Starlight Express Theater, Bochum, Germany18th November 2025
Kim Wilde - “Closer Tour 2025” - Support: The Rival Bid
Pop legend KIM WILDE is currently hitting the road again, bringing her brand-new album ‘Closer’ - and the tour of the same name - to Germany. On 18th November, she was stopping off at Starlight Express Bochum, ready to give fans a night to remember in a very special location on a very special day...
The Rival Bid
As support, THE RIVAL BID from Dortmund opened the evening - though in a reduced line-up. “We are half of the band THE RIVAL BID from Dortmund,” singer Maurice Margraf announced, performing together with guitarist Tillmann Büschke an intimate acoustic version of their usually dark-shimmering, melancholic and urgent Indie Rock - a sound as if THE SMITHS had spent a night with THE XX. With two acoustic guitars and plenty of atmospheric finesse, they moved through a short and gentle set.
The short set included ‘Closer’, fittingly echoing the name of the current KIM WILDE tour, as well as ‘Boy In A Bubble’ from their latest album. They closed with ‘Fire’, leaving the audience wanting more. Anyone wishing to experience THE RIVAL BID in full band strength will get the chance on 19 December at their year-end concert at FZW Dortmund. They left for a twenty-minute break before it was time for 80s Pop icon KIM WILDE. https://www.therivalbid.com / https://www.facebook.com/therivalbid
Kim Wilde
Her new release ‘Closer’ is the long-awaited follow-up to her smash-hit album ‘Close’, which stormed into the Top 10 across Europe nearly four decades ago. Now, KIM WILDE is shining the spotlight back on that iconic era with a set packed with classics like ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’, ‘Chequered Love’ and ‘You Came’, alongside new material that proves she’s still very much at the top of her game. Over the years, KIM WILDE has carved out a reputation as a stunning live performer, and together with her band, she remains one of the most exciting acts you can catch in 2025. https://www.kimwilde.com / https://www.facebook.com/officialkimwilde
Music & Performance
After the strong opening by THE RIVAL BID, the stage finally belonged to KIM WILDE, who had double reason to celebrate - her concert at the extraordinary Starlight Express Theatre and her own birthday. The audience was noticeably older than at many other Pop shows, making even older visitors feel positively youthful.
The venue proved to be a perfect setting: the theatre purpose-built for the musical Starlight Express, where trains on roller skates usually race through the aisles, was used to full effect with striking lighting and projections. The sweeping skating tracks that run through the auditorium offered possibilities you simply don’t find in ordinary concert halls.
Kim kicked off the evening powerfully with ‘Hey Mister Heartache’, but by the second song, ‘You Came’, the first fans were already on their feet - and red balloons were held high in the first row. After the song, the audience surprised her by breaking into a heartfelt “Happy Birthday”. Clearly moved, Kim wandered through the rows, collecting an impressive number of gifts - so many that her assistants had to step in several times - and thanked everyone enthusiastically. There was, she said, no better place to celebrate than here in Bochum.
By ‘Never Trust a Stranger’ the entire theatre was clapping along, and ‘The Second Time’ even inspired a small choreographed dance routine. Between songs, Kim explained that the current tour blends her iconic ‘Close’ album with the newer ‘Closer’ material - a bridge between past and present.
For ‘Hourglass Human’, she threw on a cape and performed an atmospheric duet with her niece Scarlett. A first major highlight arrived with ‘Cambodia’: Kim once again ventured into the audience - something the unique architecture makes wonderfully easy. Fans stood, sang, and showered her with flowers and presents, and she even signed a few autographs mid-concert. “I love birthdays,” she laughed.
Another standout moment came with ‘Stone’, as the illuminated skating tracks cast a magical glow and the band moved through the crowd, Kim was shaking hands and filling the space with energy. She then introduced her musicians - a large live set-up of drums, keys, two guitars, bass and backing vocals. As always, her brother Ricky Wilde on guitar and her niece Scarlett Wilde at the microphone were by her side - “part of my life for so many years,” as she warmly put it.
After a powerful main set, ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’ marked the transition into the encore. In the final section, Kim once more showcased her versatility: ‘If I Can’t Have You’ (Bee Gees), ‘Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime’ (Nena) and finally the immortal ‘Kids in America’ turned the theatre into one big celebration. The entire audience was on its feet, singing, clapping and celebrating a pop icon who shone brighter than ever on her birthday.
In the end, it was an evening to remember - a blend of nostalgia, energy, genuine closeness to the audience and a venue seemingly made for such an intimate yet spectacular show. A concert unlike anything one is likely to experience again.
Setlist
01. Hey Mister Heartache
02. You Came
03. Never Trust a Stranger
04. Midnight Train
05. The Second Time
06. Hourglass Human
07. Lighthouse
08. Cambodia
09. Love’s a No / You’ll Be the One Who’ll Lose / Four Letter Word
10. European Soul
11. Stone
12. Trail of Destruction
13. Scorpio
14. Chequered Love
15. View From a Bridge
16. You Keep Me Hangin’ On (The Supremes cover)
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17. If I Can’t Have You (Bee Gees cover)
18. Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime (Nena cover)
19. Kids in America
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
