Words Geoff Jenke
Is it really 2019? Going by the concerts coming through Adelaide recently, one would think it was still 1989. Bananarama, Tiffany, Icehouse, The Jacksons, The Church and many more have all played successful shows in town recently.
Belinda Carlisle’s tour was in celebration of 30 years since the release of her iconic album Runaway Horsesand had sold out The Gov weeks before she arrived in Australia.
The audience was on her side right from the opening note of the song Runaway Horses, waving arms, singing along and the room ablaze with mobile phones. (We want) The Same Thing followed with the same rapturous applause as the first song.
Belinda told us we would get every song from the album before telling us that the next song, Whatever it Takes had never been performed live, before this tour. This night was only the second time as “we did it in Perth last night for the first time and it went pretty well. Let’s hope it does tonight as well”. And it did.
A break from the Horses album with two songs from Heaven on Earth album in I Get Weak and Circles in the Sand. “Songs you hear in supermarkets and elevators” quipped Belinda. I don’t think so. Songs this good don’t get played in those places.
A bit of trivia came out about the Horses album in the fact Beatle George Harrison played lead guitar on a couple of tracks and the confession from Belinda “George is my favourite Beatle”.
We got the whole album during the evening, with a surprise performance of her first solo single Mad About You. Naturally Summer Rain and Leave a Light On closed out the main set. At the start of Summer Rain the audience’s singing drowned out Belinda’s vocal while following her hand choreography of the song.
The first encore started with Live Life Be Free from her 1994 album of the same night before the Go-Go’s Our Lips Are Sealed was dragged out to a cheering audience. The song however did sound a bit “dated” compared to the rest of the evening. Belinda told us she remembered being in Adelaide in 1981 with the Go-Go’s and that many people thought the song was “Our Legs are Sealed”.
Heaven is a Place on Earth closed the show of course with the audience once again drowning out Belinda’s vocals. As the band left the stage, people started leaving the venue, but those who stayed were treated to yet another song, the beautiful Shades of Michelangelo. A perfect way to finish the perfect evening.
The band were a polished group, but there were no introductions of them. However, they certainly did their job of supporting Belinda very well. There was very little banter between songs, Belinda and band just got on doing what they do best, playing great pop songs
Joining Belinda on the tour was Australia’s 1927 (again is this 2019 or 1989) who did a great job warming up the appreciative crowd with their hits That’s When I Think Of You, If I Could andYou’ll Never Know.
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