Toni Childs at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre

Free tickets? Yes please!

So I invited my dear friend Liana and we went out to see the Toni Child's Concert last night at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, with Casey Donovan as her support act.

It was BRILLIANT!!!

I LOVED Casey Donovan - although with her hair all curly, I almost didn't recognise her from her Idol days all those years ago. But what I loved so much was that she revealed that not only was she an incredibly versatile singer and songwriter, but also an incredible entertainer! She was SO funny! Liana and I were in stitches at several points during her set!

My two favourites were Casey's rendition of Dream A Little Dream of me by Mama Cass. She brought the whole thing to life - not only vocally, but also through her interpretation.... She is SO CLEVER.

But the song that stole the show was one of her own - the final song in her set Big Beautiful and Sexy. It goes on sale today on iTunes and I will be adding it to my favourites playlist tomorrow when I get paid!

I had sat through the entire set wondering how she managed to be such a powerful stage presence and yet reconcile herself to the size she was. One of my BIGGEST fears about getting up on stage in front of people these days is my size.... and yet Casey was not only doing it, but appearing to love it! She was so comfortable in her own skin! AND THEN she introduced the reasons for writing Big Beautiful and Sexy. And it was all about just that journey.

After Casey's performance last night, she has elevated in my mind from another Aussie icon to FANTASTIC performer!


AND THEN THERE WAS TONI....

Liana pointed out that we were some of the youngest audience members as she glanced about the theatre - and that we were definitely in the minority. Which didn't really worry me at all. I remembered Toni's songs from my teenage years - Many Rivers To Cross, Stop Your Fussin, House of Hope, I've Got To Go Now and Zimbabwae. I had been listening to Toni's Ultimate Collection for the past few days and so I knew I was in for a treat.

She did a mix of old stuff and newer stuff of her Keep The Faith album, and what she termed "new, new, new, new, NEW" stuff.... The show was great and learning about the second charkara was very interesting! But the highlight for me was one of the final songs that she sang.... The final track on her Keep The Faith Album - Because You're Beautiful

Because You're Beautiful

My journey is not complete and it has been marred through the years with various defeats.... As Toni asked all of the women in the audience to stand and the house lights to be raised, so that she could sing directly to us (and I was in the second row...) I just closed my eyes and cried....

I don't hear this often enough. And even if I do, I have a hard time believing it... But I KNOW I will get there one day... and I thank Toni for reminding us that in order to stop violence against women we first need to start by stopping our own violence towards ourselves.

It was a moving performance and a great show....

And I look forward to the next Aussie tour that she does!

Go Toni!