Live Review: Kylie Minogue – Tension Tour 2025 in Perth
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photo by Erik Melvin
15 of February 2025 at the RAC Arena Perth in Western Australia
Call me Kylie.
It’s not a direct quote, but Kylie, a revolutionary in the music industry, fits in the mononym category of superstars. The name is synonymous with Australian music, spreading her musical seeds over five decades. Afterall, with over 80 million records sold worldwide – Kylie is the highest selling Australian female artists.
The Grammy Award-winning artist kicks her 70-show Tension Tour 2025 in Perth to a capacity crowd of 13,500, taking her performances across Australia (almost sold out), Asia, North America (including two shows at Madison Square Garden in New York), UK (4 sold out shows at O2 Arena, London), Europe, South and Central America, ending in Monterrey, Mexico in August. Indeed, it’s an honour for Perth to spark the nostalgic locomotive journey between the 80s and the present.
At 8:45, an array of lasers spear across RAC Arena, sparking a crowd frenzy of the maniacal kind. Anticipation blooms as Kylie emerges from the stage’s trap door, elevated on a trapeze while performing Lights Camera Action from her latest album, Tension II. The first-timers who grew up with Kylie’s music over the 5 decades are in surreal, “I can’t believe she’s here” mode, while their bodies are are in full throttle while she sits high above in a lantern-like, diamond shaped enclosure.
The Tension Tour hints as the greatest hits show when she sets foot on stage for the first time with In Your Eyes from 2001. “Let’s go!”, she authorised. Kylie dazzles in an elegant black dress as if she’s about to hit the red carpet eyeing for a third Grammy, surrounded by the dancers who are also the pistons of a supercharged performance. Leading the en masse of discothèque addicts is the dance choreography, which is as precise and entertaining as a Las Vegas musical, thanks to their eye-catching arrangements that are congruous to the energy and vibe of Kylie Minogue. Wearing a shiny trench-like outfit and a futurist half mask for this act, they pounce on every beat, catalysing the fun factor that has already reached euphoria.
What Do I Have To Do and Spinning Around seal the classics of Act I with plenty of old and new materials in between. The latter track from 2000 is considered a turning point of Kylie’s career at that time, thanks to the catchy hooks and lyrics that are as every bit infectious as evident by the spins and movements, capturing the imagination of the capacity audience of 13,500 while she sets foot on the runway, flanked by her dancers.
By now, the baby boomers, generation X, and millennials are fused in a cocktail of excitement and ecstasy, knowing that the Tension Tour will be a night of classics, emerging from the debut album Kylie Minogue to the latest album Tension II.
And for the classic Kylie addicts, the party is about to go bonkers in Act II. Kylie is dressed in a red net top and cargo pants, ready to pounce to the next level. On a Night Like This opens the chapter, and with the likes of Better than the Devil You Know, the dance-pop performance is another boost to the internal dance spirit, mixed with her playful vocals yet fuelled with empowerment. The fans are once again riding in a time machine. Like a clubber from the 90s and 00s, Kylie moves with the energy and vivacity of her vintage version, often weaving her hair while surrounded by the dancers, like the leader that she is.
As for those who just got out of the New Romantics era, they’re about to board the midnight express on The Loco-motion. It is the trip to 80s nostalgia, a one-way ticket to Kylie Minogue’s stardom. Her playful and lively performance add another metric of the ageless fun factor onto the stage. And the train are coming in as she leads her colourful dancers onto the runway; c’mon do the loco-motion with me. The 13,500 fans obey, playing charades with their arms moving like the braces of train wheels. You got to swing your hips now, and so they did, thrusting forwards and sideways. The Loco-Motion – which extends beyond the 3-minute 14-second studio version is the pinnacle of the night for many; mainly due to the nostalgic factor of 1987 or the showcase of colour and unbridled revelry that can only be led by Kylie and dancers.
Following the dance instruction of the 80s, she weaves through the crowd and takes to the secondary stage located on the main floor. Perth have the privilege to be part of the live debut, Last Night I Dreamt I Fell In Love, followed by the haunting Where the Wild Roses Grow. She interacts with the crowd, receiving and giving flowers, taking requests from fans, and singing the likes of Breath (“I hope I can remember the lyrics”), and another classic, I Should Be So Lucky.
With a flick of a switch, darkness sweeps in the next act, as the stage is filled with low-lying fog as Kylie appears in mysterious black. With the recognisable key change in Confide in Me, the crowd erupt. The haunting performance in twilight hues with the dramatic and tense music of Middle Eastern sounds is contrasting to the previous acts. Without the clutter of dance sonics, fans are in trance by her alluring vocals. It’s a standout performance among of list of standouts.
As for the younger generation, there’s Padam Padam – the Grammy Award-winning track that sealed Kylie into a forever classic. It’s a rejuvenation of her career on the world stage. Red hues beam across the entire arena. The Grammy Award winning track is a pulsating throb, with dancers bouncing and thrusting to the beat and Padam Padam – reinvigorating sexual prowess of the dominating kind. It’s an infectious performance, resonating amongst the crowd who may not realised the sexual undertone of this career-defining track. I get the shivers every time you say my name.
As we head towards the end of the night, Kylie teases with the spoken words of La La La, the simple jibberish of one of the world’s biggest bangers in Can’t Get You Out of My Head. Clubbing nostalgia blooms in a moment when Kylie frames her head with her hands like in the music video. Tension, the track title of the 2023 album is a rejuvenation of all sorts. As the title suggests, it’s filled with visceral femininity outpour through the repeated lyrics “Oh my God, touch me right there…Almost there, touch me right there…don’t be shy boy, I don’t bite”. Spicy.
The night ends with the 2001 dance banger, Love at First Sight – emphasising that the Tension Tour is indeed the greatest hits tour – and forever sealed in folklore as one of the most memorable performances at the RAC Arena in Perth.
Lock, stock and barrel, the Tension Tour solidifies Kylie as the world’s pop princess.
Kylie continues the Tension Tour 2025 in Australia and across the world. Limited tickets are available from Frontier Touring. International fans may purchase tickets from Kylie.com
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Frontier Touring and Kylie Minogue for the media accreditation
About the Writer: Sheldon Ang, photographer, writer and the founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to over 150 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), Backstreet Boys, KISS, Iron Maiden, RHCP and P!NK with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, UB40, Delta Goodrem, The Wiggles and Toni Childs on social media. 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.
