Though I had flown to the UK last year already to see the Sugababes on their Fall 2022 tour, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see them at their monumental ‘One Night Only’ show on September 15, 2023. Not only was this the group’s biggest headline show ever, but it was a complete celebration of their legacy and journey - I needed to be there as a longtime fan.

Hoping for an up-close experience, I secured a Meet and Greet ticket from a friend. I had met the ladies on the last show, and they were extremely gracious and friendly, so I was excited to meet them again. After arriving at the venue for the very early 3:30p check-in time, I got in line with other excited fans (approximately 200 of them) and was happy to run into some amazing fans I had met during my previous trip. The Meet and Greet was brisker this time around, but the ladies were again very friendly and I’m happy with the picture.

Following the anxiety-ridden rush to the stage, the evening began with a curated set by two DJs from the Boiler Room, and they perfectly captured the atmosphere with hits from the 2000s and 2010s. Shygirl, an English rapper and singer, was the opening act - and she was definitely a bit of an odd choice. The music was vibey with very mature lyrics, and the reception from the crowd was a tad cold.

The energy picked up as British hits like Jamelia’s “Superstar” and Cheryl’s “Call My Name” blasted out from the speakers, and soon, the lights went down for the Sugababes’ headline set. Similar to the fall tour last year, a tease of signature hit “Push The Button” began to ring out. The simplistic stage setup, accentuated by an expansive LED screen, put the focus squarely on the Sugababes. The positivity was flowing as the ladies sang the monstrous hit, and the energy continued with the amazing revamped version of “Red Dress” (which has unexpectedly become both a fan and group favorite) and one of my personal favorites, “Hole in the Head”. They then slowed it down with “Ugly”, using selfies from fans submitted a few weeks prior - and we all laughed as we recognized each other around us.

The next run of songs was my personal highlight of the entire show - starting with 2013 comeback single, “Flatline”. It was a rocky time period for the group, the ownership of the name ‘Sugababes’ was being fought about, and the original three members released the track under ‘Mutya Keisha Siobhan’ without the support of their label at the time. Though it didn’t fare well commercially, the song remains a fan favorite and it was an extremely powerful moment during the show. Debut album single “Run For Cover” came next, with the original music video from over 20 years ago showing in its full glory on the giant screen and then a beautiful transition into the MNEK Remix that was commissioned for the anniversary release of the debut album a few years ago. After a joyful rendition of “Lost Tapes” single-that-never-was “Today”,  “Shape”, an underrated single from the second album, followed, which had Siobhan performing it for the first time. The harmonies were delectable and it was a song many of us hardcore fans were hoping to hear on the night. 

The ladies ran off the stage as a grainy VHS rip of a debut-era interview showed on the screen. It was so cute to see them all so young, and I was so excited as the familiar acoustic guitar intro of debut album title track “One Touch” began to play. As old rehearsal, performance and behind the scenes footage played, the group members returned to the stage to recreate their old dance routines and sing the innocent track. The group’s voices have matured so much and it was beautiful to hear the song with their much fuller and more powerful tones. 

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, the band transitioned directly into debut album highlights “Lush Life” and “One Foot In”. The group then used the opportunity to finish this debut album celebration with their critically acclaimed debut single, “Overload”. The song has aged like fine wine, and with the seamless transition into the Majestic Remix and other UK garage tracks, the group made their way to the b-stage towards the end of the arena.

I couldn’t see them at all in this entire section, unfortunately - but it was a great idea and gave the rest of the huge crowd an opportunity to see them closer. The group began their cover of “Flowers”, but it was apparent that the members were having issues with their in-ear monitors. At the same time, us fans also experienced the sound change for the worse. The bass was extremely heavy, drowning out not just the girls’ voices, but also a lot of the other instruments. As the group continued with “Too Lost In You”, “Beat Is Gone”, and “Stronger”, the group navigated any sound issues they were having perfectly. 

The Sugababes returned to the main stage to finish off the set with “Freak Like Me”, and as the ladies left the stage for the encore, us fans knew what was coming. Earlier that day, the group released their first new single under new record label BMG, “When The Rain Comes”. After some teasing on the screens, the group returned with a crew of dancers to perform the new track. The song is a fantastic nostalgia-fused track, and of course, as the die-hard fans we are, us fans in the front had learned at least the chorus already and sang along. The harmonies sounded beautiful and the dancers brought a great energy to the performance. The group ended the show with two of their most popular hits, “Round Round” and the only Sugababes 3.0 era song in the set, “About You Now”, which included a full singalong moment. The lyrics mean so much more in this context than at the time of release - “can we bring yesterday back around? ‘Cause I know how I feel about you now.”

It was a beautiful and poignant ending to a groundbreaking show that felt like a true celebration of the group’s legacy and also a great start to the new era. I can’t wait for more music and hope I get to see them live again!

Setlist:

1. Push The Button
2. Red Dress
3. Hole in the Head
4. Ugly
5. Flatline
6. Run For Cover
7. Today
8. Shape
9. One Touch
10. Lush Life
11. One Foot In
12. Overload
13. Flowers
14. Too Lost In You
15. Beat Is Gone
16. Stronger
17. Freak Like Me
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18. When The Rain Comes
19. Round Round
20. About You Now