Coming out of the gents, I bumped into a full-on cowboy - Stetson, boots and leather chaps. It's not a sight you come across often in Newcastle.

But last night was different.

Last night, there were cowboys and girls everywhere, all gathered to pay homage to the Antipodean queen of pop.

The leather, denim and big brimmed hats were a nod to Kylie Minogue's latest album, the country-infused 'Golden' - her 14th studio release.

Recorded in Nashville, it blends traditional American strains with her own infectious melodies and lyrics.

Emerging from beneath the stage to wild applause dressed in a pink floaty chiffon dress with cowgirl boots, she launched straight into the title track.

It was a confident opening, for this, the first gig of the tour.

Despite a lengthy and highly successful career, there remains a vulnerable side to Kylie and she appeared genuinely emotional and, dare I say, a little surprised at several points during the night to the overwhelmingly positive reaction she received.

New songs were mixed with old, all choreographed superbly in conjunction with a fantastic line-up of dancers and a note perfect band. The dance routines performed in sync with videos on huge screens behind the stage, added additional theatre to the proceedings.

There were plenty of outfit changes throughout the night, from leather biker gear, to gold off the shoulder top and flared jeans to a classy white trouser suit. Now 50, she opted against giving a nostalgic airing to those famous gold hotpants, not that she doesn't still have the figure for them.

With the crowd in the palm of her hands, the second half of Kylie's set was a full on disco-fest. Glitter-balls, cannons firing gold and silver paper into the air, golden streamers and outfits harking back to the heyday of Studio 54.

It was pure cheese, but it was exactly what the crowd wanted - a highly camp version of the Locomotion a particular highlight.

Fittingly, Kylie finished the night as she started, with another song from Golden, the hit single Dancing. There was almost a tear in her eye as she departed the stage.

On leaving the Arena, I spotted a lone cowboy, slightly weary, leaning up against a fence, his big black hat covered in glitter.

He symbolised everything that was great about an evening that was so much more than your average night in the Toon.