Yahoo! Music Review

Gig played on 21/03/08

Some people seem to think that the Sugababes' major achievement is lasting ten whole years, despite the short shelf life of most pop acts and the kind of demented personnel changes more usually found in Italian coalition Governments. But if longevity was an achievement in itself, The Levellers would be lauded wherever they went, their paths strewn with petals. In reality they're objects of pity or disgust, like an old, cancerous dog whose owners are too mean to have it put down. No, what makes the Sugababes special is how they've stayed so vital throughout.

It's a point hammered home by the first three songs, all killer, decade-spanning pop tunes: "Hole In The Head" (2004), "Round Round" (2002) and "Never Gonna Dance Again" (2007). If the weaving, oddly sinister "Hole In The Head" starts out vocally hesitant, by the time we reach the pummelling, unstoppable chorus of "Round Round" the harmonies are perfectly meshed. But what's really remarkable is that it's the new album track, "Never Gonna…", which impresses most, with its frisky, insistent beat and the kind of sulky big chorus that best suits their voices.

And these are voices worth dwelling on. Nearly every girl band since the Supremes has had to carry one flimsy voiced member (think Beckham and Cole in recent years), but the Sugababes have consistently recruited pedigree talent. Each of the trio gets their chance to showboat tonight, with Keisha Buchanan pouring cream all over a sultry "Stronger" and Heidi Range hitting some sweet, imperious notes through "Freak Like Me". But perhaps most impressive is Amelle Berrabah's assault on En Vogue's "Don't Let Go", not a cover for the faint lunged.

Of course, it's a good job they can sing, as they wouldn't have lasted a month on charisma or ability to dance. Other than wishing a member of the audience a happy 13th birthday (another reminder of their ever-renewing fan base) stage talk is limited to a few giggly requests for the crowd to have fun. As usual, the dancing is awkward and unimaginative, a fact not quite concealed by more costume changes than most of us endure in an entire lifetime. This means that when a song does fall below standard - a slightly flat, dreary "Mended By You" - it's hard to keep your attention on the stage.

But it's usually at these moments that the band slap us in the face with something big and brilliant. Like the encore, which delivers exactly what an encore should: huge hits ("Push The Button" and "About You Now") with a twist (a raucous, rocky mix), which leave you exhilarated and already forgetting the flaws.

by Jaime Gill