Date: 19 November 2010
Originally published in: Sächsische Zeitung (Germany)
Written by: Doreen Hübler
In the eighties she was a pop icon, yesterday she commuted to Club Nero, traveling between stress and rose bushes and sang old and new hits for fans.
Going into retirement is definitely not happening this day. Yesterday Kim Wilde had stress – travel stress. Airplane, taxi, train, the singer has since early morning used all means of transport to commute from her home in London to Dresden. Actually nothing unusual if not just on this day where everything would revolve around a number. Kim Wilde, the pop icon of the eighties, is 50 and celebrates this round anniversary with a concert at Club Nero with 150 fans.
Just the sound check is fading, new songs and classics, her last hit “You came”. Now she plucks again, adjusting the black lace blouse, pulling the lips and posing with high, high heels on a leather couch. Smiling for the professional photographers, a tiny, tired moment, quickly followed by a wink from dramatically painted eyes. Around the neck is flashing a silver scorpion, a birthday present from her brother Ricky, who has escorted her to Germany. At least part of the family is there on the day, with the rest, Kim Wilde celebrated a night before. Her daughter gave her a homemade birthday cake and selfmade presents, the parents presented a bouquet of 50 roses, told the singer.
All the things that she likes – especially beautiful flowers, because in her second career Kim Wilde, the pop singer, was a TV expert on garden design. Now she has been standing for a while on stage again, inspired by her German colleague Nena, with whom she has recorded a duet years ago. “She has awakened the rock-chick in me,” she says. The desire for the limelight – no doubt about that even on their birthday may shine down on them. “I have so far only had good birthdays,” she says. “Whether they were big or small.” And the number 50? No need to worry about, she insists. “It is an occasion to reflect and I’m grateful for the most important thing. My family, my health …” And somehow, for the unrest in their lives, because that brings surprises. For example, the bottle of champagne just in taxi – A gift of the driver and a solace for the travel stress.
