P!NK
4th September 2018
Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Images courtesy of Garry Brandon.
New Zealand has certainly seen it’s fair share of pop stars this year, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry all headlining here with Taylor Swift soon to make her way down under in a couple of months. But only one can claim to be playing six nights at Spark Arena; P!nk proving her popularity with Kiwis hands down.
Warming up a crowd of overly excited P!nk fans was always going to be a tough call, but Californian DJ KidCutUp certainly had the skills to do so. Playing before and after the support band this master of the mash-up had the crowd hanging on every scratch of the turntable as he threw out everything from Queen to The White Stripes. Advising the crowd that it was his first time in New Zealand he proved that he had done his research too by adding in snippets from Savage, Scribe, Crowded House and of course Lorde. Any DJ who can mash together Oasis and Blackstreet and still have the crowd dancing to it certainly deserves a spot on the P!nk tour and for those who loved what they heard his Beautiful Trauma tour playlist is even available on Spotify.
Support act for the night The Rubens hail from New South Wales in Australia; the five-piece alternative rock band that comprises of the three Margin brothers along with their two best mates have a solid following across the ditch but unfortunately fell a little flat with the New Zealand crowd tonight. Despite a solid set that featured tracks from all three of their albums including their latest Lo La Ru released just a few months ago, The Rubens just couldn’t quite hold the audience who were intently staring at the neon pink curtains billowing behind them. For those familiar with their work however their debut single ‘Lay It Down’ was a pleasant jaunt down memory lane, while ‘My Gun’ and ‘Million Man’ certainly had the feet shuffling. For the majority of those in attendance, The Rubens most recognisable track tonight would have been their latest ‘Never Ever’ for which they introduced Dunedin singer-songwriter Sahara Skye – whose own debut single ‘Expectations’ is currently doing the rounds – to the stage. Dressed in white which matched lead vocalists Sammuel Margin’s ensemble the duet made for a pleasant meld of harmonies.
Despite a rather lengthy delay between acts, the sold-out arena of fans remained on a high, amusing themselves with several Mexican waves and obligatory selfies, a reverberating rumble pouring forth from their collective chests as the lights finally fell. With a comedic and very much out of tune recorder solo from a gentleman in a tuxedo/ shorts combo introducing the start of the show – P!nk’s humour already making itself evident – the curtains dropped, and the crowd gasped as a giant chandelier swung from the ceiling – P!nk, in a sparkling black catsuit precariously hanging off its side.
With highly choreographed tours such as these the set lists are certainly no secret, P!nk’s a wonderful blend of both old and new; first track off the ranks ‘Get the Party Started’ a definitive nod to the past and her sophomore album 2001’s Missundaztood that saw her defiantly stamp her mark on the pop world. With an impressive and energetic opening to the show, P!nk proceeded to take those in attendance on a two-hour journey through not only a fantastic mix of tracks but stage themes. From pink swirling lampposts which she rode across the room to dancers who eloquently conveyed the emotions of ‘Who Knew’ through their movements before disappearing back into the stage from where they had leapt, P!nk’s show had something for everyone both young and old. Letting her kick-ass personality shine, crazy claymation films played out on the big screen as a 20-foot inflatable Eminem was led out onto the stage for the duet ‘Revenge’, P!nk of course once again strapping in to her harness before taking to the air to punch him straight in the face. Well known for her aerial work it was a factor that featured heavily in tonight’s show, P!nk either having complete fun with it as she leapt and bounded across the stage or illustrating how breathtakingly beautiful it could be as she danced in the air with one of her male dancers for ‘Secrets’.
Mystical forest scenes featuring foxes and birds for ‘Try’ gave way to clockwork mechanics and impressive pyrotechnics for ‘Just Like Fire’, both P!nks live band and array of dancers – her family that she “likes” as she told the audience earlier – giving it everything they had and more, P!nk taking the time to introduce each and every one of them to her NZ fans in a display of both love and mutual respect. But it was her infamous speech just before a killer version of ‘Perfect’ that truly summed up who P!nk is as an artist; speaking of a conversation between herself and her seven-year-old daughter Willow in which her daughter conveys that she believes herself to be “ugly”, P!nk both empowers not only her own child but every man, woman and child present.
A long-standing philanthropist, animal rights activist and outspoken when it comes to LGBT rights – P!nk is an artist that is attainable; she’s your local neighbourhood chick with the mischievous smile who can look like a million dollars in a ball gown while fixing your car. In a world full of impossible beauty standards and permanent filters, P!nk stands tall and defiant in her individuality.
With P!nk’s show culminating in her being strapped into a gyro-harness and literally somersaulting throughout the arena for a rousing rendition of ‘So What’ it appeared to be the finest way to finish the show… But instead P!nk returned to the stage one last time in a simple white t-shirt and torn up jeans for a charming version of ‘Glitter in the Air’ reminding all that not only is she genuinely down to earth but that her voice – often cited as one of the best of our generation – is all she really needs to truly entertain, the rest of the show just the cherry on top. P!nk the personification of what it means to be an artist.
Be who you are, love who you love, P!nk wouldn’t have it any other way.
Were you there at Spark Arena for this high energy arena pop show? Or have you seen P!nk perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
P!nk has five shows left in Auckland (September 5th, 7th, 8th,10th & 11th) with limited remaining tickets still available from Live Nation – but get in quick as these shows WILL sell out!
P!nk Setlist:
- Get The Party Started
- Beautiful Trauma
- Just Like A Pill
- Who Knew
- Revenge
- Funhouse / Just A Girl [No Doubt cover]
- Smells Like Teen Spirit [Nirvana cover]
- Secrets
- Try
- Just Give Me A Reason
- I’m Not Dead
- Just Like Fire
- What About Us
- For Now
- Barbies
- I Am Here
- Perfect
- Raise Your Glass
- Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
- So What [encore]
- Glitter In The Air [encore]
The Rubens Setlist:
- The Best We Got
- My Gun
- The Day You Went Away
- Go On
- Lay It Down
- Hallelujah
- Million Man
- Never Ever
- Hoops
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