Tangled Up Tour

Last updated

Tangled Up Tour
Tour by Girls Aloud
GirlsAloud TangledUpTourProgramme.jpg
Cover of the tour programme
Associated album Tangled Up
Start date3 May 2008
End date29 August 2008
Legs2
No. of shows35
Girls Aloud concert chronology

The Tangled Up Tour was the fourth concert tour by English-Irish girl group Girls Aloud. It supported their fourth studio album Tangled Up . Tour dates were announced in November 2007. Girls Aloud performed twenty-four shows at arenas across the United Kingdom and Ireland, making this tour their third to reach arenas. The tour commenced in Belfast on 3 May 2008 and concluded in Birmingham on 4 June. Girls Aloud also performed eleven open-air concerts over the summer.

Contents

The show was divided into five unique sections with distinct costumes, including the encore. The stage outfits, designed by Welsh designer Julien MacDonald, received comparisons to Madonna's Blond Ambition World Tour. Girls Aloud began the show suspended from the ceiling wearing black cloaks before performing the opening number "Sexy! No No No...". The set list mostly included songs from Tangled Up, as well as earlier singles and album tracks. A ballad section took place on a smaller stage in the centre of the arena. Billiam, Luigi Masi, and The Saturdays provided support for Girls Aloud on the tour.

The tour generated positive reviews from critics, who noted the performance as being the most sexual of Girls Aloud's career to date. The Tangled Up Tour was filmed at the O2 Arena in London on 17 May 2008 and shown live at 50 Vue cinemas across the United Kingdom. This footage was released on DVD and Blu-ray under the title Tangled Up: Live from The O2 2008 in October 2008. The tour was also broadcast on a number of television channels.

Background and development

The first dates were announced by various news sources towards the end of November 2007. Pre-sale tickets were offered on Girls Aloud's official website on 22 November 2007. [1] In March 2008, Girls Aloud signed a deal to front an ad campaign for a new low-calorie Kit Kat bar called "Senses". The manufacturer sponsored the tour, and handed out chocolate bars for free at the arenas.

The announcement of the tour helped to stop rumours that the band were splitting up. The stories surfaced after Nadine Coyle pulled out of a reality show for the second time. [2] It was widely reported in April 2008 that Cheryl Cole was working on solo material with producer T2. [3] These accusations were quickly denied, with Cole saying that she "had been in tour rehearsals every day." [4] The band put a further stop to these rumours at their London show, by announcing that they would be recording a new album. [5]

The show reportedly cost an estimated £3 million to stage, with £250,000 worth of pyrotechnics. [6] Girls Aloud called the show their most "extravagant and rewarding" yet. [6] Sarah Harding said that "over the years it gets bigger and more elaborate." [7] The stage outfits were designed by Welsh designer Julien MacDonald, London-based Norwegian designer Kristian Aadnevik, and Liza Bruce. [8] MacDonald designed "a set of crystal beaded numbers drenched in his signature sparkle" and "a collection of sci-fi inspired bodysuits." [8] Kimberley Walsh told press that the band was "really excited about the tour" and had "loads of things planned." [9] Luigi Masi, Billiam and The Saturdays provided support for Girls Aloud on the tour. [10]

Girls Aloud played a number of festivals and open-air concerts over the summer. They were scheduled to perform at the Beamish Summer Festival, held at Beamish Hall in August as part of a two-day event organised by Hope 4 Kidz. [11] However, due to weather problems, the concert was cancelled. Girls Aloud also played at Pop in the Park and 2008's V Festival. [12] They previously performed at V Festival in 2006 with a shortened set of their Chemistry Tour.

Concert synopsis

For the opening of the Tangled Up Tour, the band members were suspended from the ceiling wearing black cloaks. The video screen shows Cheryl Cole singing the vocodered intro to "Sexy! No No No…". [13] Girls Aloud reached the stage as the song became more uptempo, removing their cloaks and revealing sci-fi inspired bodysuits. [8] [13] They then perform Tangled Up album track "Girl Overboard". During "Sound of the Underground", Girls Aloud use "semi-naked male dancers as both props and furniture. [13] The first section of the show is finished by "Close to Love", another album track.

