Live Review: The Last Waltz of Engelbert Humperdinck
The Celebration Tour 2026 – 12 July 2026 at the Perth Riverside Theatre, Western Australia
Or is it? Given the legend’s age and touring life, the headline asks the inevitable question.
Since our media launch in June 2022, we’ve covered a handful of octogenarians: Gladys Knight (then 80), Dionne Warwick (then 83), Tom Jones (84), Cliff Richard (85) and Herbie Hancock (also 85 then) – to name a few. And many more in the septuagenarian category then, including KISS’s Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Sting, Rod Stewart, Alison Moyet, and the list go on. And on every occasion, we were blown away by the stamina and vocal reach of every one of them, despite their age. But we’ve never covered a nonagenarian, and I am not speaking Italian.
It is not ageism, but that’s the inevitable reality for mere mortals. The title is not meant to poke at the age of the 90-year-old legend, but given that his age has been mentioned a few times last night, it felt like we’ve been permitted to mention his age in this review.
“I’m celebrating by just being around,” said Engelbert Humperdinck, who in May entered the last decade before the centenary milestone.
The crowd roared in approval, implying that he has a long way to go before the inevitable visit to Moses. He also joked about being 47, before taking his medical syrup on stage, rather than whiskey or a shot – which is a frequent refresher in aforementioned performances.
So how did the Indian-born legend stack up in Perth after a whirlwind world tour?
At 7 pm (that’s right, 7 pm), we were greeted by the band, consisting of the pianist, lead guitarist, bass player, synth keyboardist, and drummer. It was a full-piece band.
Engelbert graced the stage as if he was walking to a party on a yacht. Yes, I borrowed the line from that song, but it was the vibe he personified: the posture, the stance, the vitality and confidence oozing from the performer. The crowd, mainly from the baby boomers category went berserk as if it was the 60s and 70s. There were a few 20-somethings, ensuring the baton of classics that generated over 150 million records spanning 60 years is passed onto the next generation.
He commenced with Welcome to My World, a Jim Reeves track. And within the first verse, we were pleasantly surprised at his vocals: the grit and hold, the minor croak that propagates with energy. At 90, think of Engelbert’s vocals as Neil Diamond’s recorded chapter – that slightly gritty edge, a raspy one, with deep, resonant baritone weaved through emotional propagation.
So Engelbert’s vocals of the last millennium changed from bright, powerful tenor to baritone and strong vibrato with big projection in his recordings to a deeper, warmer baritone, more texture and rasp, slower vibrato, but he made it up with emotional storytelling over vocal gymnastics. He is the storybook with 70 years of adulthood chapters; the authenticity is gracefully real, and the projection is palpable. He’d still get a standing ovation from Simon Cowell if he were to perform as a special guest on American Idol.
He still got it.
It wouldn’t be anytime soon that Engelberts performance will be forgotten, thanks to the likes of Carl Belew’s Am I That Easy to Forget on the setlist, followed by one of baby boomers’ favourites, A Man Without Love. The room lit up to another level as many appointed themselves as back up singers, singing “every day I wake up, then I start to break up, lonely as a man without love…” blasting the choruses gleefully despite the heartbreaking lyrics.
What we noticed was that there were no backup singers or backing tracks. The musicians hardly got involved in the backups apart from the occasional ooh’s and ahh’s. Even the crescendo was all Engelbert’s.
The hits kept coming along, including Freddy Quinn’s Spanish Eyes, and with that sort of familiarity, the crowd sang along gently, as they saw themselves again as the backup performers, followed by Quando, Quando, Quando, a track that has been sung by a few artists in this venue. Hands were waving side to side to the cadence of the music.
Engelbert again touched on mortality and on how he managed to stay the way he is – alive and kicking. He pointed to the track Don’t Let the Old Man In. It was a slow number, where we were emersed into his storytelling cues without any sonic interruption.
He also touched on the giant rock track Faithfully by Journey, although he did a country sit-down version before going to another sing-along in Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, and indeed, it became a sing-along.
