I want to dedicate this post to All the Lovers, Julie and I met and re-acquainted ourselves with in Manchester. You made it a special trip and an awesome night. Also, Thank you Julie for being a kindred spirit in this crazy game of Life. Can you hear me in stereo?

On Saturday April 2nd, Julie and I woke up with quite a hangover. It could have something to do with the five bars, several pints, and new friends we met the night before. Getting in around 5am, we were starving. The front desk clerks had a rousing conversation with us as we entered. We re-capped their night, our night, I was asked for 50th time whether I realized I looked like The Rock (Yes, it’s been said. I’m too short.) and Julie went hitting up the banquet server for ketchup. With ketchup in hand, I decided it was a perfect time to make egg sandwiches. Cheers to housekeeping at The Place Apartment too for cleaning that mess up! I hope you got the money we left on the counter.

One of the reasons for this trip to the UK was to see Kylie Minogue.
a. Kylie though an international sensation is not popular in the United States.
b. Kylie will be touring the States this Spring for the second time ever but she will not be bringing her stadium show with her.
c. I wanted to se Kylie in her element. I thought it would be a once in a lifetime spectacle and that is what I live for.

Opening night at the MEN Arena was April 1, 2011. Kylie performed to a packed house for the first of four nights of the Aphrodite Les Folies World Stadium Tour in Manchester.

Kylie performed at the MEN Arena to an eclectic crowd. It was a full range of men, women, children, heterosexual and gay couples. It represented the true spirit of integration. The opening act was a local group called the Ultra Girls. We met them after their 20 minute set and they were all very nice. As for their music, it was bland unmemorable listenable yet generic pop. It was sadly nothing that you haven’t heard pre-packaged before like the Spice Girls, Pussycat Dolls and on and on. Did I mention they were super-sweet? Too bad being nice doesn’t sell records.

Our tickets were in the VIP section. For friends of Kylie and crew the tickets were free. For the rest of us fans, they were $250 pounds. For that you got to be in the center of the stage, a backpack, an autographed photo, a souvenir program, a towel, a pancho and a lanyard with a Kylie’s photo attached like a press badge. Most of which is still packed tight except for the lanyard which I gave away to Laura.

in the UK, punctuality is king.  When the artist is announced to appear at 2100 hours, she will be exactly on time. At the top of the hour, there was Ms. Minogue was in all her glory. The two hour andd fifteen minute concert was a dazzling slick production.

The production design was amazing. Kylie went through a dozen costume changes as she was surround by a dozen dancers, aerialists, and her backup singers throughout. Don’t get me wrong, in the era where miming has become common place, there was none of that. KM sang her songs live and many moments she held the stage alone even singing in acapella to an audience request. It is rumored that this production cost in the area of $15 million dollars and every dollar was on that stage.

For the curious, this was not a greatest hits tour. Most of the songs performed came from Kylie’s latest album Aphrodite, which I have played non-stop since it came out. Here is the setlist.

Aphrodite
The One
Wow
Illusion
I Believe in You

Cupid Boy
Spinning Around
Get Outta My Way
What Do I Have to Do?
Everything Is Beautiful

Slow
Confide in Me
Can’t Get You Out of My Head
In My Arms

Looking for an Angel
Closer
There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart) (Eurythmics cover)
Love at First Sight (Mashup with “Can’t Beat the Feeling”)
If You Don’t Love Me

Better the Devil You Know
Got to Be Certain (A cappella by request)
Better Than Today
Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)

Encore:
On a Night Like This
All the Lovers

Basically, it was an over-the-top cabaret show on steroids with enough visual eye candy to convert the most jaded of reviewers to Kylie’s side. What Kylie represents is pure joy and fun in an age of cynicism. Unlike the new wannabe divas, she arrives agenda free. She wants her audience to have a good time and she enjoys them back. I only wish I had invested in a real camera rather than my crappy iPhone.

There was no Madonna moment of prefabricated shock value. You won’t catch Kylie swearing at her fans or feigning lewd gestures for street cred. Kylie genuinely loves and respects her audience. You can feel that. Zeus knows we were close enough to sense insincerity. Kylie at several points had the house lights turned up so she could see the fans in the very last row. This is a star! This is also why she has endured for over 25 years on the top. It is not easy to stay relevant at 43 in a career that wants to put you to pasture at 30. Have you seen what’s become of Christian Aguilera, Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears?

I produced an amateur video to give you a sense of it. It is split into two parts. You may need to be a fan to really enjoy it but if you suspend judgment I think you can feel the energy of the crowd. The only reason to tell these stories is to bring you on the journey and encourage you to create/ share your own. There was nothing rational about this trip. It would have made more sense to stay home and see her locally on her mini-tour arriving in May.

Thank you Kylie for the memories and I accept your thanks for my support.

Thank you the reader for sharing this moment with me.  Now Put Your Hand Up If You Feel the Love!