This year's surprise pop draw is made potentially more interesting by the conflicting appearance of former member Siobhan Donaghy on the New Bands stage. Donaghy's replacement, Heidi Range, was a blow to those who considered the Babes to be subverting the world of UK pop. Their surliness and lack of choreography set them apart in a world where most pop acts - desperate for their 15 1/2 minutes of fame - over-egg the pudding.
However, Range's talent-show perma-grin suggests if she hadn't been promoted to Babehood she'd have been just as pleased to rejoin old muckers Atomic Kitten, or even Girls Aloud. There's something of the Pierre van Hooydonk of pop about her that sits uneasily with the band's 'realer-than-real' image.
Yet, opening with 'Overload' and 'Run For Cover', the trio display their flair for substance over style. Both these perfect pop songs are rendered only slightly ludicrous by the half-hearted dance steps. Such moves, generally walking round in a circle at gunpoint, may look good on CD:UK but the subtleties are lost on a stage as huge as this.
The same goes for their vocal delivery (another trademark positive in the stage school world of pop) which borders on the inaudible. The backing band sound great but to crack this kind of arena they should have replaced Donaghy with a diva.
Still, fair play to them for being up for this. Following a series of limp ballads they finish inevitably with the big singles 'Freak Like Me' and 'Round Round'. Such uptempo material suits their tuff-girl image so much better, but to reach the heart of a crowd this size they needed more than their natural talents to get by.