For the second section of the show, Girls Aloud wear black cabaret numbers. They perform "Can't Speak French", followed by "Love Machine". Album track "Black Jacks" is "performed on a rotating stage complete with a hugely energetic dance routine from both the girls and their dancers" and features a "snappy monochrome stage design." [13] [14] "Biology" is "slowed down slightly" and "interrupted" with a jazz interlude. [13]

During their ballad section, Girls Aloud perform "Whole Lotta History" and "I'll Stand by You". They also perform a stripped-down cover of Robyn's "With Every Heartbeat". [15] They originally performed the song for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, a recording of which is available on the "Can't Speak French" single. [16]

Following a brief video introduction, Girls Aloud perform "Fling" in gold sequined mini-dresses. [13] The group also perform a cover of Salt-n-Pepa's "Push It". [17] They then perform a medley of "Wake Me Up" and "Walk This Way". Additionally, Cheryl Cole sang a "quick incerpt" of Kelis' "Trick Me" at the end of "Control of the Knife", noted by critics as a "tabloid-friendly decision." [14] [18] The set ends with "Call the Shots" and "Jump". [13]

For the encore of "Something Kinda Ooooh", Girls Aloud wear high-cut Liza Bruce day-glo coloured leotards and nude fishnets amidst pyrotechnics. [13]

Opening acts

Setlist

The following set list is representative of the show in May 2008. It is not representative of all concerts for the duration of the tour.

Section 1
  1. "Sexy! No No No..." (with video introduction)
  2. "Girl Overboard"
  3. "Sound of the Underground"
  4. "Close to Love"
Section 2
  1. "Can't Speak French"
  2. "Love Machine"
  3. "Black Jacks"
  4. "Biology"
Section 3
  1. "Whole Lotta History"
  2. "With Every Heartbeat" (Robyn cover)
  3. "I'll Stand By You"
Section 4
  1. "Fling" (with video introduction)
  2. "Push It" (Salt-N-Pepa cover)
  3. "Wake Me Up" / "Walk This Way"
  4. "Control of the Knife" (contains excerpts of "Trick Me")
  5. "Call the Shots"
  6. "Jump"
Encore
  1. "Something Kinda Ooooh"

Tour dates

List of concerts, showing date, city, country and venue
DateCityCountryVenue
Leg 1 [19]
3 May 2008 Belfast Northern Ireland Odyssey Arena
4 May 2008
5 May 2008
7 May 2008 Glasgow Scotland SECC Concert Hall 4
8 May 2008
10 May 2008 Bournemouth England Bournemouth International Centre
11 May 2008
13 May 2008 Brighton Brighton Centre
14 May 2008
16 May 2008London The O2 Arena
17 May 2008
18 May 2008 Cardiff Wales Cardiff International Arena
20 May 2008 Nottingham England Trent FM Arena
21 May 2008 Sheffield Sheffield Arena
23 May 2008 Birmingham National Indoor Arena
24 May 2008 Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
25 May 2008
27 May 2008 Aberdeen Scotland Press and Journal Arena
28 May 2008
30 May 2008 Liverpool England Echo Arena
31 May 2008 Manchester Manchester Evening News Arena
1 June 2008
3 June 2008CardiffWalesCardiff International Arena
4 June 2008BirminghamEngland LG Arena
Leg 2
4 July 2008 Warwick England Warwick Castle
17 July 2008 Esher Sandown Park Racecourse
18 July 2008 Newmarket Newmarket Racecourse
25 July 2008 Edinburgh Scotland Edinburgh Castle
27 July 2008 East Cowes England Osborne House
3 August 2008 Acton Dorfold Hall
16 August 2008 Elton Elton Hall
16 August 2008 Weston-under-Lizard Weston Park
17 August 2008 Chelmsford Hylands Park
23 August 2008 Battle Battle Abbey
29 August 2008 Harewood Harewood House
Cancellations and rescheduled shows
24 August 2008 Stanley, England Beamish Hall This concert was cancelled due to weather problems.[ citation needed ]
14 September 2008 Derry Hill, England Bowood House This concert was cancelled due to weather problems.[ citation needed ]

Broadcasts and recordings

Tangled Up: Live from The O2 2008
Girls-Aloud-Tangled-Up DVD.jpg
Video by
Released27 October 2008
Recorded O2 Arena
17 May 2008
Genre Pop
Length102 minutes
Label Polydor
Girls Aloud chronology
Style
(2007)
''Tangled Up: Live from The O2 2008''
(2008)
Girls Aloud: Out Of Control Live at the O2
(2009)

The tour was recorded on 17 May at The O2 Arena in London and shown live across 50 Vue cinemas up and down the country. [20] Footage was released later that year when Tangled Up: Live from The O2 2008 was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 27 October 2008. In addition to the show, bonus features included a backstage documentary, music videos and trailers for the Tangled Up album. The DVD was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. [21] A shortened version of the recording was shown on Channel 4 various times in December 2008.

