The Big Reunion (concerts)

Last updated

The Big Reunion
Tour by Five, 911, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched, Honeyz, Liberty X and Blue
The Big Reunion arena tour promo.jpg
Promotional image for the tour
Start date26 February 2013 (2013-02-26)
End date15 December 2013 (2013-12-15)
Legs2
No. of shows24 in the UK
1 in Ireland
25 total

The Big Reunion is a 2013 series of concerts featuring British pop groups Five, 911, Atomic Kitten, Honeyz, Liberty X and Blue, and Irish group B*Witched. The groups, who were big names in the UK pop music scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s, reunited for the ITV2 reality-documentary series The Big Reunion (apart from Blue, who had already been reunited since 2011), a show which follows them meeting again for the first time in a decade and rehearsing ahead of their comeback performance.

Contents

Although the bands were initially only to perform a single concert at London's Hammersmith Apollo on 26 February 2013, high demand for tickets and the popularity of the series led to a full arena tour being announced. The arena tour consisted of 14 shows that took place during May 2013, although Blue only performed at four of these shows due to their own tour commitments. A leg called "Christmas Party Tour" was later announced with seven gigs in December 2013.

Background

On 18 October 2012, it was announced that pop groups Five, 911, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched, Honeyz and Liberty X—who were big names in the UK pop music scene in the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2000s—would be reuniting for an ITV2 documentary series and a comeback performance at some point in 2013. [1] [2]

On 21 February 2013, it was revealed that a seventh band, Blue, would be joining The Big Reunion gig as well. [3] When asked why they chose to join The Big Reunion, Blue said: "Phil Mount, the Big Reunion's producer, has always been a long time supporter of the band, giving us our first TV break, he really wanted us to be surprise special guests announced halfway through the series and to perform on the Hammersmith Apollo show. This sounded like a lot of fun, giving us the perfect chance to perform together again in the UK for our fans and reconnect with the other acts, many of whom friends of ours and started out around the same time as us. For us the 'Big Reunion' is a great chance for all of us bands to come together for one BIG party on Tuesday night!" [4]

The bands were originally only supposed to perform a one-off concert at London's Hammersmith Apollo on 26 February 2013, but when the entire show sold out in under five minutes shortly after the premiere of the first episode on 31 January 2013, rumours circulated that the show may become a full arena tour around the UK. [5] On 11 February, it was confirmed that, following high ticket demands and the popularity of The Big Reunion, a full 12-date UK tour would be taking place from 3–14 May 2013. [6] On 14 February shows were added in Dublin and Belfast, bringing the tour to a total of 14 shows. [7] Blue will only be taking part in four of the 14 shows due to headlining their own arena tour. [8]

On 27 March 2013, it was announced that the bands would perform a mini Christmas tour in December 2013. [9] Five, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched, 911, Honeyz and Liberty X will all be taking part, but Blue will not as they will be headlining their own comeback tour. [10] Three additional shows were announced on 23 April 2013. [11]

Broadcast and recordings

The original Hammersmith Apollo show in February was recorded and parts of the concert, as well as backstage footage, aired on ITV2 on 28 March 2013 as The Big Reunion finale. [12] The full concert was also released on DVD on 1 April 2013. [13]

Setlist

26 February [14]
  1. Medley: "We Will Rock You/Everybody Get Up" – Five
  2. "C'est la Vie" – B*Witched
  3. "Bodyshakin'" – 911
  4. "Just a Little" – Liberty X
  5. "All Rise" – Blue
  6. "Finally Found" – Honeyz
  7. "Right Now" – Atomic Kitten
  8. "Keep On Movin'" – Five
  9. "Rollercoaster" – B*Witched
  10. Medley: "Thinking It Over/Got to Have Your Love" – Liberty X
  11. "The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)" – Atomic Kitten
  12. "A Little Bit More" – 911
  13. Medley: "Love of a Lifetime/End of the Line" – Honeyz
  14. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" – Blue
  15. "Blame It on the Weatherman" – B*Witched
  16. "More Than a Woman" – 911
  17. "Won't Take It Lying Down" – Honeyz
  18. "Being Nobody" – Liberty X
  19. "One Love" – Blue
  20. "If Ya Gettin' Down" – Five
  21. "Whole Again" – Atomic Kitten
Live Tour Setlist (without Blue) - 3 May - 17 May

