Chemistry: The Tour
Tour by Girls Aloud | |
![]() Promotional poster for the tour | |
Associated album | Chemistry |
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Start date | 22 May 2006 |
End date | 3 June 2006 |
Legs | 1 |
No. of shows | 10 |
Girls Aloud concert chronology |
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.
The show was divided into five sections with distinct costumes, including the encore. The set list featured songs mostly from Chemistry, but also included singles from Girls Aloud's first two albums and cover versions. Girls Aloud began the show by rising from underneath the stage to perform the opening number "Biology". The stage included video screens and a catwalk which extended into the audience.
Chemistry: The Tour received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics who praised Girls Aloud's energy and fun. The tour was a commercial success, leading to the announcement of another arena tour the following year. A recording of the show was released on DVD in November 2006, oddly titled Girls Aloud: Greatest Hits Live From Wembley Arena to coincide with the release of the group's first greatest hits collection The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits.
Background and development
The tour dates were announced towards the end of October 2005.[1][2] Tickets went on sale on 4 November 2005, although pre-sale started two days earlier. The group did not tour in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, due to low record sales in Ireland. Girls Aloud also made their festival debut at 2006's V Festival.[3]
Concert synopsis
The tour begins with an introduction "evokes memories of
The dancers perform a dance break as Girls Aloud change into scantily-clad summer outfits.
After a video interlude, Girls Aloud return to the stage in
Following another video interlude, the girl group return in different-coloured dresses. They open the new act with "The Show", which sees them perform on stools behind lighted frames. Whilst singing "Intro" from Chemistry, the members each walk down the catwalk during their respective lines. This is followed by "Models", which also follows "Intro" on the album. "Racy Lacey" is performed next, as the silhouette of a pole dancer is seen on the video screens.[9] Girls Aloud stand at the end of the catwalk to sing the ballad "I'll Stand by You", before performing a reprise of opening number "Biology."
The encore begins with "Wild Horses", as Girls Aloud and their dancers return to the stage in hooded black cloaks. As the song transitions into "
Opening acts
Setlist
- "Biology"
- "No Good Advice
- "Waiting"
- "Love Machine" (contains elements of "1 Thing")
- "Long Hot Summer"
- "Whole Lotta History"
- "Watch Me Go"
- "I Predict a Riot"
- "See the Day"
- "Sound of the Underground"
- Medley: "Fame"/"What a Feeling"/"Footloose"
- "The Show"
- "Intro"/"Models"
- "Racy Lacey"
- "I'll Stand by You"
- "Biology" (reprise)
- Encore
- "Wild Horses"/"Wake Me Up"
- "Jump"
Tour dates
Date | City | Country | Venue |
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22 May 2006 | Nottingham | England | Nottingham Arena
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23 May 2006 | Sheffield | Hallam FM Arena | |
24 May 2006 | Newcastle | Metro Radio Arena
| |
26 May 2006 | Birmingham | National Indoor Arena
| |
27 May 2006 | Manchester | Manchester Evening News Arena | |
28 May 2006 | Glasgow | Scotland | Scottish Exhibition Hall |
30 May 2006 | Cardiff | Wales | Cardiff International Arena |
31 May 2006 | Bournemouth | England | Windsor Hall |
1 June 2006 | Brighton | Brighton Centre | |
3 June 2006 | London | Wembley Arena |
Broadcasts and recordings
Girls Aloud: Greatest Hits Live from Wembley Arena | ||||
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Polydor | ||||
Girls Aloud chronology | ||||
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The tour was recorded on 3 June 2006 at
An edited version of the performance was shown on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve in 2006, titled "Girls Aloud: Live and Lovely!" It has been shown a number of times on VH1 under the title "Girls Aloud: Live at Wembley." An audio recording of the Kaiser Chiefs cover "I Predict a Riot" was included on the rarities disc of Girls Aloud's greatest hits album The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits. A live recording of "Biology" was an iTunes bonus track.
Critical response
The tour received widespread acclaim from contemporary music critics who complimented the show's relentless fun. Laura Lee Davies of The Times praised the show, calling it "a thrilling hour and a half of skinny pants, fireworks and dry ice."[6] Sophie Heawood of The Guardian gave the concert four stars out of five. Heawood lauded the group's energy, vocals, and the show's "Broadway feel".[9] Scotland's Sunday Mail also gave the show four stars.[13] Glenn Meads of the Rochdale Observer wrote that "the girls confounded the critics – producing a slick live performance which left the fans eager for more."[8]
It was noted by critics that while Girls Aloud are not the best singers or dancers, they sing live. In a review for
The show also received attention for its sexuality despite children being present. "It's a saucy affair, all bras and hot-pants, and with songs such as Racy Lacy and Watch Me Go, sexual suggestions are everywhere. Yet with an audience made up of mums and their sparkly pink daughters, the level of suggestion is where the sauce remains", Heawood wrote.[9] Michael Deacon noted that Girls Aloud changed the "condom" lyric in "I Predict a Riot" but then performed "Racy Lacey", which contains the lyric "She's got a PhD with her legs apart."[7]
References
- ^ "May 2006 tour confirmed". GirlsAloud.co.uk. Fascination Records. Archived from the original on 17 March 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
- ^ "Girls Aloud line up Arena date". Manchester Evening News. 31 October 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
- ^ "Girls Aloud heading to V Festival". TourDates.co.uk. 4 April 2006. Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
- ^ "Your questions aloud". Top of the Pops. BBC. 21 March 2006. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
- The People. 21 May 2006. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- ^ a b c Laura Lee Davies (24 May 2006). "Girls Aloud". The Times. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Michael Deacon (24 May 2006). "Loveable Girls just want to have fun". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
- ^ a b c Glenn Meads (15 November 2006). "DVD review: Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits – Live From Wembley". Rochdale Observer. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g Sophie Heawood (24 May 2006). "Girls Aloud, Nottingham Arena". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
- ^ "Kaiser Chiefs upset over Girls Aloud cover". RTÉ.ie. 18 December 2006. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- ^ Neil Wilkes (21 April 2006). "Frank join Girls Aloud on UK tour". Digital Spy. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
- ^ "BPI > Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
- ^ "GIRLS ALOUD (4 out of 5 Stars)". Sunday Mail. 6 April 2006.