Critical response

The Tangled Up Tour received mostly positive reviews from contemporary music critics. The Independent gave the show four stars, saying that "even their between-song chatter is amusing". Although low points were noted, the review continued that "Girls Aloud remain confidently the only pop show in town." [22] The Daily Record said they "pulled out all the stops." [23] Becky Reed of Clickmusic gave the show four stars and stated, "Never mind that original banter and individual personality is lacking, the chemistry and magic is all there in the spectacle of the show." [13]

The Mirror called it "the most sexually-charged performance of their career". [24] Many reviews focused on Girls Aloud's provocative attire, comparing it to Madonna and Jean Paul Gaultier's famous designs for her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour. [6] [25] Reed complimented the costumes: "Girls Aloud have finally moved on from the market stall clobber and now resemble the Kylie-esque superstars they deserve to be." [13]

The Times only gave the show two stars. "The songs varied wildly in quality. While upbeat belters... tapped into the hedonistic rush of classic gay disco, too much of the set felt graceless and flat." [26] The critique even said "the famous five could easily have been interchangeable Stepford androids." [26] Despite having praise for the girls, Nick Levine of Digital Spy observed "one too many bum notes." [14]

Many shows on the Tangled Up Tour sold out including two dates at the UK's most renowned venue, the O2 in London and because of the overwhelming success of the initial dates announced, more were added due to public demand.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girls Aloud</span> British girl group

Girls Aloud are a British-Irish pop girl group that was created through the ITV talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. The line up consisted of members Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. In 2012, the group was named as the United Kingdom's biggest selling girl group of the 21st century so far, with over 4.3 million singles sales and 4 million albums sold in the UK. During their two decades together, the group achieved a string of twenty top ten singles on the UK singles chart, including four number ones. They also achieved seven certified albums, two of which debut at number one. They have been nominated for five Brit Awards, winning the 2009 Best Single for "The Promise".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whole Lotta History</span> 2006 single by Girls Aloud

"Whole Lotta History" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their third studio album Chemistry (2005). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Described as "a lush ballad", "Whole Lotta History" was slightly remixed and released as a single in March 2006. It continued Girls Aloud's string of hits by becoming their twelfth consecutive single to chart within the top ten on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something Kinda Ooooh</span> 2006 single by Girls Aloud

"Something Kinda Ooooh" is a song by British-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their first greatest hits collection The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits (2006). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Inspired by 1980s pop and George Michael, "Something Kinda Ooooh" was released as a single in October 2006. It returned Girls Aloud to the top three of the UK Singles Chart for the first time in two years. It also made Girls Aloud the first British act to debut in the top five on the chart based on legal download sales alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheryl (singer)</span> English singer and television personality (born 1983)

Cheryl Ann Tweedy is an English singer and television personality. She rose to fame as a member of Girls Aloud, a pop girl group created through ITV's reality competition show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. Named the United Kingdom's best-selling girl group of the 21st century in 2012, Girls Aloud amassed a string of 20 consecutive UK top ten singles, two UK number one albums, five consecutive platinum-selling studio albums, and five Brit Award nominations, winning Best Single for "The Promise" in 2009. The group went on an indefinite hiatus in 2013, before reuniting for a tour in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The O2 Arena</span> Indoor arena in London, England

The O2 Arena, commonly known as The O2, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of The O2 entertainment district on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the third-highest seating capacity of any indoor venue in the United Kingdom, behind the Co-op Live and Manchester Arena, and in 2008 was the world's busiest music arena. As of 2022, it is the ninth-largest building in the world by volume with a diameter of 365 metres and a height of 52 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexy! No No No...</span> 2007 single by Girls Aloud

"Sexy! No No No..." is a song by British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud from their fourth studio album, Tangled Up (2007). In April 2007, the group announced that they would release a new album, due in November of that year. In July 2007, it was announced that "Sexy! No No No...", due to be released in September, would be as the first single from Tangled Up, with a radio premiere scheduled for 20 July. The track leaked a few hours prior to the premiere. "Sexy! No No No..." was written by Girls Aloud and Xenomania, and is an electropunk song that incorporates a sample of Nazareth's 1975 song "Hair of the Dog", for which they received a writing credit. Composed of three songs welded together, the song avoids the verse-chorus form present in most contemporary pop music, similar to their previous single "Biology" (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Call the Shots</span> 2007 single by Girls Aloud