Tour dates

DateCityCountryVenue
Original single show [15]
26 February 2013LondonEngland Hammersmith Apollo
Leg 1 [16] [17]
3 May 2013 Sheffield England Motorpoint Arena Sheffield
4 May 2013 Manchester Manchester Arena
5 May 2013 Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
6 May 2013 Aberdeen Scotland Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre
7 May 2013 Glasgow Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
8 May 2013 Liverpool England Echo Arena Liverpool
9 May 2013 Nottingham Capital FM Arena
10 May 2013 Bournemouth Bournemouth International Centre
11 May 2013 Cardiff Wales Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
12 May 2013 Birmingham England LG Arena
13 May 2013 Brighton Brighton Centre
14 May 2013London The O2 Arena
16 May 2013 Dublin Ireland The O2
17 May 2013 Belfast Northern Ireland Odyssey Arena
28 June 2013 [A] Newmarket England Newmarket Racecourse [18]
18 August 2013 York Castle Howard [19] [20]
Leg 2 – Christmas Party Tour [9] [11]
7 December 2013 [B] Minehead England Butlins Minehead
11 December 2013NottinghamCapital FM Arena
12 December 2013BirminghamLG Arena
13 December 2013SheffieldMotorpoint Arena Sheffield
14 December 2013 [C] LondonThe O2 Arena
15 December 2013 [D] ManchesterManchester Arena
Notes
A Five, Blue, and Liberty X only. Part of Newmarket Nights' "Big Pop Party"
B Blue will not be performing. Part of Butlin's "Back Together" music weekend.
C Matinee and evening concerts

Reception

Almost 4,000 people attended the sold-out show at the Hammersmith Apollo on 26 February, for which tickets sold out almost immediately after going on sale. The entire 14-date arena tour quickly sold out as well.

The arena tour has received highly positive reviews from critics. Denise Evans gave the show in Manchester on 4 May, four out of five stars. "It was like watching a Smash Hits Poll Winners Party of old or an episode of Top of the Pops , which ultimately is exactly what the majority people singing and dancing along in the arena wanted. A bit of nostalgia.", she said. [21] After attending the show in Nottingham on 10 May, Jayne Garfitt of thisisnottingham.com said "When it comes to revisiting the bands of your childhood the experience tends to tread a thin line between legendary and tragic. But that was not the case with the Big Reunion Tour. From the minute 5ive stepped on stage to the opening bars of Queen's "We Will Rock You", the atmosphere at the Capital FM Arena was electric. They might all be older and wiser but there is no doubt that these bands still have what it takes – slick dance moves, catchy lyrics and a great big sense of fun. Brilliant." [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty X</span> British-Irish music group

Liberty X are an English/Irish pop group originally consisting of Michelle Heaton, Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Jessica Taylor and Kelli Young. Since 2017, Heaton, Taylor and Young have performed as a girl group trio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B*Witched</span> Irish girl group

B*Witched are an Irish girl group consisting of twin sisters Edele and Keavy Lynch, Lindsay Armaou and Sinéad O'Carroll. Originally active between 1997 and 2002, they enjoyed success in both Europe and North America between 1998 and 2002, releasing two albums and eight singles, all of which made the UK Top 20. Their first four singles, "C'est la Vie", "Rollercoaster", "To You I Belong" and "Blame It on the Weatherman", all reached number one in the UK Singles Chart and the group having sold over 3 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atomic Kitten</span> British girl group

Atomic Kitten are an English girl group formed in Liverpool in 1998, whose current members are Liz McClarnon and Natasha Hamilton. The group was founded by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) members Andy McCluskey and Stuart Kershaw, who served as principal songwriters during Atomic Kitten's early years. The group's debut album Right Now was released in October 2000 and charted at number 39 in the United Kingdom. After five top ten singles, original member Kerry Katona quit – four weeks before "Whole Again" reached number one in the UK Singles Chart – and was replaced by former Precious singer Jenny Frost. "Whole Again" became the group's most successful single, staying at number one for four weeks in the UK and six weeks in Germany, and reaching number one in many other territories; in Britain, it was the 13th-best-selling single of the 2000s. The group re-released their debut album, with some tracks re-recorded with Frost's vocals: it peaked at number one in the UK and was certified double platinum after selling over 600,000 copies.

