Seasoned circus master: Kim Wilde offers a musical worthy pop show

The Nobel is at home in many markets. Genres such as electro-pop, rock, metal and funk have already been given a stage. Big names are often involved. For example, Spinvis and Son Mieux already gave a show and since November 24, the Nobel has seen another star: that of the British singer Kim Wilde, known for ‘Kids in America’ and ‘Anyplace, anywhere, anytime’. Accompanied by her six-piece band, her British pop provides a warm bath of Dutch conviviality as the show continues.

Under soft dark red light, an excited chatting audience awaits Kim Wilde in a Nobel filled to the brim. They are going to see their idol! Soon she enters, unmistakably the star of the evening in her black bustier and red, fluttering skirt. “Leiden, are you in a good mood?” The audience cheers, but is not just in the mood: questions whether Leiden is “just in a better mood”, “in a mood for good music” are responded to even more enthusiastically. A broad toothpaste smile, rimmed in red lipstick, bounces off the spotlight. The drummer hits the eardrums and electric guitar is cranked. In high heels, the singer marches forward and wraps the entire room with sweeping gestures.

After that first song she goes for a cool look and puts on some sunglasses. Her background singer follows and they perform a polyphonic song with great panache. Tonight it’s a party, the singer calls out, a party to celebrate pop music. The audience cheers. A rectangular, elongated box is handed to the pop diva. She turns it over: it’s three white chocolate letters, a K, an I and an M. Perfectly in line with the next, swinging number: ‘Candy crush’. It is certainly a feast for pop music. Unfortunately, the singer herself does not seem to agree with this yet. She is a professional, her steps are thoughtful, but her gestures are also a bit wooden. Fortunately, she gradually releases ‘Candy crush’. After the song, the skirt goes over her black leather leggings and a Single Ladies outfit à la Beyoncé emerges. She put it on especially for us, she explains. “I love a Dutch crowd.” The love is mutual and again the pop star gets chocolate, white Toblerone this time. Her song ‘Four letters’ is a bit more sensitive and fits less with this leading lady. She does it routinely. No, the heavier ballads are clearly more her cup of tea. ‘Anyplace, anywhere, anytime’ sees dancing young women between the predominantly forty and fifty year old audience who also like to play along a bit. The atmosphere is no less: spectators nudge each other at their favorite song, acquaintances or not. So the togetherness is great.

The party is over at half past ten. Kim Wilde and her band wave off, but everyone knows it’s not over yet; wasn’t the estimated end time at ten o’clock? After a few minutes the lights go back on and La Wilde, as a circus master with a silver glitter cape and cap, really fulfills her Greatest Hits Tour promise: three more songs follow, with ‘Kids in America’ as the last icing on the cake of a mostly rousing, cheerful performance that both seasoned fans and newcomers could indulge themselves in.