Kim WildeGrab those snoods, cynical '80s critics - this double bill proved to be a rambunctious party with two of the decade's true survivors.
Wide Boy and a funky Radio Musicola kicked off Nik Kershaw's set, winking knowingly to both pop music's fickle nature and his pre-solo days with funk band Fusion. Dancing Girls' electro-throb and an anthemic Wouldn't It Be Good seemed more relevant to much of the mostly middle-aged audience today than they did 30 years ago. With a setlist almost completely focused on his first three albums, just Have A Nice Life (the tender tribute to his eldest son from 1998's 15 Minutes) and the hopeful The Sky's The Limit (from last year's excellent Ei8ht) represented his very fecund later career, but a near flawless hour was worth the two-decade wait on these shores.
The blonde bombshell of happiness and fun, Kim Wilde exploded onto the stage with New Wave classics Chequered Love and View From A Bridge, with an electric fan in front to blast out that hair like every great '80s music video. Her band, comprising of brother (and primary songwriter) Ricky Wilde and her niece (the aptly named Scarlett) made this a family affair, and as a bonus, Kershaw was back to provide lead guitars! Some of Wilde's biggest hits have been marvellous covers (If I Can't Have You, Keep Me Hanging On) with Black's Wonderful Life and Divinyl's I Touch Myself adding to the repertoire. Kim did a respectable Chrissie Amphlett, but it was a little dodgy seeing Scarlett sing about masturbation in front of her dad and aunt. Finishing with the truly classic Kids In America, then reuniting with Kershaw to duet on an oddly chosen cover of Pink's Try, tonight seemed less retro-exploitation, more a celebration of an endearing kinship.
