Kim Wilde revived the Eighties for a little while in De Neushoorn yesterday evening. “My voice is better than ever.”
Especially people in their forties and fifties fill the large hall. They paid 41 euros to see the new wave icon and sex symbol – and until now the best selling British female singer ever – perform again. Mariette Postma from Hurdegaryp (45) looks a little like singer, even if it’s just her platinum blonde hair. “I used to be a real fan of this girl, but also Madonna and Duran Duran. Just totally fun.”
At the back of the hall is Hans Wellin (64) from Tynaarlo, sitting on a sort of scaffolding. As a person in a wheelchair he can still see everything from above the audience. His daughter Annemieke Wellin (30) from Groningen gave him the concert as a present. “I waited 35 years for this”, says Hans. “I think it’s really great.” Not just the music, also the personality. “There’s a real person on stage. Even if she’d read from the Bible, I’d still be fascinated by that woman.”
Just before nine the world star gives a small interview in one of the offices. The same blonde hair, the red lips and the heavy eyebrows, painted black. Only the hard TL lights give away that she’s 55 years old, but not fake and just as spicy and sparkling as in the old days.
“My voice is better, richer than ever”, she says. And she feels happier than ever too. “Yes, very. Getting older is a positive thing for me, something that comes with lots of advantages. Because you’re emotionally, personally and spiritually grown.”
Her father also still performs. “He is 76 now. And still sings ‘Kids in America’. Haha.”
From 9.15pm onwards the singer shows on stage that she is still full of energy. Like a young flower she runs to and fro. And her voice has – even in the higher regions – not lost any of its quality. Over 700 visitors sing along with ‘Kids in America’, ‘Never trust a stranger’, ‘Cambodia’ and many other hits. “I haven’t seen your lovely faces for such a long time”, the singer says with a big smile. “But we’re all still here.”