The Girls Aloud Show

Last updated
The Girls Aloud Show
Tour by Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud Show (tour poster).png
Promotional poster
Location
  • Ireland
  • United Kingdom
Start date17 May 2024 (2024-05-17)
End date30 June 2024 (2024-06-30)
No. of shows30
Girls Aloud concert chronology

The Girls Aloud Show is the seventh ongoing concert tour by English-Irish girl group Girls Aloud, with 30 shows across Ireland and United Kingdom. The tour marks the group's first tour since 2013's Ten: the Hits and their first as a quartet, following the untimely passing of Sarah Harding in 2021.

Contents

The tour commenced on 17 May 2024 in Dublin, Ireland and is set to conclude on 30 June of the same year, in Liverpool, England. Group members Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh have described the tour as a "celebration of Sarah, our music and our incredible fans."

Background

Girls Aloud — composed of Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts, Cheryl and Kimberley Walsh — was formed on reality TV show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002, going on to achieve 20 consecutive top ten hits before taking a hiatus in 2009. The group eventually reformed in 2012 to mark their ten-year anniversary with the release of "Something New" and greatest hits album Ten , before embarking on their Ten: The Hits Tour; the group disbanded following the conclusion of the tour. [1] In August 2020, Harding announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, which had spread to other parts of her body; [2] Harding died in September 2021. [3] [4] In October 2022, the remaining members came together to raise funds and awareness of breast cancer in honour of Harding. [5] In April of the following year, Walsh described themselves as "really as tight as we've ever been at the moment" in wake of Harding's passing. [6]

On 22 November, it was announced the group would tour in 2024, in "celebration of Sarah, our music & our incredible fans". [7] Eight days later, eight additional dates were added, [8] followed by an additional London date in December. [9]

In an interview with British Vogue , the group announced they would not be releasing new music, stating it was "because Sarah wouldn't be included in that newness." [10] In an interview with Virgin Radio, the group revealed initial discussions to celebrate their twentieth anniversary had begun several years prior, but had stalled following Harding's diagnosis, revealing: "all priorities changed". [11] That December, an additional date in London date was announced.

Critical reception

In her review of the tour's opening concert in Dublin on 17 May 2024, Zara Hedderman of The Guardian noted that Girls Aloud are "a glorious pop institution still calling the shots." Alluding to Harding's passing, she further wrote: "Old lyrics now have new poignancy – but with motorbikes and mic-stand moves, the mood stays upbeat [...] Euphoric cheers are constant, reaching an apex for a singalong to "I’ll Stand By You" and a confetti shower for "Jump." But the biggest reception is saved for the encore of "The Promise," a song with a sparkle that – much like the tenacious and tender group singing it – has never dimmed." [12] Daily Telegraph critic Neil McCormick found that "these women have got qualities their younger selves would struggle to match: experience, loyalty, the sheer life-affirming delight of being able to stand onstage and sing to remind themselves and their fans that we are still here, and to celebrate those who aren’t." [13] Ed Power from The Times called the show a "ferociously enjoyable, and a heartfelt tribute." [14]

Una Mullally, writing for The Irish Times , felt that "this tour could have been framed as a nostalgia-fest, a chance to revisit some of the best pop hits of the early 21st century, or an all-out dance party. It’s all of those things, but also a touching tribute to their bandmate. Ultimately, the decision to lean into commemoration over commodification demonstrates an unexpected authenticity." [15] Irish Independent 's Barry Egan praised Girls Aloud for giving "the crowd exactly what they want, hit after hit with nothing but brilliance." He noted that "although most of us are aware of the fragility of life, sometimes it takes a pop song to make us really understand how lucky we are — and realise what impermanent creatures we are, too. That pop song was "Whole Lotta History," performed by Girls Aloud to a sold out 3Arena last night in Dublin." [16]

Set list

This set list is from the 17 May 2024 concert in Dublin. [17]

  1. "Untouchable"
  2. "The Show"
  3. "Something New"
  4. "Love Machine"
  5. "Can't Speak French"
  6. "Biology"
  7. "Whole Lotta History"
  8. "Wake Me Up"
  9. "Sound of the Underground"
  10. "Girl Overboard"
  11. "No Good Advice
  12. "Graffiti My Soul"
  13. "Long Hot Summer"
  14. "I'll Stand by You"
  15. "Sexy! No No No..."
  16. "On the Metro"
  17. "Jump"
  18. "Call the Shots"
  19. "Something Kinda Ooooh"
  20. "The Promise"

