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Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour

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Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour
Tour by Kylie Minogue
Promotional poster for the tour
LocationEurope
Associated albumUltimate Kylie
Start date19 March 2005 (2005-03-19)
End date7 May 2005 (2005-05-07)
Legs1
No. of shows37
Box officeUS$19.97 million (23 reported shows)
Kylie Minogue concert chronology

Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour was the eighth concert tour by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was launched in support of her second major greatest hits compilation, Ultimate Kylie (2004) and visited Europe. It began on 19 March 2005 in Glasgow, Scotland at SECC Concert Hall 4 and concluded on 7 May 2005 in London, England at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. The tour was announced on 24 October 2004, promoted by 3A Entertainment in Europe and Frontier Touring in Asia and Australia. Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour was intended to be a celebration of both Minogue's career and long-term relationship with her audience.

Eight distinct sections divided the tour; Showgirl, Smiley Kylie, Denial, What Kylie Wants, Kylie Gets, Dreams, Kyliesque, Minx in Space and an encore. It featured costumes from designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Julien Macdonald, as well as the iconic showgirl costume designed by John Galliano. The tour also featured an Art Deco-inspired stage costing £1,000,000.[1] The set list consisted of Minogue's greatest hits along with the singles from Ultimate Kylie.

The tour was also commercially successful. The shows in the United Kingdom sold out in two hours and went on to gross nearly $20 million. In Europe, 339,105 tickets were sold in total. The tour also placed 46th on Pollstar's 2005 "Top 100 Worldwide Tours" at the conclusion of the year.[2][3] Footage from the 6 May show in London was also filmed for television broadcast and DVD release. It was released on DVD in November 2005, titled Showgirl. The following month, a live album of the same name was released, featuring eight songs from the show.

Twenty shows in Australia and three shows in Asia were originally scheduled for the tour. Following the conclusion of the European leg, Minogue travelled to Australia to continue the tour, where she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The remainder of the tour, including a headlining slot at the 2005 Glastonbury Festival, was consequently cancelled. The shows in Australia were rescheduled and 14 additional shows in the United Kingdom were added following Minogue's recovery. The tour resumed in November 2006, renamed Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour, with a revised set list and new costumes to accommodate her medical state.[4][5]

Background

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Exterior of the SECC, Glasgow, Scotland.
Exterior of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, England.
Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour commenced in Glasgow, Scotland at the SECC Concert Hall 4 (left) and concluded in London, England at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre (right).

Following a "lacklustre" reception to the release of her ninth studio album, Body Language (2003), Minogue's second major greatest hits compilation was announced in August 2004. In October of the same year, it was announced that Minogue would embark on Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour to promote the compilation, and Ultimate Kylie was released to critical reception the following month.[6] She described the tour as "a celebration of pop songs and my career, but also a long-term relationship with my audience". The tour was promoted by 3A Entertainment in Europe and Frontier Touring in Asia and Australia.[7]

Dates for shows in Europe were announced first. All shows in the United Kingdom sold out within two hours.[8] The announcement of dates in Australia and Asia followed, as well as a headline appearance at the 2005 Glastonbury Festival. Minogue was scheduled to be the first female to headline the festival since 1999.[1]

Postponements and cancellations

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Prior to the tour, Minogue saw a doctor over concerns about breast cancer, but was given the all-clear.[9] The tour commenced and, following the conclusion of the European shows, she travelled to Australia to continue the tour. On 17 May 2005, it was announced that Minogue had been diagnosed with breast cancer during a family visit to Melbourne, and would undergo immediate treatment.[10] As a consequence, the remaining dates of Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour were cancelled. In a statement issued by her record company, Minogue said that she "was so looking forward to bringing the Showgirl tour to Australia and to Glastonbury and I'm sorry to have to disappoint my fans".[11] She later underwent a lumpectomy and an eight-month cycle of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.[12][13]

Tour resumption

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Main article: Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour

Following Minogue's recovery, the resumption of the tour was announced in June 2006.[14] The rescheduled tour was renamed Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour, and was originally planned to consist of dates in Australia only. Shows in the United Kingdom were added,[15] and the tour commenced in November 2006. Alterations to the set list, choreography and costumes were made to accommodate Minogue's medical condition.[4]

Concert synopsis

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The show was split into seven acts: Showgirl, Smiley Kylie, Denial, What Kylie Wants, Kylie Gets, Dreams, Kyliesque and Minx in Space, with the addition of an encore. The show opens with an instrumental introduction dubbed the "Showgirl Overture". Minogue then rises out of the stage dressed in a blue showgirl outfit, going on to sing "Better the Devil You Know", which is quickly followed by performances of "In Your Eyes" and "Giving You Up". Minogue then performs "On a Night Like This", beginning as a ballad, which closes the first section of the show.

Minogue performing in Paris, France at the Zénith de Paris.

