Kim Wilde looked around in wonder in Saasveld. “It took some getting used to when I heard that we were to perform here,” the British singer had to confess. “But the room looks perfect.” Wilde became a Saturday night with singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw in the Twente village.
The remote location also surprised Wilde’s management. “Her manager called me and said: what the hell are you taking us here for, there are only cows,” said organizer Rolf Woolderink to Reuters News. “But fortunately he agreed.”
Wilde came to the Netherlands to draw attention to her Christmas album Wilde Winter Songbook. The gig at Twente is part of a small tour that the 53-year-old singer also brings to cities like Brussels and London. “This is the start of my Christmas tour,” explained Wilde before the show. “I really feel like making my Dutch fans happy.”
At Wilde Winter Songbook are some notable duets. Kim’s father Marty and brother Ricky can be heard on the record. “It was not an obvious choice, but the result I find amazing. Also my daughter Rose doing background vocals for the song ‘Hope’ is very special for me.”
Wilde, known for hits such as Kids in America and Cambodia, received for her Christmas album help of another icon of the eighties. On the song Winter Wonderland, the first single from the album, Rick Astley sings along. “It was great to work with him. It is not only a charming man, his voice mixes perfectly with mine.”
Wilde hopes that her Christmas album also means a comeback in the music world. “It would be great if this record is going to do very well. Because this album is very personal for me, I really hope it will be a great success.”