The acrobatic vigilante songstress, P!NK swung onto our western shores armed with her trusty carnival of tricks and high-flying, high-octane belters fit for a stadium in her latest wonder 'Summer Carnival', playing to a crowd of 60,000 at Optus Stadium (1 March) after a six-year hiatus from Perth.
Local legends Joan & The Giants gave us a sugary lick of tunes before the ante rose with DJ KidCutUp playing the classics from every single decade in existence, before sending out Tones and I with her hypnotic 'Dance Monkey' and a cover of 'Forever Young' as well as a sneak peak of her new song 'I Get High' (out 12 March). A confectionary trio of delights to warm-up the crowd before the main-event spectacular.There's a stillness in the air. It's palpable. Built up with dripping anticipation, as the music fades before a robotic P!NK glitches on to the big screens.
The stage now lit up, it's a full sugar rush, neon experience of glittering palm trees, disco balls, and sea shells that explodes with life as the real P!NK dives (literally) into 'Get The Party Started' from atop the stage.
Image © Sam Mead
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for coming to play with us. Are y'all having a good time," beams the 44-year-old, now 3 decades into an impressive career with the hits to prove it, all of which are here tonight.
P!NK keeps the party going with the classics 'Raise Your Glass', 'Who Knew', and 'Try', before ending the sequence with a literal bang in a firework littered revamped performance of 'What About Us'.
'Summer Carnival' is an impressive tour de force treat, most evidenced by the slow-dance rendition of 'Turbulence' with a strapping dancer. This is an artist and performer who has found their audience and created her own lane when it comes to live performances, turning her music career into a one-of-a-kind experience of dazzling wonder as the two bodies collide and twirl 15-feet off the ground.
Image © Sam Mead
There's such a pure, genuine soul at the heart of all these powerful and thought-provoking songs she writes. Yet it's the Bob Dylan melody 'Make You Feel My Love' (made even more famous by Adele) that brings the audience to tears as she bounces along the piano keys.
The ballads continue with the iconic 'Just Give Me A Reason' before 'F...in Perfect' ignites the stage in a blaze of shimmering golden sunlight beckoning chorus chants from the crowd.
P!NK strides around the stage like it's her second home – it's endearing to see an artist so free and full of excitement playing the songs that have soundtracked the past 30 years of your mum's life.
Things get turned up to searing as a rock rendition of 'Just Like Fire' mixed with Pat Benatar banger 'Heartbreaker' that yet again ignites the stage. Punk-rock P!NK is here and her band is causing anarchy in the form of slashing guitars and an earth-shattering drum beat that receives an equally shattering applause.
Image © Sam Mead
'Cover Me In Sunshine' sees the singer in a leopard-print hat duet with her daughter, Willow. It's a wonderfully touching moment of motherhood that shows powerful vocal pipes run in the family. Her voice is on full display in the powerful 'Don't Let Me Get Me' showcasing it's not just about flips and stunts.
More tender torchlight moments followed including a touching tribute to the singer's late father in 'When I Get There' that was followed by the banjo line-dancing live fave 'I Am Here' – I guess she got where she was going. Finally "disturbing the peace" and getting the crowd on their feet with 4 Non Blondes cover of 'What's Up' rounding out the third act before she dips to get rid of that ridiculous hat.
Image © Sam Mead
"If you would like to lose your last marbles with me I invite you to do so." Act four starts up with a monologue of falling before a glittering body suit and puffer jacket wearing P!NK bursts into the rambunctious title track of latest outing 'Trustfall' that sees dancers bounce and flip off of ledges to the backdrop of fireworks in a saturated feast for the eyes.
Giant, walking pink lips salaciously strut and spit confetti down the stage very aptly to 'Blow Me (One Last Kiss)'. The good times roll into the '80s inspired 'Runaway', before we return to our dancing shoes, blowing them away with the rapturously delightful 'Never Gonna Not Dance Again'.
Image © Sam Mead
A final goodbye sends us to bed as P!NK wants to start a fight. Taking to the skies for the final time in a gravity defying feat, "Can we get one more," she screams as the blast of 'So What' launches her 15 feet into the air, hurtling around the arena to a sky emblazoned with fireworks in a glorious goodbye kiss after an entertaining evening filled with death-defying stunts and the juiciest of twists.
- written by Sam Mead
More photos from the concert.
