Belinda Carlisle fans are a patient bunch.
The '80s pop superstar's return to Newcastle on Tuesday night had been postponed three times - twice due to the pandemic and once last November when Carlisle underwent a emergency knee replacement.
Naturally, after holding onto their tickets for years, the sold-out Civic Theatre audience was ready to burst.
All that was required was Carlisle's anthemic pop bangers. She brought that and more.
"I was worried nobody would have turned up," Carlisle told the audience, amid cries of "I love you", from one gentleman.
"Thank you for waiting for me, I really appreciate that."
Carlisle was the quintessential southern Californian girl of the '80s music scene.
First she fronted all-female Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, The Go-Go's, before attaining even greater success as a solo artist.
Songs like Heaven Is A Place On Earth, Leave A Light On and Summer Rain were all top-10 singles in Australia and have become commercial radio staples.
Many of her songs has been fairly criticised for being formulaic and too-slickly produced, but Carlisle imbued them with an authenticity that is largely lacking in modern pop music.
Even at 66, Carlisle remains that same energetic spirit. By the second song into the 19-track set, her shoes were off as she continually skipped and danced around the stage bare-footed.
Carlisle's voice has naturally changed over the years. It's developed a jazz-like smokiness, which added a new depth to In Too Deep and Circle In The Sand.
The show was billed as the Decades Tour. But besides 2023 single Big Big Love and a handful on early '90s tracks, the show concentrated on the '80s, to the delight of the audience.
There were no elaborate wardrobe changes or backing dancers and vocalists. Carlisle cut her teeth singing in punk bands like The Germs, and maintained that ethos.
Her five-piece all-male backing band, made up of Australian and English musicians, delivered Carlisle's hits without bells or whistles. They understood who people came to see.
Several female punters were politely directed by ushers to the side after they stood and danced to Summer Rain.
The number of dancers grew as Carlisle dipped into The Go-Go's classic Our Lips Are Sealed and early solo hit Mad About You, but there was no turning back the tide when she launched into her two genuine classics Leave A Light On and Heaven Is A Place On Earth.
Dancers sprang up everywhere and surrounded the front of the stage as Carlisle sang and greeted her fans with a beaming smile.
The songs are 35 years old, but retain a timeless anthemic quality.
In the encore Carlisle dusted off Go-Go's surf-rock hit We Got The Beat. After the power ballads of her solo years, the fresh and punky enthusiasm of We Got The Beat provided a welcome injection of verve.
Carlisle then left her fans with Live Your Life Be Free. It's a clear affirmation she continues to live by some 40-odd years into her music career.
For 90 minutes the Civic Theatre felt that too.
