Here and Now Tour Diary 2004

10 December 2004
The first night of a tour is always one filled with anticipation for both artists and audience. What would happen in this one, the fourth time Kim is participating?
Fans needn't have worried about Kim: she was as much on top of things as she was on previous occasions. Many fans already wondered about what she would be wearing. For this night, Kim wore a new top, designed by herself and made, as were previous outfits, by designer Michelle Banarse. With shoulders bare and glitter on her face and arms, she looked as sparkly as the upcoming Christmas feasts. A surprising choice in repertoire was the medley of 'Cambodia' and 'If I can't have you', two songs that went surprisingly well together. There was also fun to be had with 'Rockin' around the Christmas tree', complete with funny hats for Kim and the whole band. Just like last year, only the hats were even funnier.
Rick had a longer duty tonight, as he was also doing guitar parts for Belinda Carlisle. For both Belinda and Kim, Rick was doing the honours in a dynamic way, dancing around on the stage full of energy.
As always, the other acts were varying in entertainment value. Limahl got a better audience reception than most openers on these Here & Now Tours, starting with one of the 1980's icon songs 'Too shy'. Next up was Living in a box, doing a pretty dynamic but slightly cramped set. Bucks Fizz were the main focus of this tour, because their reunion was quite spectacular. After all the rows of recent years, no-one would have guessed they would ever be seen together again. Even now, they were not complete as Bobby Gee didn't make it to this show. We were promised that he would be present the next night in Birmingham. With seven songs, perhaps this set was slightly too long. The songs are okay enough but the dance routines were clearly not too well rehearsed, to the amusement (and bemusement) of both Mike Nolan and the audience. And I'm not too sure if the band should still be ripping off skirts 23 years after originally doing this.
Nik Kershaw's set, on the other hand, was too short. Jokingly announcing a song from his new album, Nik knew what people were coming for: some 80's stuff. And his voice was sublime. After sound problems during the first three acts, Nik's set was the first one to actually sound good.
Belinda Carlisle and Kim were great as ever, after which it was up to Midge Ure to follow up on that song, 'Kids in America'. Paul Young and the Human League have had some problems keeping the audiences in on previous tours, but Midge did a great set. His performance of 'Fade to grey' was a surprise, because two years ago this was Steve Strange's song, but of course Midge was involved in the production of this song as well. The Walker Brothers cover 'No regrets', originally released by Midge solo in the early 1980's, was impressive, as was his emotional performance of 'Dancing with tears in my eyes'.
Closing the show was a group performance of 'Do they know it's Christmas'. Midge Ure pleaded to the audience to donate money on the way out and to buy as many copies of the Band Aid 20 single as possible, because "every single sold is a live saved". Belinda, Kim and Limahl were clearly in a little group of their own on stage, as were Midge and Nik at some point.
Of all the Here & Now tours so far, this one looks like it's going to be the best so far. There's six more nights to come, so if you get a chance to see one of those 200 minute spectaculars, take it!

Full setlist

Limahl
Too shy
Ooh to be ah
Neverending story

Living in a box
Blow the house down
Room in your heart
Living in a box

Bucks Fizz
New beginning (Mamba Seyra)
My camera never lies
Run for your life
Piece of the action
If you can't stand the heat
The land of make believe
Making your mind up

Nik Kershaw
Wide boy
The riddle
I won't let the sun go down on me
Wouldn't it be good

Belinda Carlisle
Live your life be free
I get weak
(We want) the same thing
Circle in the sand
Leave a light on
Heaven is a place on earth

Kim Wilde
Chequered love
Never trust a stranger
Cambodia/If I can't have you
Rockin' around the Christmas tree
You came
You keep me hangin' on
Kids in America

Midge Ure
Hymn
Fade to grey
If I was
No regrets
Love's great adventure
Vienna
Dancing with tears in my eyes