The second section begins with a dance interlude, using excerpts of "Do You Dare?", before Minogue rises out of the centre of the stage to perform a medley of "Shocked", "What Do I Have to Do" and "Spinning Around". During this medley, several other songs are sampled and interpolated, such as: "It's No Secret", "Keep on Pumpin' It", "Give Me Just a Little More Time", "What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)", "I'm Over Dreaming (Over You)", "Finally"), "Step Back in Time" and "Such a Good Feeling".

The third section begins with a performance of "In Denial", a virtual duet with Neil Tennant. This is followed by a performance of "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi", before Minogue closes the act with a performance of "Confide in Me".

The fourth act begins with fake showers and gym equipment rising onto the stage, before Minogue appears to sing "Red Blooded Woman", which features a chorus of "Where the Wild Roses Grow". Minogue then performs "Slow" which is followed by a performance of "Please Stay".

The fifth section begins with a cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" where Minogue rises from behind the stage on a sequinned moon. This is then followed by a torch version of "Come into My World". Minogue then performs "Chocolate" and "I Believe in You", the latter being performed atop the transformed "cake lift". The act closes with a performance of "Dreams".

The sixth section opens with a performance of "Hand on Your Heart", where Minogue emerges on stage in front of a big heart. She then goes on to perform a jazz version of "The Locomotion" which is followed by a performance of "I Should Be So Lucky". Minogue then closes the act with a performance of "Your Disco Needs You".

The penultimate section opens with a performance version of "Put Yourself in My Place", and a performance of "Can't Get You Out of My Head" closes the main body of the show. Minogue then performed a two-song encore, performing a sing-a-long version of "Especially for You", before closing the show with a performance of "Love at First Sight", as a video montage of her career is shown on the video screens behind her.

Setlist

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Act 1: Showgirl

  1. "Overture"
  2. "Better the Devil You Know"
  3. "In Your Eyes"
  4. "Giving You Up"
  5. "On a Night Like This"

Act 2: Smiley Kylie

  2. "Shocked" (contains excerpts from "Do You Dare?", "It's No Secret", "Give Me Just A Little More Time", "Keep on Pumpin' It" and "What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)")
  3. "What Do I Have to Do" (contains excerpt from "I'm Over Dreaming (Over You)")
  4. "Spinning Around" (contains excerpts from "Step Back in Time" along with elements of "Finally" and "Such a Good Feeling")

Act 3: Denial

  2. "In Denial" (virtual duet with Neil Tennant)
  3. "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi"
  4. "Confide in Me"

Act 4: What Kylie Wants, Kylie Gets

  2. "Red Blooded Woman" (contains excerpts from "Where the Wild Roses Grow")
  3. "Slow"
  4. "Please Stay"

Act 5: Dreams

  2. "Over the Rainbow"
  3. "Come into My World"
  4. "Chocolate"
  5. "I Believe in You"
  6. "Dreams"

Act 6: Kyliesque

  2. "Hand on Your Heart"
  3. "The Loco-Motion"
  4. "I Should Be So Lucky"
  5. "Your Disco Needs You"

Act 7: Minx in Space

  2. "Put Yourself in My Place"
  3. "Can't Get You Out of My Head"

Encore

  2. "Especially for You" (Intro contains an excerpt of "Love's in Need of Love Today")
  3. "Love at First Sight"

Tour dates

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List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, opening acts, tickets sold, number of available tickets and gross revenue
Date City Country Venue Opening acts Attendance Revenue
Europe[16][17]
19 March 2005 Glasgow Scotland SECC Concert Hall 4 Melody Club 43,100 / 43,100 $3,040,468
20 March 2005
22 March 2005
23 March 2005
24 March 2005
26 March 2005 Paris France Zénith de Paris — —
27 March 2005 Rotterdam Netherlands Rotterdam Ahoy Sportpaleis — —
28 March 2005 Antwerp Belgium Sportpaleis — —
30 March 2005 Vienna Austria Wiener Stadthalle — —
31 March 2005 Munich Germany Olympiahalle — —
1 April 2005 Basel Switzerland St. Jakobshalle — —
3 April 2005 Aalborg Denmark Gigantium — —
4 April 2005 Hamburg Germany Color Line Arena — —
5 April 2005 Cologne Kölnarena — —
7 April 2005 Dublin Ireland Point Theatre — —
8 April 2005
9 April 2005
11 April 2005
12 April 2005
15 April 2005 Birmingham England NEC Arena 65,976 / 65,976 $4,572,554
16 April 2005
17 April 2005
19 April 2005
20 April 2005
21 April 2005
23 April 2005 Manchester Manchester Evening News Arena 74,060 / 74,060 $5,234,740
24 April 2005
26 April 2005
27 April 2005
28 April 2005
30 April 2005 London Earls Court Exhibition Centre 105,840 / 105,840 $7,125,132
1 May 2005
2 May 2005
4 May 2005
5 May 2005
6 May 2005
7 May 2005
Total 288,976 / 288,976 (100%) $19,972,894

