Kylie Minogue
Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, QLD
Wednesday, February 26th
Thirty odd years ago Kylie Minogue played her first-ever arena show in Brisbane. With only a club gig under her belt prior to that, Kylie and her band lifted the lid off the place and a musical juggernaut was born.
In 2025, Kylie remains Australia’s undisputed Queen of Pop, her 2023 single “Padam Padam” reacquainting her with the zeitgeist. In this city alone she’s now playing to numbers that double the attendance of her previous visit.
That’s Kylie’s gift: just when a new vanguard begins to take hold in pop, she releases an instant-classic anthem that puts her back at the top.
At her ‘Tension’ tour last night, playing the first of two sold-out concerts in Brisbane, Kylie delivered a show laid out in five acts.
As you’d expect, there was an emphasis on theatrics. Opening with edits of “Lights Camera Action”, “In Your Eyes”, and “Get Outta My Way”, Kylie was flanked by hooded dancers who outnumbered the band two to one.
Image: Kylie Minogue performs on her ‘Tension’ tour Credit: Erik Melvin
The crowd came to life during “What Do I Have to Do?”. Minogue prowled the stage, her dancers followed, and the mix was heavy on the bass.
This was 1990’s clubland locked and loaded for 2025. The set was constantly shape shifting, while the visuals evoked everything from psychedelia to film noir.
Act II saw Kylie leaning into her SAW (English songwriting trio Stock Aitken Waterman) hits. “Better the Devil You Know” and “Shocked” lit up the room. The biggest surprise was her cover of Carole King’s “The Loco-Motion”. This wasn’t a “Sadie the Cleaning Lady”, late period, John Farnham-style disassemble job, this was Kylie owing the song that started her career and performing it with the same gusto she did in 1987.
Moving to a B-stage, Kylie took a few requests and performed snippets of “Where the Wild Roses Grow” and “Enjoy Yourself”. “Did It Again” was another highlight.
Image: Kylie performs on her ‘Tension’ tour Credit: Erik Melvin
While it was fun watching dancers morph from bolero chic to what looked like Teletubbies outfits, mid-show did feel one hit short. Back on the main stage, the disco balls and bright pop gave way to the show’s dark heart with a stunning “Confide in Me”, followed by a grinding “Slow” which utilised elements of the Chemical Brothers remix.
Among the confetti, the dance routines and costume changes, the final act brought that perfect pop moment that was worth the price of admission alone: Sophie Ellis-Bextor and S Club 7 must rue the day they turned down “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”.
As that filthy bass line kicked in, we were reminded again of Kylie’s gift for finding the ideal pop song for the times. A song that would solidify her position in the pop pantheon and propel her onto the next adventure.
As “Padam Padam” then closed out the show, she did it again.
Ticket information for Kylie’s Australian tour can be found here.