Tour dates

List of 2024 concerts [18] [8] [9]
Date (2024)CityCountryVenue
17 May Dublin Ireland 3Arena
18 May
20 May Belfast Northern Ireland SSE Arena
21 May
23 May Manchester England AO Arena
24 May
25 May
27 May Cardiff Wales Utilita Arena
28 May Sheffield England Utilita Arena
31 May Newcastle Utilita Arena
1 June
2 June
4 June Aberdeen Scotland P&J Live
8 June Glasgow OVO Hydro
9 June
10 June
12 June Nottingham England Motorpoint Arena
13 June
15 June Leeds First Direct Arena
16 June
18 June Birmingham Resorts World Arena
19 June
20 June
22 June London The O2 Arena
23 June
25 June
26 June
27 June
29 June Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
30 June

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 Tweedy, 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 alone. 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">Nadine Coyle</span> Irish singer

Nadine Elizabeth Louise Coyle is an Irish singer. In 2002, she was selected as a member of Girls Aloud, a pop girl group created through ITV's reality competition show Popstars: The Rivals. The group went on to receive large success, achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK top ten singles, two UK number one albums, five consecutive platinum selling studio albums, and receiving nominations for five BRIT Awards, winning Best Single in 2009 for "The Promise".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Harding</span> English singer, model, and actress (1981–2021)

Sarah Harding was an English singer, model and actress. Her professional career began in 2002 when she successfully auditioned for the ITV reality series Popstars: The Rivals, during which Harding won a place in the girl group Girls Aloud. The group achieved twenty consecutive top ten singles in the UK, six albums that were certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), two of which went to number one in the UK, and accumulated a total of five BRIT Award nominations. In 2009, Girls Aloud won "Best Single" with their song "The Promise".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimberley Walsh</span> English singer, television personality and actress (born 1981)

Kimberley Jane Scott is an English singer, television personality and actress. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality series Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The series announced that Walsh had won a place as a member of the girl group Girls Aloud. The group achieved large success, having twenty consecutive top ten singles in the UK, six studio albums have all been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), two of which went to number one in the UK, and accumulating a total of five BRIT Award nominations. In 2009, Girls Aloud won "Best Single" with their song "The Promise".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Good Advice</span> 2003 single by Girls Aloud

"No Good Advice" is a song by British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud, taken from their debut album, Sound of the Underground (2003). The song was written by Aqua's Lene Nystrøm Rasted, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. The song has themes of rebellion, reflecting Higgins' general mood of failure after a business partnership fell through.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Life Got Cold</span> 2003 single by Girls Aloud

"Life Got Cold" is a song by British girl group Girls Aloud, taken from their debut album Sound of the Underground (2003). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Noel Gallagher of Oasis received a writing credit due to similarities with Oasis' "Wonderwall".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Show (Girls Aloud song)</span> 2004 single by Girls Aloud

"The Show" is a song recorded by British girl group Girls Aloud for their second studio album, What Will the Neighbours Say? (2004). It was released by Polydor Records on 28 June 2004, as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Lisa Cowling, Jon Shave, and Tim Powell. The synth rhythm, composed by Shave, represents a change in musical direction from the band's previous releases. "The Show" is an uptempo dance-pop, electropop and Eurodance song with elements of the 1990 rave records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Machine (Girls Aloud song)</span> 2004 single by Girls Aloud

"Love Machine" is a song recorded by British girl group Girls Aloud from their second studio album, What Will the Neighbours Say? (2004). It was released by Polydor Records on 13 September 2004, as the second single from the album. The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Lisa Cowling, Myra Boyle, and Shawn Lee. The instrumentation was inspired by The Smiths, and created by Powell and Coler. "Love Machine" is an uptempo pop rock song with elements of 1980s synthpop. The single was received favourably by contemporary music critics, who deemed it a joyful track that was different from the single releases by other artists at the time. According to research carried out for Nokia in 2006, "Love Machine" is the second "most exhilarating" song ever.

<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.

<i>Girls Aloud: Off the Record</i> British TV series or programme

Girls Aloud: Off the Record is a six-part series recorded by Girls Aloud for E4 that started on 11 April 2006 at 10:30pm. The show was produced by E4 and Monkey Kingdom Productions for Channel Four Television Corporation.

