P!NK

Brisbane Entertainment Centre                 19.07.13

You’d think the toughnut formerly known as Alecia Moore would be kicking ass and taking names at every turn – with songs about alcohol addiction, masturbation and stirring shit – whilst sporting abs that would make most youthful men weep with envy, it seems she’s the epitome of the anti-girly girl.

So it was certainly a shock when every time she spoke it sounded like a high-pitched squeal.  “Whose’s a dirty slut!” she squeaked out like a 15 year old girl before she belted out ‘Blow Me (One Last Kiss) in that raspy tone that’s permeated radio stations since the early 2000s.  Her combination of salty and sweet never made for one dull moment on the Brisbane Entertainment Centre stage.

After a surprisingly brilliant supporting set by self-confessed unknowns The Kin (seriously check them out, they deserve a following), our ‘ringmaster’ of sorts cavorted about the stadium until announcing in a thick American tone that it was time to learn the truth about love.  Cue P!NK literally bursting out of the floor kicking proceedings off with ‘Raise Your Glass’ – an absolute ripper that had the audience on their feet.

After steamrolling through ‘Walk of Shame’, slithering across the floor with her fans during ‘Just Like a Pill’ she screamed out what seems to be the entire purpose of the show.  “How much fun do you want to have tonight!”

Really, at a P!NK concert avoiding fun is impossible.  The stage design seemed haunted house-esque, with uniquely shaped screens projecting quirky animations and video content.  For instance, they filled with sexual perversion before an emotionally charged ‘Try’ saw P!NK tumbling through the air in a masterful aerial silk routine, seamlessly transitioning to a dreamlike cover of Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’.  The heartfelt cover re-inforced that behind all the smart-ass lyrics and tomboy persona she has a hauntingly beautiful set of lungs.  A later cover of ‘Time After Time’ also reflected her glorious voice.

Her instrument skills aren’t to be sniffed at either – opening ‘All We All We Are’ with her own solid drum pattern – and later floating out in an ethereal dress to the piano for ‘The Great Escape’ (her band’s piano player on standby should things go awry).  A brave move that helped audience’s connect with her as she admits she’s an amateur in those regards.

After a strong rendition of ‘Sober’ saw her swinging from a hanging orb along with 4 other dancers (sans harness) it was difficult to forsee how further she could push the acrobatics – however bursting on for her encore of the insanely catchy ‘So What’, she was attached to a rig that allowed her to literally soar anywhere in the stadium.  The sheer spectacle of it stunned audiences, the fact that she stayed in tune greater still.

Every element of the concert was designed around stimulating a sense of fun within her audience – from the acrobatics to the eye-popping costumes, her split personality and the visual projections.  She knows the classic songs that audiences want to hear, and she delivers them with gusto, a feat considering how much athleticism is involved with her shows.  I daresay even if you’re not a P!NK fan you’d have to be a real grumpy gills not to thrive on the energy of seeing her live.

– Danielle Muir