Ponchos, gumboots and mud didn't stop a sell-out crowd from dancing the night away at Kylie Minogue's Bimbadgen concert on Saturday.
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Yes, the rain was a pest throughout the afternoon but there comes a point when you are so waterlogged it simply doesn't matter any more. It's fun. I'm not sure the poor souls wearing thongs or sandals would agree, though. By the end of the night many were barefoot.
The crowd was there to see Minogue in all her glittery glory but let's give credit where it's due and start with Brisbane singer-songwriter Hatchie, who was up against it with pouring rain and a soggy crowd. She is an artist to watch, with a delicate, angelic voice reminiscent of Harriet Wheeler (The Sundays) and Minogue herself.
Being asked to support Minogue on this tour is a huge career boost for an artist gigging steadily and already well on her way to making her mark.
Hatchie's sound is described as "dream pop" and the guitars are just fuzzy enough to meet the "shoegazer" tag but with floating melodies rather than jarring angst.
Harriette Pilbeam and her band are heading to Europe in May for a tour and release debut album Keepsake in June.
The rain stopped for Jake Shears and a rainbow added a splash of colour to the previously dreary grey sky.
"Usually, ladies and gentlemen, I have rainbows coming out of my arse but tonight there's one in the sky already, behind you."
The former Scissor Sisters frontman and close friend of Minogue's rocked a gold jacket as he jumped and twirled energetically from one side of the stage to the other. He was quite chatty, telling us that he had recently moved from Louisiana to New Orleans and making the occasional cheeky joke.
Laura, I Don't Feel Like Dancing and Take Your Mama were highlights although his solo songs were treated with respect.
Why did Scissor Sisters break up again?
Minogue's recent bootscoot into country music territory (with album Golden) had me worried that she would follow Cyndi Lauper into the country and western sunset. But there was no noticeable vocal twang or gratuitous crooning here, apart from a low-key rendition of Tony Bennett's Blue Velvet mid-set.
The cowboy theme defined the choreography and set design early on but musically, there were only subtle hints.
This seasoned performer has enough confidence to perform her early hits alongside her latest with not the slightest hint of cringe. She knows songs like The Loco-Motion and Better The Devil You Know are not only loved by her fans, but helped to get her where she is today.
Likewise, Especially For You could have been daggy but wasn't. The crowd was in fine voice and Minogue treated it like any other song on the set list - with polished professionalism and enthusiasm. Apart from one or two moody songs, the smile never left her face all night.
The set was divided into five acts, each with a different theme and costume change. Act One was "Desert Sunrise" and bootscooting dancers and back-up singers got the night off to an energetic start with songs Golden, Get Outta My Way, Better The Devil You Know, In Your Eyes and A Lifetime To Repair.
Act Two, "The High and Dry" kicked off with the amazing Confide In Me and ended with the equally enjoyable Can't Get You Out of My Head - however faltered in-between. To screams of delight she started singing Where The Wild Roses Grow to an audience member and her son - and then abruptly stopped and started singing Shelby '68 (which she dedicated to her father) followed by Wow.
Yes, having Nick Cave on stage to sing the Wild Roses duet was logistically impossible (and a video might not have cut it) but the tease wasn't enough and perhaps the abridged version of the song should be left out of the set altogether.
A black leather-clad Minogue brought the sass to Act Three, "The Bikers Rally". Slow was followed by Kids, The One and Stop Me From Falling, while Act Four ("At The Picnic") was one for the lovers (Wouldn't Change A Thing, Especially For You, Lost Without You and All The Lovers).
Act Five was "Studio 54" and a perfect fit for Minogue. She and pop-driven disco are made for one another. Flitting across the stage in a sky blue chiffon coat, jumpsuit and over-the-knee boots, she was in her element singing a medley (New York City/Raining Glitter/On A Night Like This) followed by The Loco-Motion and Spinning Around.
Her encore? The deliriously happy Love At First Sight and Dancing. And as for the laser show: wow.
Some in the audience later complained about the sound quality but it was an outdoor gig, after all, and these things can happen. I was more interested in exactly how much Minogue relied on her back-up singers for vocal support. Regardless, this is a woman turning 51 in May. She looks great and her energy and stamina would put many half her age to shame. She's showing no signs of slowing down just yet.
There was glitter, there were streamers, there were smiles ... and there was a lot of love in the Bimbadgen amphitheatre, too.
A Day On The Green delivered another crowd-friendly concert experience.