<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 Passions of Girls Aloud is a four-part television series starring girl group Girls Aloud. The series premiered on ITV2 on 14 March 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Promise (Girls Aloud song)</span> 2008 single by Girls Aloud

"The Promise" is a single by British girl group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth and final studio album Out of Control (2008). The song was written by Brian Higgins, Miranda Cooper, Jason Resch, Kieran Jones, and Carla Marie Williams and produced by frequent contributor Higgins along with production team Xenomania. Influenced by Phil Spector and music of the 1960s, "The Promise" is an upbeat love song about falling in love uncontrollably after promising to never fall in love again.

<i>Popstars: The Rivals</i> Spin-off

Popstars: The Rivals is a British television talent show series that was broadcast on ITV in late 2002. It was the second UK series of the international Popstars franchise. Unlike Popstars, which resulted in the formation of one winning group, Hear'Say, Popstars: The Rivals created two rival groups, Girls Aloud and One True Voice, who competed against each other for the Christmas number one spot on the UK Singles Chart. Girls Aloud won and would go on to achieve twenty consecutive top ten hits, four number ones and six top ten albums, two of which reached number one and from that, group member Cheryl would achieve five number-one singles and two number one albums.

<i>The Girls Aloud Party</i> British TV series or programme

The Girls Aloud Party was a one-off Christmas variety show starring British girl group Girls Aloud, produced for ITV. The show was aired on 13 December 2008, in between The X Factor series finale and its results show.

<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.

Girls Aloud: Ten Years at the Top is a documentary released to coincide with the tenth anniversary of British all-female pop group Girls Aloud. The documentary follows Girls Aloud from their formation on the ITV reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals to their reunion after a three-year hiatus.

References

  1. Guardian music (21 March 2013). "Girls Aloud split after final UK show". The Guardian . United Kingdom. ISSN   1756-3224. OCLC   60623878 . Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  2. Aniftos, Rania (27 August 2020). "Girls Aloud's Sarah Harding Reveals She's 'Fighting' Breast Cancer". Billboard . United States: Eldridge Industries. ISSN   0006-2510. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  3. Wright, Katie (5 September 2021). "Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding dies aged 39". BBC News . United Kingdom. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  4. Parker, Ryan (5 September 2021). "Sarah Harding, Girls Aloud Singer, Dies at 39". The Hollywood Reporter . United States: Eldridge Industries. ISSN   0018-3660. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  5. Barr, Sabrina (8 October 2022). "Girls Aloud stars reunite at ball in honour of late band member Sarah Harding". Metro . United Kingdom. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  6. Brazier, Tori (9 April 2023). "Kimberley Walsh: Girls Aloud 'tighter than ever' following Sarah Harding's death". Metro . United Kingdom. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  7. Aniftos, Rania (22 November 2023). "Girls Aloud Announce 2024 Reunion Tour In Memory of Sarah Harding". Billboard . United States: Eldridge Industries. ISSN   0006-2510. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  8. 1 2 Aubrey, Elizabeth (30 November 2023). "Girls Aloud add extra shows to 2024 UK reunion arena tour". NME . United Kingdom. ISSN   0028-6362. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  9. 1 2 Spence, Niamh (11 December 2023). "Girls Aloud add another date to tour after selling 200,000 tickets in minutes". Daily Mirror . United Kingdom: Reach plc. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  10. ""It's Gonna Be The Nostalgia Of Your Life": Girls Aloud Tells Vogue Why The Time Is Right For A Reunion Tour". British Vogue . United Kingdom: Condé Nast Publications. 22 November 2023. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  11. Virgin Radio (23 November 2023). "Girls Aloud stars Nadine Coyle, Cheryl, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh announce 2024 tour in memory of Sarah Harding". Virgin Radio . United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  12. Hedderman, Zara (18 May 2024). "Girls Aloud review – a glorious pop institution still calling the shots". The Guardian . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  13. McCormick, Neil (18 May 2024). "Girls Aloud make a spectacular comeback with this moving, celebratory tribute to their late bandmate". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  14. Power, Ed (18 May 2024). "Girls Aloud review: ferociously enjoyable, and a heartfelt tribute". The Times . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  15. Mullally, Una (18 May 2024). "Girls Aloud review: nostalgia and fun fills the air but show is also act of remembrance". The Irish Times . Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  16. Egan, Barry (18 May 2024). "Barry Egan review: Girls Aloud give the crowd exactly what they want, hit after hit with nothing but brilliance". Irish Independent . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  17. Smith, Carl (18 May 2024). "The Girls Aloud Show tour setlist: deep cuts and songs they're 'dead against'". Official Charts Company . United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  18. Rigotti, Alex (22 November 2023). "Girls Aloud announce 2024 UK and Ireland arena tour". NME . United Kingdom. ISSN   0028-6362. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.