Kylie Minogue, Mallrat @ Entertainment Centre, Adelaide 18/2/2025
The Adelaide Entertainment Centre precinct was absolutely buzzing with a near sold-out Kylie Minogue concert in the Arena and OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) in the Theatre. Whatever your choice there was an excitable energy amongst fans waiting in anticipation for show time. It is fantastic when Adelaide gets behind live music turning out in big numbers serving as another reminder that we can sell out shows and deserve big names touring our city.
Opening act and rising talent Mallrat (aka Grace Shaw) had a tough assignment playing in front of someone else’s crowd trying valiantly to win them over. Her set was tight with plenty of catchy tunes but it looked blatantly clear who they were here to see. Nevertheless, her enthusiasm and energy was infectious and she spoke proudly of her new album Light hit my face like a straight right with highlights from it including Pavement and Hideaway. Set staple Charlie was stellar also.
Adelaide was the second stop on Kylie Minogue’s highly touted Tension tour and to say it has been a minute between tours is an understatement. The last show here was back in 2019 and since then there have been three albums Disco (2020), Tension (2023) and Tension II (2024). Australia’s very own pop princess continues to wow and charm audiences all around the world and cleverly reinvents herself on each new album defying trends and being pigeonholed with particular labels.
As soon as the lights dimmed the crowd, predominantly women, were up and out of their seats and the roar of adulation and appreciation of their Kylie was deafening as she entered. With Kylie perched high up on a swing emersed in blue lasers beamed over the crowd she launched in to Lights Cameras Action turning the Arena in to one massive rave in a night club. Wearing a silver dress the show is just as much about the outfits and the fashion with a number of changes during the performance. The production had a similar aesthetic to Kraftwerk making it even more interesting. There has been a lot of comments about the production of this show but I think how they tied the songs together with this night club rave dynamic worked well.
The set list was divided into a number Acts and the songs in each were like a well woven tapestry and well connected. It really did feel like a performance rather than just an artist or a band playing their songs (and there is nothing wrong with that) and everything seemed to be for a purpose. The opening statement “I want to bring the Tension” was the theme for the night” with Kylie asking “Adelaide, how are we doing tonight?” then rolling through Act 1 featuring plenty of heavy hitters In Your Eyes, Get Outta My Way, What Do I Have To Do? and whipping the crowd up in to a frenzy on Spinning Around.
Costume change, new outfit, decked out in red pants, top and sleeveless jacket it was the surreal On A Night Like This. It isn’t until you experience a show like this when you can fully appreciate the abundance of riches she has with her back catalogue of hits that is so strong that there were still quite a few that were left out. Kylie looked blown away by the Adelaide fan reaction taking a moment to comment on the outfits of some fans who were really committed to the cause. Better The Devil You Know, and Shocked were fantastic with Kylie taking a moment to reflect on the 80s and listening to pop music on the radio and cassette tapes saying “1987, let’s go there” playing the single that started it all with The Loco-Motion. Her back up singers and dancers are elite performers and really adding something to the performance.
During The Loco-Motion Kylie and dancers moved through the crowd to the B-stage at the back of the venue to play a selection of songs stripped back. This was one of those moments that really did shine starting with Hold On To Now followed by teasers of Limbo, Please Stay and I Should Be So Lucky. In what seems a concert tradition the crowd threw roses up on stage that were handed back to fans were serenaded by Kylie. Dedicating the Nick Cave duet Where The Wild Roses Grow to a lucky fan who was celebrating her birthday the next day, she was full of smiles.
Say Something was a compelling moment from Disco with the vibe lifting on the melody of Supernova / Real Groove / Monday Blues / Where Does the DJ Go? / Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life returning to the main stage on Real Groove.
Cue costume change Kylie returned in a black cloak creating this gothic-esque feel building the drama and heightening the suspense on Confide In Me. Hot damn! This was a memorable moment. Slow and Timebomb were given that disco touch up topped off by Edge Of Saturday Night.
Even the likes of new songs such as Padam Padam resonates strongly with fans before pulling out all stops with crowd favs Can’t Get You Out Of My Head and All The Lovers complete with confetti shower. Kylie did say that “I’m going to a lot of places but I won’t forget about tonight or you” disappearing to re-emerge for an encore. So many options but it was the tour theme song Tension finishing on another big hit Love At First Sight. The crowd cheered, were left in awe and admiration, and continued to show their appreciation of this marvellous experience, Kylie waved and disappeared down a hidden trap door on the stage signalling the end of the show as the house lights turned on.
There would be very few that could walk away having not being impressed and blown away by what they experienced tonight with Kylie reaffirming her princess of pop status yet again. Until next time…
Live Review By Rob Lyon