"Call the Shots" is a song by British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud from their fourth studio album, Tangled Up (2007). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, with inspiration from an article about the advance of women in business, and Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Lisa Cowling, and Giselle Somerville also received songwriting credits. Polydor Records originally intended to release it the lead single for The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits (2006); however, "Something Kinda Ooooh" was selected instead. In September 2007, "Call the Shots" leaked online, and on 26 November of the same year, it was released as the second single from Tangled Up through Fascination Records, a week after the album's release.

<i>Tangled Up</i> (Girls Aloud album) 2007 studio album by Girls Aloud

Tangled Up is the fourth studio album by English-Irish girl group Girls Aloud. It was released through Fascination Records and Polydor Records on 16 November 2007, and was distributed in two physical formats and made available for digital consumption. The album is a pop record that incorporates elements of dance-pop, synthpop, and various EDM sub-genres produced by long time-collaborators Brian Higgins and production team Xenomania. Marking a more mature approach according to group member Cheryl, the album lyrically delves into themes of love, relationships and femininity, and it was the group's first experimentation with tools such as autotune and vocoder. Production and development began with each member meeting with Higgins to discuss their personal and professional experiences since the release of their third album Chemistry (2005). It was recorded separately from April to October 2007, with the band members earning songwriting credits for two tracks off the album.

The Change Tour is the fourth concert tour by British girl group Sugababes. It supported their fifth studio album, Change. The tour began with 2 nights in Brentwood on 12 March and 13 March 2008, with the final show on 1 May 2008 in Derby. The 30-date tour is their longest yet. Harvey B-Brown, director of the "Denial" video, directed the tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Speak French</span> 2008 single by Girls Aloud

"Can't Speak French" is a song performed by British-Irish all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fourth studio album and serving as the third and final single from the album Tangled Up (2007). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Described as "a swirling, slower cut with great jazzy guitar changes," Higgins said it was "the easiest Girls Aloud single they made." Upon its release in March 2008, "Can't Speak French" charted within the top ten on the UK Singles Chart, continuing their five-year streak of top ten hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3Arena</span> Indoor amphitheatre in Dublin, Ireland

The 3Arena (originally The O2) is an indoor amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland. The venue opened as The O2 on 16 December 2008 and was re-branded on 4 September 2014 due to the takeover of O2 Ireland by Three Ireland. The venue is owned by a Live Nation subsidiary, Apollo Leisure Group Ltd. and is among the top ten busiest music arenas by ticket sales in the world.

The Out of Control Tour was the fifth concert tour by British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud. It supported their fifth studio album Out of Control. Initially, just ten dates in bigger arenas were announced in November 2008. Due to demand, more dates were added. Girls Aloud performed thirty-two dates across the United Kingdom and Ireland. The tour commenced on 24 April 2009 at the Manchester Evening News Arena, with the final show on 6 June 2009 in Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girls Aloud discography</span>

The discography of British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud consists of five studio albums, two compilation albums, twenty-three singles, one promotional single, two live albums, one remix album, two box sets, eleven video albums and twenty-four music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What Will the Neighbours Say...? Tour</span> 2005 concert tour by Girls Aloud

The What Will the Neighbours Say...? Tour was the first concert tour by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It supported their first two studio albums, Sound of the Underground and What Will the Neighbours Say?. Girls Aloud initially planned to tour in 2003 with their fellow Popstars: The Rivals contestants; however, the tour was cancelled due to poor ticket sales. Girls Aloud announced their first headlining tour in December 2004. Girls Aloud performed 22 dates in theatre-sized venues across the United Kingdom and Ireland, beginning in Nottingham on 4 May 2005 and concluding in Dublin on 2 June 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemistry: The Tour</span> 2006 concert tour by Girls Aloud

Chemistry: The Tour was the second concert tour by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud. It supported their third studio album, Chemistry. Following the success of 2005's What Will the Neighbours Say...? Tour, Girls Aloud performed in arenas across the United Kingdom for the first time. Girls Aloud announced tour dates in October 2005. They performed just ten dates, making it their shortest tour. The tour began in Nottingham on 22 May 2006 and concluded in London on 3 June 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Greatest Hits Tour (Girls Aloud)</span> 2007 concert tour by Girls Aloud

