Diehard Whitney fans haven’t been disappointed by the diva’s questionable show antics during her current visit Down Under.
Despite the countless scathing reports that have surfaced surrounding Houston’s apparent breathlessness and lack of energy throughout her gigs, long-term fan Kylie Trinks says she loved Houston's show.
Trinks, who has been a fan since The Bodyguard first hit cinemas back in '92, paid premium prices for fourth-row seats at Houston's show in the Hunter Valley in NSW. “I heard it was terrible, that she lost it and it was a waste of money, but she put on a fabulous show. She had a great set of legs, good dancers and hot dancers, too,” Trinks says.
While some mistakes she made were blatantly obvious, Trinks says Houston didn’t try to hide the obvious issues with her voice – and she deserved serious credit for that.
“She did forget the names of her band and her back-up singers and I found that quite offensive. She had to read the names off a piece of paper – the only one she remembered was her brother Gary Houston. And in the middle of “I Will Always Love You” she powdered her nose in front of the crowd.
“But she didn’t hide the fact that her voice wasn’t up to scratch – she performed well. For a true Whitney fan, she put on what you would have imagined. I went in with low expectations but came out on a high.”
Trinks says the stunning outdoor venue added to her Whitney experience, and despite all of the complaints that have recently surfaced, she’s just as committed to the music veteran as she’s always been.
“The Hunter Valley and was an open-air and fabulous environment. I don’t imagine the Acer Arena (Sydney) was the right environment for her to play in,” she says. “I don’t love her more and I don’t love her less. "I Will Always Love You" Whitney.”
Fellow Houston-lover Nathan Soulsby also caught her Hunter Valley show and says if given the chance, he would do it all again. “Whitney and Madonna are two people I’ve always wanted to see. You only get one chance with artists like them," he says.
“I’ve loved her for too long. She pretty much acknowledged, without saying, that she knew she was getting a lot of bad press. She was honest about it. She knows she’s not amazing and has been through some tough times but wanted to come out to see her fans. She was very appreciative of everyone being there.”
Soulsby says he was mildly disappointed when Houston failed to hit some notes, but that she made up for it in plenty of other ways.
“Her middle register is better than it’s ever been. It’s just the high notes she can’t hit,” Soulsby says. “In “I Will Always Love You” she didn’t hit ‘that’ note and it was a bit cringe-worthy. And she was out of breath -- but she tried her heart out.
“Over 25 years, artists change – and you have to have that in mind before you go. I’ve got no complaints. I would definitely go again and next time would get better seats because I want a bit of Whitney’s sweat to fall on me.”
Photo: Getty Images/ Getty Images Entertainment/ Don Arnold
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