Any act that arrives into Thomond Park with the aid of a 70-foot crane, an exploding box of balloons and a bungee jump-esque entrance into the crowd, is going to leave both fans and those dragged along by their significant others slack-jawed and wide-eyed.
The best thing about Pink, however, is that she boasts an impressive set of pipes to go along with the theatrics. And she certainly knows how to put on a show.
In this case, the self-styled rock chick whizzes through a stuffed two-hour set of her biggest hits and tracks from the multi-million selling album Funhouse, opening with a storming version of the title track from that album.
Pink is a welcome breath of fresh air for the 22,000 strong crowd. Costume changes, dancers, trapeze antics, intense visuals and a superb live band all help her pack an extra punch, and ‘Who Knew’ and the surprisingly rocky ‘Bad Influence’ are early highlights. Mid-set, Pink sits on a stool, guitar in hand, and whispers her way through ‘I Don’t Believe You’, and the semi-polemic ‘Dear Mr. President’, proving to everyone that she has more in her stable than acerbic rock tunes.
From there on, the show is a roller-coaster ride. Accompanied by American rocker Butch Walker, Pink splices up The Who’s ‘My Generation’, Green Day’s ‘Basket Case’ and The Police’s ‘Roxanne’ – which she finishes by crowd surfing in a massive balloon-like Zorb that would have Wayne Coyne jumping for joy. A superb cover of 4 Non Blondes’ classic ‘What’s Up’ , an extended ‘U and Ur Hand’ and ‘Leave Me Alone’ finish the set.
The encore of ‘So What’ has the audience in dreamland, as a green-sequinned Pink flies around Thomond Park on steel wires, high above the audience.
Move over Paul O’Connell – Pink is the new red, as far as the Thomond Park faithful are concerned.