Live Review: kylie minogue luna park

With no support, no dancing boys, no hydraulics and no fancy costumes, Kylie Minogue embarked tonight on a 'just because she could' mini tour. Called the Anti Tour, it was a proud collection of B-Sides, rarities and otherwise 'anti big show' tunes. It allowed the hardest of hardcore to out themselves, but also offered a real in for those of us who may have given up on her when she dropped that Jason bloke, turned the stage show up to 11 and became a Baby Madonna. But, with respect, Minogue has followed a line Madge pioneered – surrounding herself with great songwriters who helped her hone her skill.

The set began with Magnetic Electric from her tenth album X, then Minogue along with a small four-piece band and three backing vocalists took us up and down the career superhighway, crashing between decades and songwriting collaborations with ease. The '80s pop cheese (and commercial gold) of the Stock, Aitken, Waterman years were marked with those distinctive keyboard riffs that somehow remain superglued to blue eye shadow and big curly perms, but the tunes still had their original plastic charm. In particular Made In Heaven (the original B-Side to 1988's Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi single) and I'm Over Dreaming (Over You) (the B-side to Better The Devil You Know) were highlights. We'll forgive her for sneaking in an actual single there too, such as Got To Be Certain (from her very first album – and this writer's very first one, too. Every single line was STILL inexplicably in my head).

Beyond this, Minogue pushed forward to the '90s and noughties, with some great tunes co-written by some other industry greats as she – and they – moved upwards and onwards. With Steve Anderson (a super producer/composer who Minogue also thanked for being in the audience) she wrote Bittersweet Goodbye, plus with the fabulous Disco Down each song got a good airing and great reception tonight despite having been overshadowed at the time (they featured on Light Years – you know, that one Spinning Around was on in 2000). Another highlight and gear change was the Calvin Harris/Jake Shears collaboration Too Much, originally from last album Aphrodite and an absolute cracker that got all hands in the air and downstairs bits moving (choose your own adventure there – boogie and sexy combined)!

Tonight was worth it to see what absolute quality is still in the back pocket after the feathers, glitter and “Na Na Na”s are set aside.