All together
Do they know it's Christmas

11 December 2004
After the first concert in Sheffield, the second one in Birmingham yesterday evening was different in some ways. The audience was even more enthusiastic, the sound was better and the artists' order of appearance was different. There were some changes in Kim's set, too!
The changes in order were caused by the fact that Bobby Gee, the fourth member of Bucks Fizz who was not there in Sheffield, had to leave early for something else. This meant that Bucks Fizz were actually the first act to appear on stage at 7.30 pm. They played the same songs and got the same reception from the audience. This time around, though, the dance routines appeared better rehearsed and the whole performance was better than it was in Sheffield. Also, letting Bucks Fizz appear first meant that all the acts got the response they deserved. Especially Limahl, who had traded spots with Bucks Fizz (he appeared as the third act tonight after Living in a Box) had an even better interaction with the audience than the day before.
Belinda Carlisle's set was slightly shorter, scrapping the song '(We want) the same thing'.
Kim Wilde appeared on stage with the same outfit as yesterday, except for the black gloves. She opened her set with "Never trust a stranger", which was a surprise, especially as it was followed by 'Chequered love'. This new sequence did work: for the die-hard fans it was a nice change to hear a different song to start with. There were more changes: after these two songs, Kim followed through with 'Cambodia/If I can't have you', 'You keep me hangin' on', 'Rockin' around the Christmas tree', 'You came' and 'Kids in America'. Quite a change, then. Kim dedicated 'You came' to Hal, who was in the audience with Harry and Rose today.
Midge Ure's set remained unchanged and was dynamic and forceful. He appears to have some trouble with the many high notes in 'Vienna' and 'Dancing with tears in my eyes', but if that's the only remark to make, then by all means it is acceptable.
The whole bunch of artists, except Bobby Gee and Belinda Carlisle, who had already left, returned for 'Do they know it's Christmas'. This time around, the artists seemed more confident in their roles as participants in this song, interacting a lot more than the day before in Sheffield.

14 December 2004
The third concert in the Here & Now Tour 2004 was less suprising than the second one, but equally dynamic. The original order of the acts was restored and the setlists seemed to be pretty certain now for the rest of the tour. Kim rocked the Arena once again!
"Was anyone here last year?", Kim asked the audience in the middle of her set. Part of the audience cheered enthusiastically. It was obvious that the Here & Now Tour has its own following, totally in gear for a night of good music. And that was exactly what was offered. Kim, dressed in what she described as her 'dog collar' of diamonds and two diamond bracelets, and the now familiar new leather top and matching trousers, had a long journey to the most Northern venue of the tour. Not that there was any fatigue showing during her set: the songs, brought in the same order as last Saturday, were equally dynamic. The medley of 'Cambodia' and 'If I can't have you' is perhaps the surprise in this tour, because the two songs seem to work together like you would never imagine they would.
Of course, it's not only Kim who is the star on stage: her brother Rick is almost the master of ceremonies during Kim's and Belinda's set, rocking away on his guitar and bouncing around on stage with an unmatched charisma.
On this night, part of the audience had to come in during Limahl's set, which is a bit tough but he handled the audience well. 'Too shy' and 'Neverending story' are two songs that lend themselves well to singalongs, whereas 'Ooh to be ah' is a bit of a weird song that keep everyone guessing what to do with it.
Living in a box is still as dynamic as ever but the songs don't always come across like they should. Part of the blame was the music mix during this night: it was a bit too loud, the bass was a bit overstated and some of the voices during the night sounded more shrill than in previous nights.
Bucks Fizz had a triumphant performance, getting a lot of response from the Newcastle audience. The seven songs are fluffy pop numbers that go down well with everyone but perhaps seven nights of Bucks Fizz will be a bit hard to swallow. It is a bit unbalanced hearing seven Bucks Fizz songs and then only four Nik Kershaw ones, but that's only my opinion of course.
Nik Kershaw has his own way of handling the audience: "During the next 20 minutes, you are mine", he proclaims, after which the four songs are served.
Belinda's set, again without '(We want) The same thing', was slightly stronger than in previous nights, with the added sparkle of Rick and Shelley Preston (the Bucks Fizz singer who is also Belinda's backing singer during this tour). Belinda seems to enjoy this tour and it shows.
The final act was of course Midge Ure, who seems to have less problems following up the legendary 'Kids in America' than Paul Young and the Human League did in previous Here & Now tours. The songs 'Hymn' and 'Fade to grey' are great songs, performed with great passion. Even if there is a slight slump in the set because of the ballad 'No regrets', I feel that Midge Ure is a fine choice to end the evening. Especially since 'Do they know it's Christmas' is such an appropriate choice to end the evening. This time, only Belinda was missing from the group of artists on stage. At 11 pm, another great night had come to an end.

