Kim Wilde’s return to the UK touring circuit has been a long time in coming, but it was definitely worth the wait.

Opening her ‘Here Come the Aliens’ tour at Ipswich Regent Kim looked confident and relaxed on stage: her sparkling cat suit glistening as she whipped up the crowd with a mixture of charts hits and new material.

There is sometimes the concern that artists sharing new material in such a long career are unhappy or reluctant to air older songs.

That wasn’t the case for Kim Wilde: her set list was varied and appealed to all types of fan from the obsessive to the more casual.

Her new material proved to be a hit with the audience with her distinctive voice still coming across through a more grown up sound.

The show was a real family affair as her brother Ricky and his daughter Scarlett formed an integral part of both the new album and Kim’s band on the night.

A quick note must be made on the stage lighting which perfectly emulated what an alien craft could look like without being too over the top.

By the end of the night Kim - now draped with a fabulous silver cape - had the entire crowd on its feet in a rousing and slightly more rock-based version of Kids in America.

A great evening to be sure.