The Greatest Hits Tour was the third concert tour by Irish and British girl group Girls Aloud, in support of their first greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits. Girls Aloud returned to Northern Ireland and Ireland, having not performed there on 2006's Chemistry Tour. The band performed sixteen dates in various arenas across the United Kingdom and Ireland, making it their second arena tour. The Greatest Hits Tour kicked off in Cheryl's hometown of Newcastle on 14 May 2007 and concluding in near Nadine Coyle's home in Belfast on 2 June 2007. Girls Aloud also performed seven open-air concerts over the summer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Million Lights Tour</span> 2012 concert tour by Cheryl Cole

The A Millions Lights Tour was the debut concert tour by English recording artist Cheryl Cole. It promoted Cole's third studio album, A Million Lights. The tour marks Cole's first solo venture, touring extensively from 2005 to 2009 with pop group Girls Aloud. The show ran during October 2012, with 11 shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ten: The Hits Tour</span> 2013 concert tour by Girls Aloud

Ten: The Hits Tour was the sixth concert tour by British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud in support of the greatest hits album Ten (2012). It was the group's first tour in four years, following a three-year hiatus. The tour ranked on Pollstar's annual "Top 100 Mid Year Worldwide Tours". It earned £7.8m ($13.5m) from 20 shows. This was the group's last tour to feature Sarah Harding due to her death in September 2021.

References

  1. "Girls Aloud relaxing ahead of tour". AOL Entertainment. 30 March 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2008.
  2. Maureen Coleman (21 November 2007). "Nadine tangled up in band split rumours (again)". The Belfast Telegraph . Archived from the original on 27 March 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2008.
  3. Tom Thorogood (16 April 2008). "Cheryl Cole's solo plans". MTV News. Archived from the original on 20 April 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
  4. "A Message From Cheryl". GirlsAloud.co.uk. 18 April 2008. Archived from the original on 28 October 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
  5. "Girls Aloud thrill London". MyParkMag.co.uk. 19 May 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 "Material Girls Aloud". Metro . 5 May 2008. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
  7. "Girls Aloud plan for spectacular tour". Monsters and Critics. 22 April 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
  8. 1 2 3 Jessica Bumpus (8 May 2008). "Girls in sparkle". Vogue . Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  9. "Girls Aloud relaxing ahead of tour". Press Association. 31 March 2008. Archived from the original on 3 April 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2008.
  10. "Luigi Masi and Billiam support the Girls!". Girls Aloud. 2 May 2008. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  11. Gordon Barr (16 May 2008). "Pop icons Girls Aloud to play outdoor gig". Evening Chronicle . Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  12. "2008 Line Up". VFestival.com. Retrieved 4 April 2008.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Becky Reed (18 May 2008). "Girls Aloud, The O2, London". Clickmusic. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  14. 1 2 3 Nick Levine (20 May 2008). "Girls Aloud: The good, the bad and the bawdy". Digital Spy . Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  15. Emma Johnson (31 May 2008). "Girls Aloud/Echo Arena". Liverpool Daily Post . Retrieved 8 June 2008.
  16. "Can't Speak French". HMV . Retrieved 8 June 2008.
  17. Katie Bodinger (19 May 2008). "Review; Girls Aloud". South Wales Echo . Retrieved 8 June 2008.
  18. "Girls Aloud and proud of pop classics". Express & Star . 24 May 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
  19. Sources for tour dates:
  20. Phil Robinson (2 May 2008). "Girls Aloud gig to be screened live at Vue". icCheshireOnline. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  21. "BPI > Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
  22. David Pollock (8 May 2008). "First Night: Girls Aloud, SECC, Glasgow" . The Independent . London. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  23. Beverley Lyons and Laura Sutherland (8 May 2008). "You know when you've been Tangled". Daily Record . Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  24. "Girls Aloud launch Tangled Up tour with raunchy performance". Daily Mirror . 5 May 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
  25. Beverley Lyons and Laura Sutherland (5 May 2008). "Girls get into the Groove". Daily Record . Archived from the original on 8 May 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
  26. 1 2 Dalton, Stephen (9 May 2008). "Girls Aloud at SECC,Glasgow". The Times . London. Retrieved 12 May 2008.