Live Review: Belinda Carlisle – 13th October 2017 – IndigO2, London, UK
4 min read
With the help of one of the eighties most successful and defining acts, London IndigO2 was taken back in time last night with hits that shaped a generation of music fans and sweetened the landscape of pop music. Belinda Carlisle touched down in the capital; the final UK performance and the very last date of the singers celebratory tour which marks the 30th anniversary of her international breakthrough record, Heaven on Earth and fans were quick at getting tickets to the show when they went on sale earlier in the year, rewarding Carlisle with a sold out red carpet welcome back to the city.
The night was filled with nostalgia right from the get-go; the track listing of Heaven on Earth dominating the set list as fans were promised ahead of the tour a show that would include each and every track from the 1987 collection as Carlisle unleashed each hit dressed casually in shiny black pants and matching black top and flat shoes. That promise was fulfilled tenfold with the likes of some of the stars most noteworthy and recognizable hits enjoying the spotlight including flawless performances of I Get Weak and Circle In The Sand dished up nice and early to the crowd and performed perfectly in line with the original recordings’ arrangements.
The show was perfectly balanced between the uptempo hits and some of Carlisle’s most celebrated ballads. As fans enjoyed dancing along with a pitch-perfect and vocally charged rendition of Live Your Life Be Free, they were equally thirsty for the career defining ballads that made Carlisle such a shining star of her era; Runaway Horses, Vision Of You and Mad About You – Carlisle’s first solo hit after leaving her former band The Go-Gos – all receiving worthy applause from every fan in every corner of or the IndigO2.
While the event was a seated affair, Carlisle’s hits had everyone up on their feet and dancing with the superstar who, while advised by her doctor that dancing was off limits due to medical reasons as Carlisle addressed near the end of the show and pointed to the many reminders taped to the stage floor, it didn’t stop her from pacing the stage with stamina and thumping her tambourine on her hip as her fans made up for her slightly fragile demeanor with their own sweaty dance moves to uptempo inclusions like the hand-clap driven (We Want) The Same Thing from the stars 1989 Heaven On Earth follow up, Runaway Horses.
With Heaven On Earth being the focus for the night, the singer was generous with throwing in several numbers from the albums follow up with the infectious Summer Rain being the first of a handful of tracks from the record performed with precision and vocal finesse while latter inclusion Leave A Light On prompted every member of the pack venue to get up on their feet and let loose with Carlisle and sing along to the red-headed beauty before signature hit Heaven Is A Place On Earth – the musicians most successful solo hit – emerged to a deafening applause; starting out as a sweetly sung acoustic number before being reignited by the singers 5-piece band and performed in its original arrangement.
While the eighties may well and truly be over, Carlisle brought the decade back to London in full force last night. The IndigO2 proved a perfect spot for the superstar to lay down a set list of career spanning hits in pitch-perfect, true-to-the-original form. So much fun and so much nostalgia from the leading lady of eighties pop music wrapped up in a night that fans will remember for many years to come.
Set list:
I Feel Free (Cream cover)
Nobody Owns Me
World Without You
I Get Weak
Circle in the Sand
Fool for Love
Summer Rain
Should I Let You In?
Vision of You
We Can Change
Valentine
(We Want) The Same Thing
Leave a Light On
Heaven Is a Place on Earth
Encore:
Big Scary Animal
Mad About You
Live Your Life Be Free
Encore 2:
Runaway Horses
Love Never Dies
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
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