Perhaps there was only one problem tonight: the Arena was less sold out than in previous years. If there is another Here & Now tour, I fear that Newcastle might not be part of it. Let's hope the next night will attract larger audiences.

15 December 2004
What really went on backstage in Manchester? Is Kim's marriage in danger? Kim's concert in Manchester yesterday shocked the fans...
Kim Wilde, wearing her old outfit from previous Here & Now tours once again, talked to the audience after a few songs, saying that there is a great atmosphere backstage. Then she revealed: "Mike Nolan kissed me...". During a previous concert Kim confessed that she would actually like to be one of the girls in Bucks Fizz, but now she told the audience she actually kissed one of the boys in the band, adding: "...on the lips!".
There's not much more to be told about this, although I'm sure if one of the tabloids got hold of this quote they would create a great article out of it. (Sorry chaps, I beat you to the punch!)
The concert in Manchester was similar to the previous one in Newcastle, as the same songs were performed by all the artists. The only difference was that Midge Ure had a slight problem with his voice during his last few songs, although it was probably nothing serious. The audience was enthusiastic as always, standing up for almost all the acts on the night.

16 December 2004
For most artists, performing at Wembley Arena, London is something special. And so the fifth date of the Here & Now Tour 2004 was something to look forward to.
Kim followed up on her confession in Manchester the day before by saying that she would like to be in Bucks Fizz, and actually singing two lines from 'My camera never lies'. Before everyone gets too excited: Kim also said that this probably wasn't very likely to happen.
She was in a good mood, performing 'Never trust a stranger' while bending down and laying down on her back on stage right in the beginning of the song. The dramatic song was followed up with the songs from the now usual set, such as 'Chequered love', 'Cambodia' and all the rest. There was also a mutiny going on when guitarist Erwin almost refused to put on his silly hat for 'Rockin' around the Christmas tree'! Perhaps more developments will happen the next two concerts in this department...
All the other artists did a fine job, especially Midge Ure who had to battle against darkness for a few seconds as the lightshow decided to call it a day. The encore, 'Do they know it's Christmas' was performed by all the Here & Now artists, plus special guests: Ricky and Mandy Wilde (with their kids Scarlett and Mason), Glenn Gregory and Martyn Ware from Heaven 17, Steve Kemp from Spandau Ballet and Paul Young, who sang the first lines of the song like he did on the record in 1984.
Wembley is always an exciting concert, and this year was no exception.

17 December 2004
The sixth concert in the Here & Now Tour 2004 saw Kim rocking around the Christmas tree with Rudolph, a surprise from the audience.
Kim introduces the track 'Rockin' around the Christmas tree' with a prop, a novelty hat which she wears during the song, after which she urges the band to wear hats as well. While she was doing this in Plymouth, Kim was surprised herself when Dutch fan Arjen threw Rudolph on stage, a stuffed animal in the shape of a reindeer, almost eight inches in height. She obviously loved it, because it stayed in her hands for the whole duration of the song. Kim then proceeded to hit guitarist Erwin with it, and let Rudolph kiss Ricki on the lips.
It was one of the moments during this night that showed that the artists in this tour had a really good time. Kim was playing one of her most energetic concerts so far during this tour, Midge Ure's set was tighter than ever and the audience was utterly receptive of all the acts. Perhaps it was caused by the fact that this was a standing concert, which always makes a difference when compared to a seated one, but there was an electric atmosphere in the Plymouth Pavilion.
Two things were different during this night. Bucks Fizz performed without Bobby G again, because he had another obligation again, just like the Friday before. Kim sang the now familiar changed line 'In the space of ten years / I watched the old me disappear' during 'You came' again, after having sung 'In the space of a year' the two nights before.
Plymouth was a new location for these Here & Now tours, but it was a good choice. For whatever reason, this was a perfect concert. Lots of fun for everyone who was there!

