The OBE received by Kylie Minogue last week was for services to music, presumably because there is no "all-round poppet" category. Her value as a morale-booster is being reaffirmed yet again on her current tour, which pits her against the usual disco-dancing beefcakes and special effects, just to prove the potency of a big, big night out. The production - and production it is; after two highly theatrical hours, you expect credits to roll at the end - ostensibly promotes 2007's under-selling album, X, but the woman who once labelled herself a "show pony" would probably find an excuse to be on stage even if there was no record out. It has been only 18 months since the last tour, but here she is with an elaborate new show that will test her stamina for the next month.
Speaking of which, her energy is exhausting to behold. She doesn't even break a sweat after each all-dancing set piece, during which she high-kicks, pirouettes and is passed from one muscle-bound backing dancer to the next. She has said that post-chemotherapy fatigue makes it impossible for her to do a long show without a break and, accordingly, there is a 15-minute interval. But when she's on stage, she is rarely still. And it's a very long set - 28 songs and seven costume changes, each producing the kind of transformation most women spend hours to achieve.
Five years ago, aged 35, Kylie announced her intention of retiring her hot pants and dressing "appropriately" for her age. Happily, she's done nothing of the kind. Tonight's looks include cheerleader shorts, suspenders with leopard-print stockings and a riding outfit accessorised with patent thigh boots. Each outfit corresponds to a 15-minute song segment, each dressed up with what could be the most striking visuals ever designed for a pop gig. The sets are influenced by Japanese theatre, Helmut Newton's photography, Tokyo street life - a mix of music, fashion and art that is both stunning and beautiful.
In the midst of it all is Kylie herself, the radiant force around which all the activity bubbles. And yet she remains as approachable as ever. When a small boy presents her with a card addressed to Kylie Minogue OBE, she squeaks: "Oh, that's too exciting!" The music may err too heavily on the side of grinding electro numbers from X, and classics such as Spinning Around and Can't Get You Out of My Head are over too soon, but this is a fantastic spectacle from pop's greatest show pony.
· At the SECC tomorrow and Wednesday. Box office: 0141-248 3000. Then touring.
