a father who was a rock and roll star and in film in the 50s and 60s; Marty Wilde.
The two-song encore ends with her biggest hit, “Kids In America”, a timeless piece of perfect pop. The last song of the main set pre-encore is another smash for her, a cover of The Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hanging On”. ”
Fan favourite and another of her hits, “Chequered Love” gets an airing too.
A value for money 20 songs in the set, including a lovely duet with…no, not Midge, it is the turn of her talented niece Scarlett Wilde, daughter of Kim’s brother Ricky who plays guitar in her band and is her producer too. [Kim, Ricky and Scarlett penned all the songs on “Closer”.]
Scarlett is the backing vocalist in the band, but shares the spotlight with Auntie Kim on “Hourglass Human”. But she had 1799 other singers joining in to many of the songs tonight, when the fans got stuck into big sing-a-longs throughout the night.
The one who didn’t join in was me; my singing voice sounds a bit like a burning pet shop! Despite this being a seated gig, most of the audience were standing and shaking a tail feather early on in the set. On a school night too!
I opened this review asking the question can Kim still deliver strong, faultless vocals and in the same keys as her hits, some four decades later, and at the age of 64. You can bet your backside she can and she did. No question.
And unlike some major stars who mime or sing to tracks which include the original vocals, and/or use auto-tune, Ms Wilde is not guilty of any of that skulduggery.
Dare I say, without being cancelled, Kim looks fabulous at 64? There, I said it. Don’t write in!
Kim has gone through the mill a bit in recent times, with the agony of a slipped disc and several bouts of Covid. But she was in fine form in her home town, and is obviously still at the top of her game creatively with a lot to give.
Kim Wilde setlist – London
Hey Mister Heartache
You Came
Never Trust a Stranger
Trail of Destruction
Midnight Train
Love’s a No/You’ll Be the One Who’ll Lose/Four Letter Word
Stone
(Followed by band introduction)
Hourglass Human
(Duet with Kim & Scarlett Wilde)
Lighthouse
Rocket To The Moon
Cambodia
Water on Glass
View From a Bridge
Chequered Love
Love Is Love
You Keep Me Hangin’ On
(The Supremes cover)
Encore:
Scorpio
Kids in America
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Support tonight was Cutting Crew, the London band formed in 1985, best known for their debut album “Broadcast“ (1986) and Top 40 hit single, the wonderful “(I Just) Died in Your Arms”. Still fronted by Nick Van Eede and sounding great.
Photos by Liam Battersby
Words by Steve Best
