Live Review: Tina Arena – Don’t Ask…Again Tour 2025 in Perth
27 April 2025 at the Perth Riverside Theatre in Perth, Western Australia.
“It is an album that many people were curious about after the childhood I had. What is this girl capable of doing…Well, I gave it to them. I gave them a very honest body of work, that’s very much encapsulated where I was initially at that time – in a million different places as you do when you’re 23 and 24 years old. And if we knew the impact the record had… I’m still surprised to this day that it still resonates strongly and as beautifully as it does with everyone…”
Put simply, Tina Arena‘s live performance is hypnotically stunning. More on that later.
In 1995, Don’t Ask was the first album by a female artist to win the ARIA Award for Album of the Year, an accolade introduced in 1987. Having sold over 2 million copies and being 10x platinum-certified, the album propelled the former Young Talent Time star into a fully blooming rose from the sometimes-thorny gardens of the music industry. It was a breakthrough success, a graduation with First Class Honours of all sorts.
The album exposes Tina’s chapters up to the age of 27, swirled in a cocktail of afternoon and late-night delights. Tonight may be the fourth time Sheldon Ang Media is covering Tina Arena in 2 years. It may seem overkill to others, but her journey, told in 90 minutes, has always been evolving, elevating fans onto a thematic joyride of heartbreaks, empowerment, reflection, and nostalgia.
Tina Arena, who has sold over 10 million records, graces the stage with Heaven Help My Heart. Even after 30 years, she still pleads for divine intervention. Like a heartbreak kid, she navigates through the melody and chorus with sincere palpability. Her soprano voice oozes desperation, from tender moments to tearing herself apart with raw emotion and powerful crescendos. We hear you, Tina. And we see you surrounded by the spectacular lighting.
Her outfit deserves the Best Dressed award. The geisha vibe resonates with the kimono outfit that’s designed by Alemais, with David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust inspired imprints factoring into the cultural spectacle. Tina’s elegance is on display in the wrap-around style and wide sleeves in a respectful adaptation of the Far East inspiration. She constantly sways her body, gently catapulting her arms while forming shapes and angles that seem to be possessed by the cadence of the music. Her vocals may seem incongruous as they shatter the equanimity of the physical personification. Her makeup and hair done by former Maybelline’s ambassador Nigel Stanislaus is breathtaking, tapered with golden sparkles. Inspired by Judy Garland, her hair is swept by a tiara-like ornament, with the curl in the front adorned by a vine of metallic gold blossom leaves, bringing out the facial features that accompany the glowing smile below those Gucci eyelashes. Maybe she’s born with it (thanks for the makeup and hair info, Nigel!).
The night has already reached the point of no return by the first track, as fans are drenched under the nostalgic rain of the 90s – infused with Barry Bissel Take 40, Rage TV on ABC following the late-night shenanigans at the Globe nightclub, and Smash Hit ’95 from Sanity. For many, the mid-90s was the period of personal social evolution of the post high school years and into the next phase of our lives, transitioning into a world festering with real-life challenges in work, uni, love, and heartbreak… Tina has just sparked those memories.
Despite the forlorn conclusion, she stares in reverie into the past with an ironic smile, Wasn’t it Good, she asked. The emotional connection was bittersweet, a fusion of the good and the bad. The poignancy remains deep within her subconscious, yet the tangible connection of the past never dies. Her fans share her spirit as the glorious lights sweep across Perth Riverside Theatre in a spectacle of colours.
The tide turns as she then tells the story of longing in Show Me Heaven, a cover by Maria McKee from the movie Days of Thunder. It seems she has moved on from her bitter past. We see a glimpse of hope through the heavenly stare. The soaring point of the chorus peaks with the sweeping lights, heightening and highlighting the desperation and the grandeur of her vocals. It’s no wonder the Americans requested her vocals to embolden the cover in thundering delight.
The theme moves onto empowerment with That’s The Way A Woman Feels, as Tina encourages the crowd to clap, sparking a new chapter of her life. It’s a feel-good track about resilience and support, as she emphasises her inner power energised by the restless crowd. It’s a beautiful tribute as both sexes feel the strength.
It’s time for the new generation to shine. She brings the opening act and the winner of the 2024 Australian Idol, Dylan Wright, for the duet Stop Dragging My Heart. She sings with a higher voice, respecting the vocals of Stevie Nicks, while Dylan plays the part of the late Tom Petty. Needless to say, his vocals are simply stunning. 1981 is revived. Again, the bohemian spirit possesses the spirit of Tina Arena as she moves elegantly with arms apart, swaying through the 80s air, as she ritualistically dances to the spirit of the Heart Breakers in the rebellious chords of the guitar- so it seems. The youth injection doesn’t end here.
The young and the restless keep coming. We are thrown into a contemplative storyline of Burn, sittinng and questioning our life’s choices, whether we were at a juncture of regret or happiness. Again, Tina’s emotionally poignant vocals resonate with the track, one that is retrospective and contemplative. Tina then invites Perth’s second runner-up Gisella Colleti onto the stage, much to the excitement of the local crowd, with screams akin to a Wiggles concert. And with a flick of a switch, we are brought back to 2025. Donned in all white, her high voice is honeyed Eclare, drawn in a combination of powerful and emotional connection with a personification beyond her tender age of 16. Welcome home, Gisella. It’s getting late, thankfully we are still in school holidays.
With school’s out, the sounds of flamenco guitar personified the kaleidoscopic imagery of the 70s and 80s of a summer holiday breeze, sweeping the hustle and bustle of the seaside, lost in the paradise of yesteryears, staring in reverie at the Sorrento Moon. So did the fans, tapping their feet as they are transported into their childhood, looking through the windows in the back seats.
The shackles are well off but Chains is in everyone’s mind. It is the track of our post-high school life. The themes of emotional entrapment and longing swerved deeply, as Tina draws the intensity that this song deserves. The desperation soars. The breakthrough track charted well across North America, Europe, and the UK, and tonight we’ve witnessed one of Australia’s best rewriting history.
See it once, twice, four times – watching Tina Arena live is addictive.
Perth sparks her tour – tickets from Face to Face Touring are sold out for most cities.
Fan’s corner: This writer/photographer’s plus one’s thoughts on tonight’s performance – “30 years on – Tina is still a phenomenal force on stage! Her powerhouse vocals were faultless, her energy and comedy were effortless and the finale’s standing ovation – breathless! Thank you, Tina! You are sensational (and so was THAT dress!)” – Jesse James – TV Presenter of Island Dreaming and Perth 96FM Radio Announcer
Soundbox corner by Danny Olesh FOH and Production Manager: House PA used, D&B KSL rig, the rest was supplied by AudioTechniq. Avid S6L consoles with Waves at both FOH and Monitors. Axient wireless mics and PSM1000 IEMs. He tours with his SE mic kit for all drums, and all vocals are on the V7 SE capsule. Andy Walters was the System Tech. Dino Losi on monitors, Jase Clarke on stage tech. Peter Rubie on lights.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank TT Publicity, Face to Face Touring and Tina Arena for the press accreditation.
About the Writer/Photographer: The founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to more than 170 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), KISS, Iron Maiden, RHCP, P!NK and The Script with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Roxette, UB40, Delta Goodrem, The Wiggles and Toni Childs. He has interviewed rockers Suzi Quatro (pictured below), Ian Moss, Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 70 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