Cancelled shows

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List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue and reason for cancellation
Date City Country Venue Reason
19 May 2005 Sydney Australia Sydney Super Dome Cancelled due to cancer diagnosis[18]
20 May 2005
21 May 2005
23 May 2005 Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
24 May 2005
25 May 2005
27 May 2005
28 May 2005
29 May 2005
31 May 2005 Sydney Sydney Entertainment Centre
1 June 2005
2 June 2005
4 June 2005 Brisbane Brisbane Entertainment Centre
5 June 2005
6 June 2005
8 June 2005 Adelaide Adelaide Entertainment Centre
9 June 2005
12 June 2005 Perth Burswood Dome
13 June 2005
14 June 2005
17 June 2005 Singapore Singapore Indoor Stadium
20 June 2005 Bangkok Thailand IMPACT Arena
23 June 2005 Hong Kong HKCEC Hall 3
26 June 2005 Pilton England Glastonbury Festival

Broadcasts and recordings

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Main article: Showgirl (video)

Minogue's performance at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London on 6 May 2005 was filmed for television broadcast and DVD release. The performance was released on DVD and Universal Media Disc on 28 November 2005, and was simply titled Showgirl. The DVD also featured "Behind the Feathers", a documentary, screensavers and exclusive photographs.[19] The DVD reached number twenty-six on Australia's End of the Year Music DVD Chart in 2005.[20] It was certified platinum in the UK in 2005 and four times platinum in Australia in 2006.[21][22] Showgirl was nominated for Best Music DVD at the 2006 ARIA Music Awards, losing to Eskimo Joe.[23]

On 12 December 2005, Minogue released a digital EP featuring eight songs recorded in London, England during the Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour, again titled Showgirl.[24]

Personnel

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  • Russel Thomas – director
  • Bill Lord – executive producer
  • Kylie Minogue – executive producer
  • Terry Blamey – executive producer
  • William Baker – creative director
  • Alan MacDonald – creative director
  • Steve Anderson – musical producer
  • Sean Fitzpatrick – tour manager
  • Michael Rooney – choreography
  • Rafael Bonachela – choreography
  • John Galliano – costume design
  • Karl Lagerfeld – costume design
  • Julien Macdonald – costume design
  • Ed Meadham – costume design
  • Gareth Pugh – costume design
  • Manolo Blahnik – shoes
  • Bvlgari – jewelry
  • Stephen Jones – millinery
  • Karen Alder – hair stylist

See also

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[edit]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Kylie begins hits tour in Glasgow". BBC News. 20 March 2005. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  2. ^ Waddell, Ray (1 June 2005). "The Eagles Are Top Touring Act At 2005 Mid-Point". Billboard/All Business. AllBusiness.com, Inc. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  3. ^ "Year End Top 100 Worldwide Ticket Tour Sales" (PDF). Pollstar. 16 January 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 April 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  4. ^ a b Sams, Christine (12 November 2006). "Feathered Kylie's fans tickled pink". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
  5. ^ Corder, Mike (17 May 2005). "Kylie Minogue Has Breast Cancer". CBS. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
  6. ^ Sams, Christine (25 October 2004). "Kylie set for dream tour". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  7. ^ Ferguson, Tom (2 April 2005). "Minogue to close tour at Glastonbury". Billboard. p. 39. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Kylie set for dream tour". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 October 2004. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  9. ^ "Kylie says 'I was misdiagnosed'". BBC News. 8 April 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  10. ^ Attwood, Karen; Stringer, David; Allen, Nick (17 May 2005). "Kylie diagnosed with breast cancer". The Independent. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Cancer forces Kylie to cancel tour". The Daily Telegraph. 17 May 2005. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  12. ^ Lampert, Nicole (2 February 2006). "Kylie's in 'full remission'". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  13. ^ Bartram, Naomi (27 June 2019). "Kylie Minogue admits she'll 'shed tears' at Glastonbury - 14 years after pulling out over cancer battle". Heart. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  14. ^ "Minogue announces Australian tour". BBC News. 22 June 2006. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  15. ^ "Two UK gigs as Kylie resumes tour". BBC News. 17 July 2006. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  16. ^ Sources for tour dates in Europe:
  17. ^ "Melody Club frir til Kylie" [Melody Club pander to Kylie]. Norsk rikskringkasting (in Norwegian). 23 March 2005. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  18. ^ "Cancer forces Kylie to cancel tour". The Daily Telegraph. 17 May 2005. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  19. ^ "Kylie Minogue – Showgirl – The Greatest Hits Tour". Warner Music Australia. Archived from the original on 24 May 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
  20. ^ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Music DVD Chart 2005". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
  21. ^ "British platinum certification for Showgirl". British Phonographic Industry. 9 December 2005. Retrieved 10 May 2008.[permanent dead link]
  22. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 DVD". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
  23. ^ Lynch, Sean. "Music News: 2006 ARIA AWARD Nominations Announced". WebWombat.com.au. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
  24. ^ "Kylie Minogue – Showgirl – The Greatest Hits Tour". 7Digital.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
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