Place de la République. 29 July 2019.

It’s only taken me thirty odd years to see the wonderful Kim Wilde and her band play live in concert, and she came right to my front door… okay, it was a five minute walk to the stage from where I live, but how much closer can you get to seeing an international pop-rock superstar without needing to take the car or public transport?

When I learned some weeks back that Kim Wilde and her band was going to play a free outdoor concert in town, I couldn’t quite believe it. I cleared out my schedule for that evening and made sure the trusty TVTA camera would be charged and ready to document the event.

Finally that night came, and I arrived early to get as close to the stage as possible, passing the time for the band to come onstage by chatting with Steve, a French megafan of Kim’s, who filled me in on the five albums she’d made since her success in the 80s and early 90s when I first bought some of her singles, an album, and bopped along to her music on the radio. I confess right now, I haven’t listened to Kim in a long while, but that’s going to change thanks to the incredible show I witnessed tonight. There’s her last album for starters – 2018’s Here Come the Aliens, then an upcoming live album (her first) which Kim announced on stage she was going to release.

Onto the show… I’ve seen some fantastic concerts by amazing bands over the years. After tonight, Kim Wilde and her band now rank among the best of them. With a near two hour performance including many of her seemingly endless 80s hits, and a barrage of her newer songs, plus many in between, there wasn’t a single moment when the energy dropped or the foot came off the pedal. How refreshing to see an artist and band enjoying themselves to the absolute limit. As an eight piece line-up which includes Kim, two guitars, bass, keyboards, a backing vocalist/dancer, and two (yes that’s two!) drummers, there was plenty to watch and admire from a band who were quite evidently having the time of their lives.

Top marks to Kim and guitarist/songwriter – her brother Ricky Wilde, for assembling across the years such a talented and enthusiastic troupe, who not only played magnificently but performed magnificently. Top marks must also go to the sound and lighting engineers. And Kim, ever humble and sweet, sincerely thanking and merci beaucoup-ing the crowd in between each and every number. In her own words: “Thank you so much for coming to see us on this beautiful summer night in the South of France, this is just so beautiful. Thank you. Merci beaucoup!”

Beautiful. I couldn’t agree more. Kudos and spaceships and love to Kim and her band and crew, and thank you for bringing a bit of rock, pop and magic to this little city in the South of France.

TVTA bonus!

Going through my French 45 RPM collection this morning I came across this 🙂

Kim Wilde. View From a Bridge. RAK 1982.

Words and photographs by the editor. ©TVTA. 2019.