V Festival Staffordshire
Either this gathering is the queue for bar tokens or one of the biggest crowds of the weekend has flocked to see Girls Aloud. It is easy to forget that whilst Cheryl isn’t presenting X Factor, Sarah isn’t tumbling out of taxis and Nadine isn’t jetting to and from LA, they all help form a band that sometimes has to fulfil live commitments.
Alas, it shows early with a limp live display that culminates in a few arm movements and model poses. Put simply, that somewhat lazy appearance we all get when we have just fallen gracelessly out of bed, only these girls have their makeup already faultlessly applied. They finally decide to at least move for one of their undeniable pop classics with 'The Sound of The Underground'. Evidently their set follows a simple pattern of energetic pop song then nice, comfy ballad to let them catch their breath. 'Love Machine' genuinely threatens a sweat before a strange cover of Robyn’s, 'With Every Heartbeat'. With a greatest hits already out you could have expected just the single cover yet a medley of 'Push It' set to raunchy hip motions becomes the highlight of an unimpressive performance.
They begin to seem like a gaggle of mates dancing in a bedroom before embarking on a night out. It must be convincing enough, as it provokes mass pogoing for 'Jump'. Clearly, that proved enough strenuous activity as they close on a pedestrian rendition of 'Something Kinda Oooh' before sauntering off.