REVIEW: Kylie Minogue Melbourne March 18 2015

Kylie Minogue is no longer afraid to revisit the past and connect with her original audience. With Kiss Me Once, Kylie is musically born again, comfortable with being the Kylie Minogue was when she began.

In a first for Kylie, the Minogue Kiss Me Once tour revolves around the entire musical career of instead of focusing on a recent album. The formula takes the audience on a remarkable 30 years of pop journey. The 80s even gets a complete cluster on its own with ‘Hand On My Heart’, ‘Never Too Late’, ‘Got To Be Certain’ and ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ midway through the setlist.

‘Step Back In Time’ from 1990 is four songs in to the show. ‘Tears On My Pillow’ and ‘The Loco-Motion’ also get a run. When Kylie is Kylie and doesn’t try to compete with Beyonce or Gaga, she gets it so right.

Kylie seemed remarkably relaxed with her performance. Never before have I seen her spend 2-3 minutes talking to the audience. Kiss Me Once often goes one on one like a gigantic lounge room show placed in an arena.

Of course, every Melbourne show being a hometown gig for Ms Minogue means that many, many Minogues are in the audience and a shout out to her Dad to “look away at certain parts, Dad’ drew chuckles from the crowd.

Kylie had one poignant moment in the show when she performs a note perform rendition of INXS ‘Need You Tonight’ in honour of her former boyfriend Michael Hutchence.

The other nod to the past is the inclusion of electronic pop genius Giorgio Moroder. Kylie was clearly in awe of Moroder, the man behind most of the hits for Donna Summer, when he joined the show to perform on their new song ‘Right Here Right Now’ from his album ’74 Is The New 24’.

Kylie also conversed with Giorgio about his past and sang a few parts of Summer’s ‘Love To Love You Baby’ and ‘I Feel Love’. That was truly the “once in a lifetime” moment in the show. We will rarely see the Minogue/Moroder combination, if ever again, outside of this tour.

Moroder also performed a DJ set before the show featuring all songs he had produced, many by Summer including ‘Hot Stuff’, ‘On The Radio’, ‘Last Dance’, ‘Bad Girls’, Love To Love You Baby’ and ‘I Feel Love’ as well as Blondie’s ‘Call Me’, Irene Cara’s ‘Flashdance’ and from Daft Punk’s ‘Random Access Memories’ ‘Giorgio By Moroder’.

While the Kylie set visually was not as large as the previous tour (remember the over the top fountains on stage inside the arena) what this show lacks in gimmickry it more than makes up in personality and entertainment value.

The Kylie performance started 10 minutes late to allow Channel 7 time to re-create a scene for the upcoming Molly Meldrum mini-series. The iconic TV host was in attendance for 7 to film a scene set 5 weeks after his brush with death, most likely to be included at the end of the series, coming later this year.

Kylie’s ‘Kiss Me Once’ show may not be the biggest show she has ever presented, but it is the best.

Kylie Minogue set list, Perth, March 14, 2015

First Kiss
Breathe (intro)
Les Sex (from Kiss Me Once, 2014)
Timebomb (single, 2012)
Wow (from X, 2007)

Secret Kiss
Bauhau Disco (interlude)
Step Back In Time (from Rhythm of Love, 1990)
Spinning Around (from Light Years, 2000)
Your Disco Needs You (from Light Years, 2000)
On A Night Like This (from Light Years, 2000)
Right Here Right Now (with Giorgio Moroder)(from 74 is the New 24, 2015)
I Feel Love (with Giorgio Moroder (Donna Summer cover)
Slow (from Body Language, 2003)

Dizzy Kiss
Chasing Ghosts (interlude)
Enjoy Yourself (interlude)
Hand On Your Heart (from Enjoy Yourself, 1989)
Never Too Late (from Enjoy Yourself, 1989)
Got To Be Certain (from Kylie, 1988)
I Should Be So Lucky (from Kylie, 1988)

Lick Kiss
Skirt (interlude)
Need You Tonight (INXS cover)
Sexercize (from Kiss Me Once, 2014)
(Nu-di-ty (interlude)
Can’t Get You Out of My Head (from Fever, 2001)
Tears On My Pillow (from Enjoy Yourself, 1989)
Kids (from Light Years, 2000)

Aussie Kiss
Beautiful (from Kiss Me Once, 2014)
Kiss Me Once (from Kiss Me Once, 2014)
Get Outta My Way (from Aphrodite, 2010)
Love At First Sight (from Fever, 2001)
I Believe In You (from Ultimate Kylie, 2004)
The Loco-Motion (from Kylie, 1988)
All The Lovers (from Aphrodite, 2010)

Into The Blue (from Kiss Me Once, 2014)

Kylie Minogue dates

March 14, Perth, Perth Arena
March 17, Adelaide, Entertainment Centre
March 18, Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena
March 20, Sydney, QCU Arena
March 21, Brisbane, Entertainment Centre