18 December 2004
The Here & Now Tour 2004 is over. The last concert took place in the Brighton Centre. Falling skirts, Village People and the largest crowd scene during 'Do they know it's Christmas' ensured that this was a memorable night.
The Brighton Centre is a remarkable venue, close to the sea and always filled with enthusiastic crowds whenever the Here & Now Tour is in town. The now familiar friendly atmosphere was rewarded with a truly wonderful closing show of the 2004 tour.
Limahl had no problem winning the crowd over with his charm and singing, and got to ask 'Do you feel as good as I look?' one more time. Singer Richard D from Living in a box made no changes in his words in between songs either: 'It's a bit like travelling through time. It's been 17 years. See if this one brings back any memories'. Still, the songs were played with remarkable skill. Bucks Fizz had a slight problem in the clothing department. Singer Shelley Preston lost her skirt during 'If you can't stand the heat', two songs before 'Making your mind up' was up, with the familiar 'skirt-ripping' routine. After the song, while she was putting the skirt back on, singer Mike Nolan jokingly threatened to drop his pants later on in the show.
Nik Kershaw seemed to have a good time bouncing around on the stage, while declaring 'The old magic's still not there' after asking the audience to scream.
Kim, who asked the band to wear the silly hats for 'Rockin' around the Christmas tree' again, was surprised when they all wore white plastic hats all of a sudden. When they explained they were the Village People, she was kindof confused. Fortunately, this chaotic situation was swiftly changed when the band quickly proceeded to wear their Christmas hats one last time.
The final song of the night was, as always, 'Do they know it's Christmas', introduced by Midge Ure and sung by all the artists. Belinda Carlisle was also there, having missed five of the previous occasions. There were many more people on stage, though: children from various performers, and Kim Wilde fans also spotted Ricki, Mandy and Scarlett.
For the last time the audience was asked to contribute money for Band Aid and to keep the single from Band Aid 20 on no. 1 in the charts well into the new year. It was 10.52 pm: the last concert was over.

After the last concert in Brighton, there was a large crowd waiting at the stage door to say goodbye to the artists. Unfortunately, it was raining...
There are always some fans waiting at the stage door, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite artists. The Brighton Centre is renowned for its stage door scenes because the chances of meeting your idol there are quite big. This year was no exception in the Here & Now Tour department. For the first time during this tour, however, it was raining. It meant that some of the people waiting in Brighton got soaked.
A few artists, like Limahl and Belinda Carlisle, got out through a different exit, but others were swamped. When Kim Wilde appeared, it was almost mayhem. Several people were surrounding her, asking for autographs and portraits with fans. When she finally got away, ten minutes later, everyone was left standing in the rain -- but enriched with a few good memories.

On a personal note...
Ten days in England. A little behind the scenes look of what happens when you follow Kim Wilde.