Jessica Pietersen is an English singer. She is best known as member of the pop group Liberty X.

Five are a British boy band from London consisting of members Sean Conlon, Ritchie Neville, and Scott Robinson. They were formed in 1997 by the same team that managed the Spice Girls before they launched their career. The group were mostly known as a five-piece, consisting of Robinson, Neville, Conlon, as well as previous members Abz Love and Jason "J" Brown. Five enjoyed moderate success worldwide, particularly in their native United Kingdom and most of Europe and Asia, as well as brief success in the US.

Kevin Ian Simm is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known as former member of Liberty X (2001–2007) and current vocalist of Wet Wet Wet. Simm also won The Voice UK in 2016.

The Honeyz are a British R&B girl group, currently composed of members Célena Cherry, Mariama Goodman and Heavenli Abdi. The group had five UK top 10 hits between 1998 and 2000, with "Finally Found" (1998), "End of the Line" (1998), "Love of a Lifetime" (1999), "Never Let You Down" (1999) and "Won't Take It Lying Down" (2000). Their debut album Wonder No.8 was certified Gold by the BPI. The Honeyz formed in 1997 with the original line-up of Célena Cherry, Heavenli Abdi and Naima Belkhiati. Former Solid Harmonie member Mariama Goodman replaced Abdi from April 1999 until Abdi rejoined the group in August 2000, before the group disbanded for the first time in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Heaton</span> Musical artist

Michelle Christine Heaton is an English singer, stage actress and television presenter. She is best known as member of the pop group Liberty X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">911 (English group)</span> English boy band

911 are an English pop group consisting of Lee Brennan, Jimmy Constable and Simon "Spike" Dawbarn. They were formed in Glasgow in 1995 and released their debut single "Night to Remember" in May 1996. This was followed by their debut album The Journey in March 1997, which was certified Gold by the BPI in November 1997. 911 released two more Silver-certified albums, Moving On and There It Is, in 1998 and 1999, respectively. There It Is also produced their only UK number-one single, a cover of "A Little Bit More", which topped the UK Singles Chart in January 1999.

Kelli Young is an English singer. She is best known as member of the pop group Liberty X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariama Goodman</span> British singer

Mariama Goodman is an English dancer and singer who is currently a member of girl group Honeyz. She is also known for being a former member of the girl group Solid HarmoniE.

Anthony "Tony" William James Lundon is an Irish singer, cinematographer, director, producer and former singer plus actor. He is best known as a member of Liberty X (2001–2007). Since 2010 Lundon has focused on producing and directing career and established his own film and TV production company, The Cell Productions.

Sinéad Maria O'Carroll is an Irish singer and businesswoman. She is best known for being a member of the girl group B*Witched.

Lee Anthony Brennan is an English singer, songwriter, dancer and actor. He is the lead vocalist of boy band 911.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spike Dawbarn</span> Musical artist

Simon James "Spike" Dawbarn is an English singer and dancer. He is a member of the boy band 911, who were originally active between 1995 and 2000 and had ten consecutive top 10 hits before splitting up in 2000. In 2012, 911 reformed for the ITV2 documentary series The Big Reunion, along with other bands from their time including Five, B*Witched and Atomic Kitten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Constable</span> Musical artist

James Michael Constable is an English pop singer, songwriter and dancer. He is a member of the pop band 911.

