The Change Tour is the fourth concert tour by British girl group Sugababes. It supported their fifth studio album, Change. The tour began with 2 nights in Brentwood on 12 March and 13 March 2008, with the final show on 1 May 2008 in Derby. The 30-date tour is their longest yet. Harvey B-Brown, director of the "Denial" video, directed the tour.
| UK tour by Sugababes | |
| Associated album | Change |
|---|---|
| Start date | 12 March 2008 |
| End date | 1 May 2008 |
| Legs | 1 |
| No. of shows | 30 |
| Sugababes concert chronology | |
General information
editAlthough they could "easily sell out arenas,"[1] the majority of the shows are in more intimate venues. Amelle Berrabah said of the show that they will "be dancing a bit more" and that "the costumes are brilliant." Overall, there are ten costume changes.[2] Keisha Buchanan stated "This is probably the most we've done on the tour, so it was a bit full on."[2] They use doppelgängers to do much of the dancing and interpreting. Sugababes performed a shortened version of the tour at 2008's V Festival,[3] and the Liverpool Summer Pops.[4]
The band pulled out of a scheduled appearance at Scotland's T in the Park music festival, which angered many Scottish fans. While the band had been widely advertised as a Main Stage act, management for the girls' claimed that they were never booked for the festival. Geoff Ellis, organiser of T, refuted these claims. Just a few days after they pulled out, the band announced a concert with fellow popstars McFly in London on the day they were due to be at T. It was later revealed, by the Daily Record, that the real reason the girls pulled out was fear by tour management that they would not be well received by fans of festival headliners Rage Against the Machine waiting at the Main Stage to see the aforementioned act.
Support acts
edit- Gabriella Cilmi[5]
- Luigi Masi[6]
- Van Tramp[7]
Setlist
edit- "Hole in the Head" (contains elements of "Don't Stop The Music")
- "Round Round"
- "Never Gonna Dance Again"
- "In the Middle"
- "Ugly"
- "Freak like Me" / "Virgin Sexy"
- "Back Down"
- "Too Lost in You" (Piano version)
- "Don't Let Go (Love)" (En Vogue cover)
- "Denial"
- "Change"
- "Mended By You" / "Stronger"
- "3 Spoons of Suga" / "Overload"
- "Red Dress"
- "My Love Is Pink"
- Encore
Critical response
editThe critical reaction to the tour was extremely positive, with reviewers praising their vocals and their first attempt at extravagant costumes. A critique from The Times noted that the use of doppelgängers was applauded, because "no incarnation of Sugababes has been able to execute even relatively simple choreographed routines with flair." The reviewer joked that the band "even did a bit of dancing." The tour was described as "refreshing," inspired by Kylie Minogue's "stylish concerts."[1] The Daily Star stated that "it's only minimal fine-tuning that will soon make this one of the best live shows of 2008 – with faultless singing." The review called their cover of En Vogue's "Don't Let Go (Love)" a breathtaking highlight.[8] It has been called "a slick, polished show" and that "for all the flashy sets and multiple costume changes...it was the harmonies and sheer power of the voices which most impressed."[9] The Express & Star labeled the show "a classy, grown-up affair devoid of tack and at times truly outstanding."[10] The Daily Record went as far as saying that "Keisha, Heidi and Amelle - who have been hailed the most successful UK girl group of the 21st century - belted out 20 tracks and thoroughly earned the title."[11]
Tour dates
edit| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 March 2008 | Brentwood | England | Brentwood Leisure Centre |
| 13 March 2008 | |||
| 14 March 2008 | Brighton | Brighton Dome | |
| 16 March 2008 | Plymouth | Plymouth Pavilions | |
| 17 March 2008 | Oxford | New Theatre | |
| 18 March 2008 | Southend-on-Sea | Southend Cliffs Pavilion | |
| 20 March 2008 | London | Royal Albert Hall | |
| 22 March 2008 | Portsmouth | Portsmouth Guildhall | |
| 25 March 2008 | Newcastle | Newcastle City Hall | |
| 26 March 2008 | Glasgow | Scotland | Clyde Auditorium |
| 28 March 2008 | Wolverhampton | England | Wolverhampton Civic Hall |
| 29 March 2008 | Blackburn | King Georges Hall | |
| 31 March 2008 | Bradford | St. George's Hall | |
| 1 April 2008 | Manchester | Manchester Apollo | |
| 2 April 2008 | |||
| 4 April 2008 | Grimsby | Grimsby Auditorium | |
| 5 April 2008 | Bristol | Colston Hall | |
| 7 April 2008 | Sheffield | Sheffield City Hall | |
| 8 April 2008 | Cambridge | Cambridge Corn Exchange | |
| 9 April 2008 | Leicester | De Montfort Hall | |
| 11 April 2008 | Harrogate | Harrogate International Centre | |
| 13 April 2008 | Liverpool | Liverpool Philharmonic Hall | |
| 18 April 2008 | Reading | Hexagon Theatre | |
| 19 April 2008 | Preston | Preston Guildhall | |
| 21 April 2008 | Bournemouth | Bournemouth International Centre | |
| 22 April 2008 | Swindon | Oasis Leisure Centre | |
| 23 April 2008 | Cardiff | Wales | Cardiff International Arena |
| 27 April 2008 | Edinburgh | Scotland | Edinburgh Playhouse |
| 28 April 2008 | Carlisle | England | Carlisle Sands Centre |
| 1 May 2008 | Derby | Derby Assembly Rooms |
References
edit- ^ a b Verrico, Lisa (22 March 2008). "Sugababes at the Albert Hall". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 2 May 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
- ^ a b "Sugababes sleep on bus". My Park Magazine. 19 March 2008. Archived from the original on 8 January 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
- ^ "2008 Line Up". VFestival.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
- ^ Jade Wright (11 April 2008). "Sugababes sign up for the Summer Pops". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 12 April 2008.
- ^ "Gabriella Cilmi on tour with the Babes". Sugababes.com. 10 March 2008. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
- ^ "Luigi Masi supports Sugababes". Sugababes.com. 25 March 2008. Archived from the original on 13 April 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
- ^ "Sugababes welcome Van Tramp on tour". Sugababes.com. 2 April 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2008. [dead link]
- ^ Julia Kuttner (14 March 2008). "Sugababes hit Essex". Daily Star. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
- ^ John Anson (31 March 2008). "Sugababes @ King George's Hall, Blackburn". Burnley Citizen. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
- ^ Stella Stokes (29 March 2008). "Sugababes hit with sell-out crowd". Express & Star. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
- ^ Beverley Lyons and Laura Sutherland (29 March 2008). "Sweet sounds of the Sugababes". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 3 May 2009. Retrieved 3 April 2008.