Live Review: Belinda Carlisle – The Decades Tour 2024 in Perth
18 of September 2024 at the Astor Theatre Perth Western Australia
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
We are immersed in 80’s nostalgia through the hypnosis of a bohemian kind. She weaves through the smoky air, clapping the half-moon tambourine in rhythm with the swaying blonde hair, before belting the catchiest hooks through a vocal range locked in a time capsule for almost half a century. The airy manifestation from the transcendental, spirited Southern California gal is on display tonight; donned in a freewheeling skirt dictated by her hip movement, the bare feet performance personifies the carefree je ne sais quoi of Belinda Carlisle – and in many ways, still resonating the all-American girly vibe of our generation, who we fell in love through Rage TV on Saturday mornings.
We are also witnessing a seminal chapter in rock history—Belinda Carlisle was the lead vocalist of the Go Gos between 1977 and 1985, with several reunions since—and to this day, the only all-female band to write and perform their material and achieve a number 1 album, or at least the first band to do so.
Tonight’s performance is four years past the hour, with the original date cancelled due to some virus shutting the world in 2020 and the latest due to an emergency knee surgery. Nevertheless, four revolutions of the sun is worth the wait.
Backed by a 5-piece band – 2 guitarists, a bassist, a keyboardist and a drummer, Carlisle graces the stage with the dynamic soprano vocal range that still propagates the rock-esque grit with the set opener (We Want) The Same Thing, followed by Do You Feel Like I Feel and Big Big Love – a synth track inspired by the new wave generation. With a flick of a switch, she mellifluously slides into the relaxo summer tracks in Circle in the Sand and the flamingo-inspired La Luna, with the girly swagger enclosed.
The vocals of Belinda Carlisle show no sign of wear and tear, propagating the high notes in Mad About You and many more. She often claps her hands above her head while swaying convivially, while playing the half-moon tambourine. Vision of you also brings the fluid movement of spins and hair weaving like in a scene of a shampoo ad.
The Go Go’s resurfaced with Our Lips Are Sealed , taking us back to the dawn of the 80’s. Nevertheless, tonight is solely on Belinda Carlisle, one of 80’s biggest solo artists. For those who haven’t been following her journey since the late 70s, the songs from the albums Runaway Horses and Heaven On Earth are the staples of the night.
And so the big three come in succession in one of live music’s greatest hat tricks. The nostalgia keeps pouring through Summer Rain as the crowd is drenched in high school memories. The track from the Runaway Horses released in 1990 peaked at number 6 in Australia. The imagery of the soldier and the train reminds a past encounter, sending the fans 35 years back in time to resurface the anthem of their lives. The revelry went to overdrive with the self-appointed backup vocalists taking summer’s hottest track to another level of volume.
As “take my hand” comes charging, the nostalgic rain progresses into a tropical storm in Leave a Light On. The sing-along of “I’ll be there before you close the door” followed by the chorus is the night’s climax, soaking through the 80’s euphoria with fans jumping like in a Chris Cross concert. Carlisle’s live vocals sound as smiley and happy as the video version. As the free-flow giant song sips into their veins, fans are intrinsically propelled into ecstasy, with many are realiving the imagery of Belinda Carlisle driving through the desert and into Las Vegas as Belinda grinds her vocals with raw emphasis at the right moments. The feel-good party anthem continues with Heaven Is a Place on Earth, with the US top chart taking us to the rightful place tonight. The uplifting track is irresistible, and once again, the Californian performed with the fun-finesse vocal essence and vivacity .
The 15 minutes of the big three (according to this writer) lead us into the 4-song encore, with Runaway Horses, Scary Animal, We Got the Beat and concluding with Live Your Life.
It is hard to imagine that Belinda Carlisle is…66. The singer oozes the persona of vintage Belinda through her divine-esque onstage performance. She doesn’t miss a note while projecting her dynamic soprano range of someone who projects joy and happiness, over a carefree attitude that we love.
And boy, does she look gorgeous.
On a separate note – in June of this year, Belinda Carlisle was awarded the YGB Namaste Award for her advocacy of street animals in India. “We are teaching people that animals have feelings.” says the co-founder of Animal People Alliance, a non profit alliance based in Calcutta. No wonder the yoga practitioner resonates the je nais se quoi of kindness, beauty and inclusiveness.
Belinda Carlisle is on tour across Australia. Tickets are available via Live Nation Australia
The support act – Joan and the Giants
Fresh from sharing the stage with P!nk and Tones & I at the mighty Optus Stadium, the indie pop-rock band and Perth’s Joan & The Giants are the staple of live music in Australia. Within 30 minutes, they showcased their repertoire through a stunning 7-track showpiece that includes Bloodstream, Sleep Alone, and Cool Kid. With the luscious voice of Grace Newton-Wordsworth and backed by band members Aaron Birch, Riley Sutton and Liam Olsen, the Perth band resonates with the feel-good vibe, the kind of performance that makes us happy. They are more than the support act – the Astor was at capacity as the band graced the stage. Conceived in 2019, there’s no doubt the 4-piece award-winning band – who have also been featured in the Rolling Stones magazine, is close to becoming the headliner in major festivals. No wonder they are supporting Belinda Carlisle et al across Australia.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank TT Publicity, Live Nation Australia, and Belinda Carlisle for the media accreditation
About the Writer/Photographer: Perth based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) have been accredited to almost 100 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), KISS, Iron Maiden, RHCP,P!NK, Robbie Williams and Rod Stewart with reviews shared by the likes of UB40, Delta Goodrem, The Wiggles and Toni Childs on social media. He has interviewed rockers Suzi Quatro (pictured), Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 45 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Albany as a music journalist.
