Date: 17 October 2022
Published in: Express (Germany)
Written by: Marcel Schwamborn
Pop icon Kim Wilde started her tour of Germany, which had been postponed several times, in Cologne. Under the motto “Greatest Hits”, the singer played her way through her 40-year career.
“Do you like the 80s?” Kim Wilde (61) could have given himself this question on Sunday evening (October 16, 2022). The convincing “yes” of the audience in Cologne should not have surprised them.
A good 1000 fans euphorically went on a journey through time with the pop icon. First there was some of the biggest canned 80s hits as waiting music, then 100 minutes of full throttle from the Brit, who shaped this decade like no other.
Kim Wilde: The concert in Cologne was moved to a smaller hall at short notice
In 1980, the daughter of musician parents (her father Marty is still touring at the age of 83) signed her first record deal and hit the ground running. With over 30 million records sold, Kim Wilde is one of the most successful singers of the cult decade. She actually wanted to celebrate this event in 2020 with an anniversary tour. But Corona postponed the plans first to 2021, then to 2022.
Now there are other concerns in the live industry, which is why the first of ten German concerts suffered from the general slump in ticket sales. The show was temporarily relocated from the E-Werk to the smaller Carlswerk Victoria. Despite the smaller crowd of fans, there was a good atmosphere there.
“It’s so nice to be back in Germany. It took way too long,” she said enthusiastically. “I feel so much love in the room.” And the fans also had a few surprises in store for their idol. The singer received two bouquets of flowers and even a new pair of gloves as gifts.
Kim Wilde returned the favor with a brilliant ride through her music career. It started with “Rage to Love” from 1985. The program offered all the hits like “Cambodia”, “Checkered Love”, “View from a Bridge”, “You came” or “You keep me hangin’ on”, but also quieter tones like “Love is Holy” or “Four Letter Word”.
From the girl next door with dyed hair and second-hand clothes, the mother of two mutated into the Brigitte Bardot of pop music in 40 years of her career, who still sings incessantly in the draft of a fan and hits every note perfectly.
In between, she also interspersed a few well-known pop quotes such as “Pop Music” by M or “Video killed the Radio Star”. The crowning glory was of course the mega hit “Kids in America”, which started the crazy success story in 1981.
Kim Wilde: For the first time, Nena’s song is part of the “Greatest Hits” tour
For the first time on the “Greatest Hits” tour, the Nena duet “Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime” was also part of the program in Cologne. The song held a special meaning for Kim Wilde. In 2003, when her career actually seemed over, the reissue of the 1984 hit ensured that the British style icon got a new record deal.
