Gig review: Girls Aloud, SECC, Glasgow

WHEN Girls Aloud were formed ten years ago on reality TV contest Popstars: The Rivals, few would have rated their long-term chances.

Girls Aloud

SECC, Glasgow

****

But a decade on, they are sitting pretty on a more formidable catalogue than any of their pop peers, courtesy of their super-smart production team Xenomania, whose songs were as much the stars of this hi-octane greatest hits fest as the five fully posable Girls standing doll-like on top of a sparkling podium bearing their name.

There were particularly hysterical screams for Cheryl Cole, but all the Girls committed fully to a slick, non-stop performance which incorporated a bit of Kylie sparkle, a soupcon of Madonna’s on-trend choreography and the obligatory aerial trip over the auditorium.

The soundtrack was distinctly theirs though, comprising a generous conveyor belt of clever, eccentric and glamorous pop songs such as Can’t Speak French, Biology and Something Kinda Ooooh rolled out roughly in order of release from their still-fresh debut Sound of the Underground through badass pop rockers No Good Advice and Wake Me Up, blushing ballad Whole Lotta History, the saucy Love Machine, a shimmering, graceful Call The Shots and the cutting edge clubby Sexy! No No No… culminating in the classic girl group pop of The Promise.

Even the video montages, background music and choreography used to mark time while the girls scuttled backstage to change into another sculptural outfit were intriguingly stylised to enhance the closest thing we have right now to a perfect pop package.