The second of Cyndi Lauper’s Australian Farewell Tour concerts brought a full house to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday night. The last time Cyndi visited this neck of the woods was at Sirromet for a double header with Rod Stewart.
Tonight, everyone is here for Cyndi.
Opening the show were hometown heroes: The Veronicas (version 2.0). The Origliasso twins: Jess and Lisa, open with a killer version of Stevie Nick’s Edge of Seventeen. Backed by a rocking three-piece band, the sisters blew the roof off the Entertainment Centre with a mix of their own hits and two more choice covers: Pat Benatar’s Love Is A Battlefield and Tina Turner’s The Best.
The Veronicas IMAGE supplied
Equally impressive is their own In My Blood, When It All Falls Apart (with its Seven Nation Army introduction), 4ever and closing number Untouched.
Before Cyndi takes to the stage, the intermission playlist pays homage to current pop queens from Olivia Rodrigo to Dua lipa. Then the lights drop and Blondie’s One Way Or Another cranks through the PA.
The big screen becomes home to a video montage of Cyndi’s career and life highlights. It’s worth remembering there was once a time when you could be asked if you were either a Cyndi fan or a Madonna fan.
Backed by a five-piece band and vocalists, Cyndi opens with She Bop, followed by The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough, her revered cover of Prince’s When You Were Mine and I Drove All Night.
From there, the show is peppered with hits, album tracks and Cyndi’s personal favourites. The whole shebang is interwoven with Cyndi telling stories of her own life and shining a light on the struggles of women through history while raising support (and funds) for women now.
Grateful for the turn-out and fond farewell, Cyndi tells us this is her first large-scale arena tour since 1986. No expense had been spared.
The night is full of costume changes and a video installation that would rival anyone currently touring. Cyndi explains she’s trying to create a living art piece between herself, the band, the visuals and, just as importantly, the audience.
This happens mid-show as Cyndi stands at the apron of the stage and removes her wig and changes her outfit. The device breaks the fourth wall and lets the audience further into her world.
When it comes to highlights, there’s a bucket of them. There’s a raucous Money Changes Everything and a throwback to her Blue Angel days with a reading of Gene Pitney’s I’m Gonna Be Strong.
Of course, she also has a tune so revered even Miles Davis took the trouble to learn it, Time After Time.
Bittersweet
On her farewell tour, bittersweet pop moments don’t come any better than this.
Stepping off stage and into the arena, Cyndi makes her way through the audience to a B stage for an equally brilliant take on True Colours.
Taking a minute to talk about how important perseverance is to creating art, she cites the inspiration of Yayoi Kusama with the stage and the band’s outfits both awash with pink dots.
There’s only one song that can close out the night and it’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.
It’s as great as you’d imagine. A rousing celebration of the 80s and enduring girl power.
Bravo Cyndi. What a night!
This reviewer saw Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour performance at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on 5 April 2025. Upcoming tour dates:
Mon 7 Apr 2025
Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle, NSW
Tue 8 Apr 2025
Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, NSW
Thu 10 Apr 2025
Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, SA
Sat 12 Apr 2025
RAC Arena, Perth, WA
