It’s been a decade since Girls Aloud went on a hiatus that seemed like it may never end, but end it has, and The Girls Aloud Show has touched down for three nights in Manchester.
A lot has happened since the girl band formed on Popstars: The Rivals way back in 2002, including the tragic death of band member Sarah Harding at just 39 years old.
Girls Aloud promised that this huge arena anniversary tour would honour their late bandmate, and if Sarah was into 10/10, near-flawless pop concerts, they’ve done her justice.
It’s plainly obvious that hours and hours of rehearsal have gone into The Girls Aloud Show. They don’t put a foot wrong in the AO Arena, even if those silly inflatable red dresses played up again.
Even when a song falls a little flat, their performance sails on the wings of the choreography (their all-male troupe of dancers are phenomenal) and the production, and minor imperfections are quickly glossed over by the rest of the girls’ glorious pop catalogue.
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‘Now look over here! Look at the shiny costumes and the harmonies here!’ they seem to say whenever the audience gets fidgety, quickly moving onto another chart-topping banger.
There are a lot to get through – the gig is split into four acts, with a setlist that includes Love Machine, Biology, Something Kinda Ooooh, and Jump, and costumes that range from skin-tight glittering bodysuits to full-length gowns that may have been pinched straight out of The Supremes’ wardrobes.
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Girls Aloud performing in Manchester at the AO Arena. Credit: The Manc Group
The second act, which harks back to their slightly more urban debut album, is a personal highlight. I’ve long maintained that Sound of the Underground is one of the greatest pop songs ever written – but chuck in four scantily clad pop starlets riding airborne motorbikes and it just gets even better.
Did I walk in thinking I knew all the words to every Girls Aloud song ever released? No I did not, but these catchy little bops are apparently neatly filed in my brain ready to come tumbling out with a single wink from Cheryl Cole.
I know everyone has a favourite girlband member, and on stage each one plays to their own persona, whether that’s the impeccably graceful Nicola or the effortlessly cool Kimberly.
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And while on paper Cheryl is the most successful of the lot, this is now 2024 and I think we can all agree that Nadine Coyle is CARRYING this tour. She is an actress. She oozes charisma and camp, beaming the whole time, and looks like she is having the time of her life. It’s totally infectious and the crowd laps her up.
Sarah Harding is incorporated into the Girls Aloud tour throughout the show. Credit: The Manc Group
Of course, it’s a bittersweet celebration without Sarah. She is woven into the fabric of this band and into their live tour too. As hits like Can’t Speak French and Something New play, the original music videos play behind them. And with songs like A Whole Lotta History and I’ll Stand By You, her vocals take the lead along with a moving montage of the young late star, to rapturous applause.
If you’re surprised that Girls Aloud sold out this many arenas in this day and age, you are grossly underestimating the hold they had over British women in the noughties. We all used to buy false eyelashes modelled on their eyes, for god’s sake (personally, a big fan of Kimberley’s), and washed our hair with shampoos with their faces on the bottles.
21 years later and this is proven to be timeless pop music, and the styling of several acts of the show reflects that. Parts feel like they’re from a different era, from the tiny feather bustle stuck to Nadine’s sparkling bodysuit to the dancers in top hats and tails.
And things never feel more ageless than with The Promise, which closes the show.
Some of us may remember the music video, where all five Girls Aloud members time-travelled back to the 1960s, their makeup taking some influence from Twiggy and their hair growing exponentially larger (this was surely about the same time that Cheryl got her L’Oréal contract). The essence of that has been brought to their live show.
They shimmy behind microphone stands and perform choreography with their arms in sparkling gowns.
And then comes the real tear-jerker – this song was always Sarah Harding’s to own, and no one could quite fill those shoes. So instead of replacing her verse, she remains the star.
Sarah’s face beams across the arena, and her original vocals bellow over a tearful crowd, while the other girls turn to watch their late friend shine once again.
The night wraps up in an explosion of colour and sparkle. A properly fitting way to honour Sarah.
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Girls Aloud have two more shows in Manchester at the AO Arena to come – read our full gig guide here.
Girls Aloud setlist
Act I Untouchable The Show Something New Love Machine Can’t Speak French Biology Whole Lotta History Act II Wake Me Up Sound of the Underground Girl Overboard No Good Advice Graffiti My Soul Long Hot Summer I’ll Stand by You (Pretenders cover) ACT III Sexy! No No No… On the Metro Jump (For My Love) Call the Shots Something Kinda Ooooh Encore: The Promise
Featured image: The Manc Group
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Manic Street Preachers and Suede at Co-op Live, Manchester – stage times, setlists, and more
Daisy Jackson
Beloved British bands Manic Street Preachers and Suede are back on the road with another co-headline UK tour, including a massive Manchester date.
