She may be 72, but Cher can still rock an arena, as her Sydney fans discovered last week when she performed three sold-out shows, her first in Australia for 13 years.
“Darling, she could come out in a cardboard box and I would still go crazy, but instead we got glitter and sequins, so I went berserk!” said one fan, Lucy, who was at the Qudos Bank Arena show on Sunday night, for Cher’s Here We Go Again tour.
Lucy, who also caught the American diva on her 2005 tour, Living Proof: The Farewell Tour, was celebrating her 60th birthday after being given a ticket as a present by her partner.
Her enthusiasm caught the mood. Walking into the venue, everyone was incredibly excited to see Cher, who is about to embark on a six-month tour of the US and Canada with all her Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.
The crowd at Qudos was a mix of diehard fans (some of whom said it only felt like yesterday since they last saw her in 2005) and boys who were born around 2005. The rest were dragged there by wives and girlfriends.
At 72, it’s amazing Cher is even Strong Enough to do a tour. And, besides a couple of wig changes each song, the production was quite tame in regard to the set and dances. As Lucy put it: “This time … she didn’t seem to do too much in terms of gimmicks or tricks.
“But when you’re that age, we’re lucky to even get another chance to see her.”
The superstar – on her seventh solo tour, in support of her new album Dancing Queen – herself acknowledged all the talk about her advancing years. After the first two songs, she asked the audience: “What the hell is your grandmother doing tonight?”
As I was Walking in Memphis (leaving the arena), hoping I Could Turn Back Time to experience it all again, I bumped into Cher – not just once, but three times. Angela, Gina and Isabelle were unmissable in their Cher costumes.
After grabbing a photo, I wished I had dressed as a Navy man (from I Could Turn Back Time), or even posed as the cannon which Cher straddles in the video. The mother and two daughters were seeing Cher for the first time. “I’m so happy I could experience the type of music from my day with the girls. Her music is so timeless. We’re definitely Cher obsessed!” said Angela. – @yahnmonaghan