<i>The Big Reunion</i> British TV series or programme

The Big Reunion is a British reality-documentary series that began airing on ITV2 on 31 January 2013. The show featured chart-topping bands who were big in the UK pop music scene between the 1990s and early 2000s, and the programme followed them as they reunited for the first time in a decade and went through their two weeks of intensive rehearsals before finally stepping back on stage for a comeback performance.

5th Story were an English supergroup consisting of 1990s-early 2000s pop stars Dane Bowers, Gareth Gates, Kavana, Kenzie and Adam Rickitt. They were formed in 2013 exclusively for the second series of the ITV2 reality-documentary series The Big Reunion.

The first series of the British reality-documentary series The Big Reunion began airing on ITV2 on 31 January 2013 until 28 March 2013. The show features chart-topping bands who were big names in the UK pop music scene between the 1990s and early 2000s, and the programme follows them as they reunite for the first time in a decade and go through their two weeks of intensive rehearsals before finally stepping back on stage for a comeback performance. The bands who reunited for the first series were Five, 911, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched, Honeyz and Liberty X. Blue also joined later on.

<i>Champagne or Guinness</i> 2014 EP by B*Witched

Champagne or Guinness is an extended play released by Irish girl group B*Witched in 2014. After reuniting as part of the TV series The Big Reunion in 2012 and the success of the subsequent tour, B*Witched began recording new music. Champagne or Guinness was their first EP in over a decade, following "Across America 2000" in 2000.

References

  1. Goodacre, Kate (18 October 2012). "Atomic Kitten, 5ive, B*Witched, 911, more to reunite for ITV2 show". Digital Spy . Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  2. Lazarus, Susanna (18 October 2012). "Atomic Kitten, 5ive and B*Witched to reform for ITV2's The Big Reunion". Radio Times . Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  3. "Blue Join Reality Show The Big Reunion". MTV UK. 22 February 2013. Archived from the original on 26 February 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  4. "Blue to join ITV's Big Reunion". musicnews.com. 26 February 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  5. Daniels, Colin (3 February 2013). "'Big Reunion' UK arena tour in the works". Digital Spy . Hearst Magazines UK . Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  6. Nissam, Mayer (11 February 2013). "5ive, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched, Liberty X, 911 for Big Reunion arena tour". Digital Spy . Hearst Magazines UK . Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  7. Cuffe, Aidan (14 February 2013). "The Big Re-Union announces show at The O2 and Odyssey Arena". Goldenplec. Retrieved 3 March 2013./
  8. "Blue Snub 'The Big Reunion' Tour". Huffington Post UK. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  9. 1 2 "5ive, B*Witched, Atomic Kitten for 'Big Reunion' Christmas Party tour". Digital Spy. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  10. "5ive, B*Witched, Atomic Kitten for 'Big Reunion' Christmas Party tour". Digital Spy. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  11. 1 2 Miller, Adam (23 April 2013). "'Big Reunion' Add More Christmas Tour Dates To B*Witched, Atomic Kitten & 5ive Shows". entertainmentwise.com. Retrieved 23 April 2013./
  12. "'Big Reunion' stars return to the stage at Hammersmith Apollo". Digital Spy. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  13. "The Big Reunion Live 2013 – DVD". amazon.co.uk . Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  14. "The Big Reunion Live Show: All the details, set list and after-party gossip!". Heat . 27 February 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  15. "'Big Reunion' stars return to the stage at Hammersmith Apollo – pictures". Digital Spy. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  16. "The Big Reunion arena tour announced with 5ive and 911". BBC. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  17. "The Big Reunion Concert Tour: Dublin and Belfast Irish Dates Added". The Daily Update. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  18. "'BIG POP PARTY' ON ADNAMS NEWMARKET NIGHT". newmarketracecourse.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  19. "Noughties Pop Fest". castlehoward.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  20. "Back Together". bigweekends.com. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  21. Evans, Denise (6 May 2013). "Review: Reunited in pop nostalgia". Manchester Evening News . Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  22. Garfitt, Jayne (10 May 2013). "Review: The Big Reunion, Capital FM Arena". thisisnottingham.com. Nottingham Post . Retrieved 11 May 2013.