It has been a hell of a long time now – 25 years – since Kylie Minogue last played Shepherds Bush Empire. During her last rodeo, the cowboy-themed Intimate and Live tour, the Australian pop icon was right on the cusp of taking control of her destiny, branching out into collaborations with indie figureheads like Manic Street Preachers’ James Dean Bradfield, and getting far more heavily involved in the creative process.
And back on the very same stage again, now as a true powerhouse of pop, Kylie snuck in a nod back to a gig that in hindsight feels like a turning point. Amid the obvious greatest hits – Spinning Around, Can’t Get You Out of My Head, and a hip-thrusting rendition of The Loco-Motion among them – she also snuck in a rare live performance of that era’s twinkling and underrated electronica track Breathe in the middle of a hit-packed set.
Ahead of Kylie’s one-off gig, though – a balloted show for a lucky few O2 and Virgin Media Priority customers, plus an assortment of various celebs – Alison Hammond kept spirits high from the balcony, proudly waving a t-shirt from the singer’s merch stand to huge cheers, and at one point commandeering a flashlight that she shone dramatically onto her slightly bemused neighbours Rylan Clark, Michelle Visage, and Graham Norton. It made for quite the support act.
Then, it was time to break the tension. After strutting into view in a purple latex suit and diving straight into the triple-threat of Spinning Around, In Your Eyes, and On A Night Like This, Kylie took a moment to reflect, seeming slightly emotional to be playing in front of many of her collaborators on her most recent album.
Adding to the sense of intimacy, she frequently drew attention to the coziness of the venue, demonstrating that her voice could be heard loud and clear without a microphone – ”I love you!” she bellowed to the delighted room – and bantering with the crowd. “It’s a bit early for requests,” she quipped to one especially vocal fan down the front.
Though majority of her biggest hits were present and correct, the more left-field choices also shone; a debut live performance of new album track Story showcased the most impressive vocals of the night, while an acoustic version of DISCO’s Say Something put a shimmering new spin on the album that saw her anointed as the pandemic’s very own Vera Lynn.
After wrapping up with a triumphant Can’t Get You Out of My Head, and a rainbow-drenched All the Lovers, Minogue seemed reluctant to leave; and judging by the number of punters yowling out the main hook from Padam Padam all the way down Shepherds Bush high street and right into the bowels of the Central line, the feeling was entirely mutual.
