Kylie mania is expected to reach fever pitch tomorrow when Kylie brings her X tour to Belfast.
The Australian popstar brings her spectacular new show to the Odyssey Arena for four nights in what is expected to one of the musical highlights of the year.
Kylie played Belfast in 1990 as part of her Enjoy Yourself tour and in 1997 made a brief appearance in the city at the Belfast Festival with Nick Cave, with whom she dueted on the track Where The Wild Roses Grow.
But for thousands of Kylie fans in Northern Ireland, tomorrow night will mark a long wait for the return of the Aussie superstar. The KylieX2008 tour will see her perform 53 shows in 21 countries and it sold out its UK dates within 30 minutes. An estimated £10m has been spent on staging the show, which includes a band, brass section, 14 dancers, four acrobats and gigantic video screens.
Kylie, who is considered a style icon in fashion circles, will undergo eight costume changes and there will be seven themed segments to the show. It is undestood Kylie will perform 31 tracks, although this is not being billed as a Greatest Hits tour, so many of the old favourites may not get an airing.
Kylie arrives in Belfast tomorrow for the first of four sell-out shows in the city. Showbiz Correspondent Maureen Coleman examines our fascination with the singer and why we all love Kylie…
Superstar, sex symbol, survivor — Kylie Minogue is many things to many people.
From her squeaky-clean days on Australian soap Neighbours to the raunchy rock chick girlfriend of Michael Hutchence, Kylie has undergone a series of transformations but her adoring public has stayed loyal throughout.
There’s something about this pint-sized popstar that evokes a desire to protect — or just a desire — in men and a longing to be like her in women.
That’s the thing about Kylie, her appeal is universal. She’s the type of girl you could head down the pub with — friendly, flirty and fun.
As her sound evolved, so too did her image. Kylie became a style icon. We waited to see what trend she’d be setting, what way she’d be wearing her hair. The dodgy perm had long since gone to be replaced by a bright red crop, long platinum locks or sultry dark bob.
Duets with Nick Cave and dancier tracks like Can’t Get You Out Of My Head helped boost her street cred and when she was invited to headline Glastonbury, her cool status was sealed. Then there were the love affairs. She should be so lucky! Poor Kylie has her fair share of heartbreak — particularly at the hands of her most recent love, Olivier Martinez. But we’re all still holding out for her and we hope she gets her man.
Of course we can’t forget either the dignified and brave way she battled breast cancer. At the height of her success she was diagnosed with the disease, sending shockwaves throughout the world. But even on her darkest days she still managed a smile. For the most part Kylie was left alone to fight the illness away from prying eyes — even the paparazzi had the utmost of respect for her.
When she re-emerged to face the world, after beating the cancer, we were all delighted for her. Our friend Kylie was back.
When writing this piece I tried to make it as balanced as possible by tracking down someone with something negative to say about her. But I couldn’t find a willing candidate. Everyone, it seems, loves Kylie. She’s such a superstar, she doesn’t even need a surname.
Source: Belfast Telegraph