Blondes are preferred – at least with more than a thousand mostly male visitors to the sold out Grosse Freiheit 36. Pop star Kim Wilde, one of the last great blondes in the industry, had announced herself for her only Germany appearance in Hamburg.
While the dark-haired Mari Hamada, Japan’s most popular star, struggled to cheer up with brittle charm and gentle rock, the last tickets for courses for 100 marks changed hands in front of the music club.
When Kim entered the stage shortly before 10 p.m. in skinny fringed lederhosen with flap, platform soles, transparent top and black bra, some men were already fighting for the best seats. Her pout with her childlike, nasal voice kept what the concert announcement promised: “The hits live”, matching the singles collection that has just been released. One cracker chased the next and showed just how much top hits the 33 year old has got in her repertoire: “Cambodia”, “You Keep Me Hangin ‘On”, “View From A Bridge” and the indispensable “Love Blonde”. From the recent past she sang “Love is Holy” and “If I Can’t Have You”.
Her movements to the songs seemed provocatively skillful. The audience raced. Visibly moved by so much applause and flowers, the Englishwoman was in top form and did what she wanted with the raging pack.
Despite prophecies of doom, Kim Wilde’s pop still worked in the 1990s. In the encore part she sang “Real Wild Child” and the fitting “I’m the Wild One” by Iggy Pop – to finally ask if anyone could remember her first hit 13 years ago: “Kids in America” it roared back from the hall.
After 70 successful minutes, Kim Wilde’s followers went into the night satisfied, and the star partied in the flower café and later in the patio at the Select Club until the morning.