The two seasoned UK rock artists have teamed up for a huge run of live shows, which will bring them to the Co-op Live this week.
Both will be playing tracks from their newest releases – as well as a fair few of the hits.
The Welsh rock icons and the long-standing 1990s favourites from the London scene have more than 75 years of experience between them, with both outfits forming in the mid to late 80s.
This co-headline arena tour marks the biggest collaboration to date for both legendary bands and offers a unique opportunity to experience their renowned live performances.
If you’re heading to see Manic Street Preachers and Suede in Manchester, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know.
Manic Street Preachers and Suede UK tour dates
Wednesday 28 October – Glasgow OVO Hydro
Friday 30 October – Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
Saturday 31 October – Manchester Co-op Live
Tuesday 3 November – Cardiff Utilita Arena
Wednesday 4 November – Cardiff Utilita Arena
Friday 6 November – London The O2
Saturday 7 November – Birmingham Utilita Arena
Wednesday 11 November – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Thursday 12 November – Bournemouth International Centre
Tickets for Manic Street Preachers and Suede in Manchester
If you’ve not yet snapped up tickets to see Manic Street Preachers and Suede, worry not – there are still some on sale even this close to the show.
Floor standing tickets are available for £70.90 each, or seat are priced at £70.90 or £87.95 each.
You can see the latest availability and grab tickets HERE.
Stage times for Manic Street Preachers and Suede
Suede and Manic Street Preachers are on a joint tour and coming to Manchester. Credit: Publicity picture
Co-op Live hasn’t yet confirmed stage times for the show, other than the general admission doors will open at 6pm.
The bands are actually taking it in turns as to who plays first and who closes out the show – but apparently for Manchester it will be Suede first, Manic Street Preachers second.
Setlist for Suede
Disintegrate
Dancing With the Europeans
Trash
Animal Nitrate
We Are the Pigs
Personality Disorder
The 2 of Us
My City
Filmstar
Antidepressants
June Rain
She Still Leads Me On
Trance State
The Wild Ones
So Young
Metal Mickey
Beautiful Ones
Setlist for Manic Street Preachers
Motorcycle Emptiness
Ocean Spray
Faster
Decline & Fall
You Stole the Sun From My Heart
Everything Must Go
Walk Me to the Bridge
No Surface All Feeling
Autumnsong
A Design for Life
From Despair to Where
The Everlasting
Slash ‘n’ Burn
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
La tristesse durera (Scream to a Sigh)
Die in the Summertime
You Love Us
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Featured image: Supplied, Alex Lake @ TWOSHORTDAYS
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The Strokes at Co-op Live, Manchester – actually very hard to explain
Daisy Jackson
Manchester has waited a long, long time for this – The Strokes back on stage in our city.
I’ve been a fan of the band for as long as I can remember, but have never managed to catch them live, partly because they’ve left it TWENTY YEARS between shows here.
But back they are, with an enormous gig at the Co-op Live on their Reality Awaits tour.
The Strokes are known as one of the most solid indie bands of the 2000s, going triple platinum with their debut album Is This It and releasing massive anthems like Last Nite, Reptilia, and Someday.
They’re also known as a bit of an unpredictable live act – some will say they’re one of the best on the circuit, others will say they’re disappointing, and it really can depend on the night.
What they’re not known for is their audience interaction, so when frontman Julian Casablancas tries to have a bit of a chat with the audience, we all sort of stare blankly back at him. He’s speaking to us? What do we do?
“Wow, tough crowd,” he says, which is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone describe a Manchester audience as tough.
Then he turns back to drummer Fabrizio Moretti and says: “This is f*cking hideous, let’s play some songs.”
The setlist seems to get a shake-up every couple of shows, which is a nice surprise for us – and apparently also Julian, who regularly pops over to ask his bandmates what’s up next.
It doesn’t really matter that he’s not done his homework, because the second that drum kicks in, along with the impeccable guitar work of Schiltz, Fraiture and Hammond Jr., he snaps into action.
It’s impressive that their songs still have such singalong quality when Casablancas enunciates like a man with a dislocated jaw. For certain songs he’s so incoherent that if you weren’t a fan you’d walk in this room and wonder what the f*ck was going on.
But then, that’s sort of why us The Strokes fans love them so much. There’s a calamitous beauty to the work they put out and it’s so fun to belt out some words, even if they’re not the right ones.
I was hoping that seeing it live would sell that divisive new album, Reality Awaits, to me, but it didn’t. It’s too autotuney, too languid, and too often the victim of everyone’s toilet breaks.
Their earlier tracks still land best in a live setting, especially Reptilia, an absolute juggernaut in their back catalogue.
Rollercoaster set and tricky crowd interactions aside, we all had a great time – I’m just not sure I could say the same about Julian Casablancas.
Daisy Jackson -
24th May 2024 