The night then darkened metaphorically in one of the most poignant moments. “When I wrote this song 30 years ago, I never knew how poignant this song was gonna be, now that my wife is in heaven.” How I Love You is one of the heart-wrenching performances we have witnessed. This track is a devotion, and towards the end, his voice broke with sadness as he looked up at the heavens. There were tears in his eyes, and there were tears in the audience. We were shattered for him.
This is when Engelbert performs at his best in his twilight years: a ballad told in a storytelling mode, propagated with utter, palpable sincerity.
The mood switched again with George Jackson’s Old Time Rock and Roll. Every band member had their solo moment, including the lead guitarist, who oozed a rock star vibe scintillating in an end-to-end riff at the front of the stage, akin to a rock concert, before everyone settling with The Last Waltz. We were in a musical carousel, and for a minute, we were dancing to The Last Waltz. It’s no longer a song about romantic memory; rather, it is about time aging, where his older voice adds more emotional authenticity than the 1967 studio version.
In those moments, it was as if we were at an André Rieu concert; everyone was dancing in their minds, singing in real life that echoed across the Perth Riverside Theatre. It was a gleeful moment as the lights painted across the hall, as we felt the orchestral sweep, ballroom elegance and cinematic warmth, but without the onstage extravagance. It was a raw performance.
“Can I have the last waltz with you… too lonely together… I fell in love with you” the words resonated well into the night.
The main set ended with Release Me (And Let Me Love Again). It was the classic karaoke song among the baby boomers, especially in Asia, where the “uncles” and “aunties” (meaning older people) would be singing with their karaoke sets, and tonight, the uncles and aunties get to sing along with the OG himself. The rasp in his voice adds emotional honesty, and he sang like a man who has lived the story.
It is an interesting point to note about matured songwriters: the songs written a generation or 60 years ago carry a different weight now. These song in record are about a dramatic breakup, love at first sight, a macho take, but the live versions in the later years are about reflections through the kaleidoscopic views on life, regret, time and honesty, and when his voice is calibrated to maturity and life experience, we as the audience are immersed in a lifetime of storybook nostalgia – and that was what we were presented in the Engelbert Humperdinck show at 90, while he stood on his feet for most parts for 90 minutes.
The experience is priceless.
Engelbert Humperdinck will be performing his final show of the Australian / NZ tour in Sydney. Tickets are available from Mellen Events
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Menard PR, Mellen Events and Engelbert Humperdinck for the Media Accreditation
Setlist Perth 2026
Welcome to My World – Release Me – 1967
Am I That Easy to Forget – A Man Without Love – 1968
Last of the Romantics – Last of the Romantics – 1978
A Man Without Love – A Man Without Love – 1968
After the Lovin’ – After the Lovin’ – 1976
Spanish Eyes – A Man Without Love – 1968
Quando, Quando, Quando – A Man Without Love – 1968
Don’t Let the Old Man In – Live cover / not on a main Engelbert studio album – 2018
I’ve Got You – Not confirmed from main Engelbert studio albums – Year not confirmed
Faithfully – Live cover / not on a main Engelbert studio album – 1983
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – A Man Without Love – 1968
How I Love You – Yours – 1993
Old Time Rock and Roll – Live cover / not on a main Engelbert studio album – 1978
The Last Waltz – The Last Waltz – 1967
Sweetheart – Sweetheart – 1971
There Goes My Everything – The Last Waltz – 1967
Another Time, Another Place – Another Time, Another Place – 1971
Les Bicyclettes de Belsize – Engelbert – 1969
Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) – Release Me – 1967
Encore: How Do You Keep the Music Playing – Live cover / not on a main Engelbert studio album – 1982
About Sheldon Ang Media: Sheldon Ang, photojournalist, writer and the founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to over 250 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), AC/DC, KISS, Metallica, Iron Maiden, RHCP and P!NK with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, UB40, Delta Goodrem, and Roxette. He has interviewed rockers Suzi Quatro (pictured below), the late Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 100 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
