Searing Light, wind machine at an angle from the front and blue and white striped shirt under a black blazer: Kim Wilde makes no bones about it, in what music era she celebrated her greatest successes. Like no other she brings these slightly dusty 1980s classics to the stage. Straightforward, unpretentious, almost looks a little cool, but this also reduced to the essentials, and in the case of British woman that’s just the music. Catchy synth melodies backed by driving guitars and rampant Ououou-nananana choruses Kim Wilde once catapulted into the ears of fans, so in the charts and lasting effect on all the compilations that lead to the term New Wave in the title.
This categorization is not entirely correct, of course, but rather it corresponds to the commerce-oriented perspective of the European mainland. In their native Britain claimed a lot more bulky representatives of the music-playing guild of the concept in itself, and therefore got to get there much faster, interest in the “Bardot of Pop”, which increased by an insert in sex-appeal could not be woken.
Glamour and sex appeal are no longer the attributes on the Kim Wilde sets. Instead one could describe the concert in the Stuttgart theater house as down to earth and solid. The suggestion of a show staircase in the middle of the stage is more space creating requisite for expression of pomp and circumstance. It serves as a platform for solo playing musicians who are otherwise discreetly on side of the stage. Only bassist Nick Beggs, who contributed in their “Kajagoogoo” makes the low notes, with a kilt, blonde pigtails and oversized sunglasses for a touch of eccentricity, which is missing on the front woman.
And for sex appeal now the wild-niece Scarlett is responsible, wearing an overall unbuttoned to the belly button, for the background vocals. This family project will be completed by brother Ricky on guitar. He, along with Father Marty Wilde, the most hits written and shaped as a producer, the sound of his sister. It is not surprising that it is the catchy tunes of old, which trigger the fans enthusiasm. “Chequered Love”, “Cambodia”, “View from a Bridge” to get over 40-Parties off the ground. And if that’s not enough, you get handed to foreign compositions. The rousing anthem Nena “Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime” for example.
Musical highlight
In 2003 brought the two pop-Kehlchen revamped the song as a duet together and climbed to the elevator, they heaved out of the woodwork. With her version of “Forever Young” by Alphaville Kim Wilde wouldn’t have done that. While being a synth driven ballad in the overall concept remains bland and colorless, and therefore is left far behind in comparison with the new pieces of the new album “Come Out and Play”. They cover the eighties reminiscences, without breaking new paths – you can see a clearer rock orientation and see. All the same, one could now prejudge were it not for the acoustic set, which consists Wilde family on the show stairs, and “Love Blonde”, “Thought it was goodbye” and the magnificent cover version of “Sleeping Satellite” is a relaxed musical highlight. In this quarter of an hour, a mix of the sound is recognizable, which, however, towards the end of the concert again largely lost. For most viewers it does not matter. By the end they have to wait for “You Keep Me Hangin ‘On” and “Kids in America”. The good sound she provides herself through her voice.