Review: Pink, Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
Nov 4 2009 by Michael Da Silva, The Journal
THE buoyant bounce you get in your step after leaving a Pink concert is one that tells you you’ve seen a great show.
Sex, rock, and sheer flamboyance are rooted in the essence of her Funhouse tour – a pop extravaganza that came to the Arena on Monday.
Pink, ladies and gentlemen, was certainly in the building – and rocking it.
After opening with a cover of AC-DC’s Highway to Hell, she dived straight into Bad Influence, which impulsively brought the audience of young and old to their feet – and that’s where they stayed.
Performing in front of a Cirque du Soleil-inspired red velvet set, which came complete with trapeze artists and giant inflatable clowns, her current tour, which was returning to the venue following a triumphant show there in April this year, proves she is a born entertainer.
For a woman who’s just turned 30, Pink’s energy was relentless. She’s the Pride of Pennsylvania who has made a solid claim to be the next on the Queen of Pop throne – obviously, once Madonna has hung up her cone bra for good. The self-styled rebellious bad girl of pop blended high-budget spectacle with stripped down spotlight-and-stool moments.
She finally engaged the crowd saying “Ok, let’s get political” before launching into a soulful rendition of Mr President – performed in front of a video backdrop of George Bush and “lowlights” of the war on terror.
“I cried all the way through Mr President,” claimed one besotted fan at the end.
The crowd sang in unison as Just like a Pill was performed like the classic it is. But it should have been saved for a belting finale – which Get the Party Started couldn’t quite muster.
Other highlights included her covers of The Divinyls’ I Touch Myself and, more unexpectedly, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
The interludes, which include a drunken ballerina and an all-girl pillow fight, showed her provocative and playful sides.
Pink captivated the Metro Radio Arena like few other performers could, and her 10 years in this business could just be the start.