Whenever I say that my main holiday for the year will consist of ten days in England in December, most people look at me as if I've lost it. It may not seem the most appealing way to spend your free time, but in reality this fourth Here & Now Tour has proved to be nothing less than an adventure. A tour like this easily beats four weeks on a beach. There are so many things that happen to you when you choose to spend your time travelling around this island, mainly using public transport and trying to squeeze in some sightseeing and shopping along the way. Although not all strictly Kim Wilde-related, I felt I had to share a few of the more amazing moments with you here.
Starting on 9 December, the flight with Jet2 was very affordable, if a bit belated. One can't complain getting in Leeds Bradford when one pays 33 euros including taxes though. I spent the first night in York, in a small hotel right across a little church and a graveyard, which was appropriate since I also indulged in a ghost walk during the evening. Having done this two years ago in Edinburgh, I can really recommend this to anyone. It's great fun and a very weird way to see a city.
The first gig took place in Sheffield, so I travelled there the next morning to meet up with Yvonne, my travelling partner for the rest of the holiday. The concert was exciting, like one would expect. Every year you don't know what to expect, since except for Kim most acts are new to us. I was amazed that I knew all of the songs on the set list this year, usually there are one or two songs I didn't know in the three hour set. A lot of knowledge of 80's pop is a great thing during these tours...
The second date in Birmingham was the one that will hold an amazing memory for the both of us. Some time after the concert we found ourselves stranded near the NEC building as the access to the train station had already been closed. We ended up going to control point number 2, near the Arena, to get ourselves a taxi. Thanks to the security lady on duty at the time we didn't have to wait in the cold for the time it took for the taxi to arrive... which was 90 minutes in the end! She and her co-worker Derick McCulloch were an advertisement for the NEC security personnel as they were truly helpful at a time when the taxis seemed to be on their way but never actually reached the NEC grounds. I will surely never forget this great night, even if it meant we only got to sleep at three in the morning.
The two days when there were no concerts, we spent some more time in Birmingham and Newcastle. We discovered that the German Christmas markets were very popular in the UK right now. Birmingham's Frankfurter Christmas market was a bit strange, as they were not only selling products from Frankfurt but also from Dresden and Dusseldorf. Great Gluhwein, though!
Birmingham's China Court restaurant was one of the culinary highlights of the tour, whereas Newcastle's Puccini wasn't bad at all, either!
The award for the best hotel in the tour has to go to Newcastle's Jury's Inn, a new hotel which was still being built in 2001 when I was first in that city, and now it has become this luxurious hotel offering modest but outstanding rooms for a truly great night's sleep. It was a real pleasure staying there. And it was right across from the Arena, as well!
Next up was Manchester. It was the local German Christmas market which spawned one of the weirdest running gags during this tour. Yvonne commented that she was a bit wary of the bratwursten being sold there as they looked a bit suspicious. She said that she didn't trust these sausages. On which I quoted the famous Kim Wilde song, 'Never trust a stranger with a sausage'. It was the beginning of a long week of double entendres and innuendo. The big wheel of Manchester was quite an event too. No offence, but I've never seen an uglier panorama in my life. Rooftops with radiators as far as the eye could reach!
London proved to be a hectic day for me. Trying to squeeze in a quick shopping spree in Berwick street, KimWildeTV's meeting in Soho and a visit to the internet cafe to do an update of the website was just a bit too much for only three hours. And then there was also the dinner, of course, which has to be one of the highlights of this tour for me. It was a pleasure to see everyone having such a great time.
The next day it was off to Plymouth for the first "new" city. Having seen all the previous ones at least once before, Plymouth was the one I was really looking forward to. Unfortunately the town came across as a bit of a dismal affair, reminiscent of Cardiff and its bleak streets. The local internet cafe was quite weird as well: sitting behind one of only three pc's with four people queing behind me as I was writing a few news stories was a strange experience. The hotel was lovely again, however. At night I discovered the joys of getting slightly drunk together with Yvonne, Arjen and Emiel as we were celebrating one of the best concerts in the tour.
Arjen and Emiel were also our rides for the next day, as we travelled from Plymouth to Brighton. It's quite a distance, but we did manage to squeeze in a quick trip to Stonehenge. An impressive place.
The search for our hotel in Hove was quite amusing as it turned out to be so close to Brighton. Having never actually seen Hove I was under the impression that it was good to have arranged everything with the two guys, but in the end we managed to walk to and from the Brighton Centre - no car needed at all. The hotel was slightly strange: the corridors carried the strange smell of Tandoori while the towels smelled like cigarettes.

Those were a few short impressions of a great tour. I didn't even mention all the great people we met before and after concerts. The Bucks Fizz fan who told me that Kim Wilde was "the dog's bollocks", when at first I only heard him say "bollocks", the train personnel who looked at my rail pass as if it were a document written in runes, and all the fans and friends - you know who you are. And of course some of the other people that gave us something to talk about: the idiot in Plymouth who stepped in and took the place of two girls I was holding for them, the fans who had to stay home and bombarded me with e-mail and everyone else.

These tours are great holidays.