Review: Girls Aloud, Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle

Jun 8 2009 by Sam Wonfor, The Journal

THERE was a distinct feeling of farewell about Saturday’s sell-out girly gathering at the Arena.

Cheryl Cole and her Girls Aloud band-mates had returned to the venue for the final – and rather teary - two gigs of their Out of Control tour a month after playing a similarly sold-out pair of dates in May.

Now I realise every one of the seven years Girls Aloud have been around has been dogged by split rumours... but they have talked about breaking for solo projects, and on Saturday there seemed to be a real sadness descending. The girls: Cheryl, together with Sarah, Nadine, Kimberley and Nicola, were savouring every moment.

“No matter what happens now, I’m so pleased we finished it here,” said Cheryl at one point. Regardless, their apparent choked-up states of mind didn’t disappoint the thousands who screamed their way through a setlist of largely smashing pop songs.

They whooped and boogied so wholeheartedly that no one seemed to notice the perfectly-styled white elephant waving its trunk throughout... and please remember I say this as a fan. None of them can really sing that well.

To illustrate, it would have been Cheryl who’d have come out on top on Saturday had I remembered my Strictly scoring paddles.