Old friend or somersaulting superstar? Pink is whoever we need to see reflected back at us

‘She’s everything a pop star should be – but you can also imagine her at a barbecue with a chardy.’ Pink at Allianz Stadium in Sydney Photograph: Jordan Pannowitz

I wasn’t expecting so many people to actually be wearing pink. After more than 20 years, Alecia Moore’s stage name barely even registers as the name of a colour. But as we approach the venue – a carful of people drives past, honking like it’s grand final day – we are surrounded by streams of people in bright outfits ranging from sherbert to raspberry jelly.

The four people sitting behind us are a perfect microcosm of Pink’s audience: twentysomething Laura and her mother-in-law Christine, and 12-year-old Pippa, at her first ever concert with her mum, Chloe. They all wear freshly bought Pink merchandise; none have seen her live before and radiate anticipation. “I’ve seen a lot of Reels of her setting up, so I’m really looking forward to seeing it,” said Chloe, of Pink’s infamous trapeze rig. Christine’s most anticipated song was So What; Pippa likes “all of them” and Chloe loyally insists that Pink’s very first album, 2000’s R&B-heavy Can’t Take Me Home, remains her favourite.