The A Millions Lights Tour was the debut

concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...

by English recording artist

Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. Born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne, she rose to fame in late 2002 upon winning a place in Girls Aloud, a girl group created through ITV's '' Popstars: ...

. It promoted Cole's third studio album, ''

A Million Lights ''A Million Lights'' is the third studio album by English singer Cheryl, released on 15 June 2012 through Fascination Records. Following her divorce from Ashley Cole, this is Cheryl's first album to be released under the mononym Cheryl, droppi ...

''. The tour marks Cole's first solo venture, touring extensively from 2005 to 2009 with pop group

Girls Aloud Girls Aloud were an pop girl group that was created through the ITV talent show '' Popstars: The Rivals'' in 2002. The group comprised singers Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. The group achieved a str ...

. The show ran during October 2012, with 11 shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Background

With the release of her latest album only one week away, the tour was announced via Cole's website on 12 June 2012. Rehearsal for the tour began late August 2012 at Studio 1342 in Los Angeles. The sessions were cut short as Cole and manager

will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...

were involved in car accident during the early morning. The singer returned to the UK in an arm sling to complete promotional radio spots, with rehearsals continuing in London. During the radio spots, the singer stated the tour would feature will.i.am. and

Wretch 32 Jermaine Sinclaire Scott (born 9 March 1985), better known by his stage name Wretch 32, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter from Tottenham, North London. He was a member of the grime collective Combination Chain Gang, before forming The M ...

at one of the concerts. She also stated costumes were being designed by Renelou Padora. During the final weeks, Cole and crew rehearsed the production at the Olympic Basketball Arena, before heading to

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

. While in Northern Ireland, dancing Tre Holloway fractured his leg, causing him to be absent from the first three shows of the jaunt.

Critical reception

The tour received mixed reviews from critics and fans. For the debut concert in Belfast, Ashleigh Rainbird from ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...

'' gave the show four out of five stars. She proclaims the concert was a "first night triumph". At The O₂ in Dublin, Ed Power of ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'' gave the Irish gig three out of five stars. He states, " ough her vocals were generally strong, Cheryl never imprinted her personality on the performance. At times the music felt like a calculating mash-up of chart trends—a little

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

here, a hint of Britney and

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

there. How strange that, surrounded by state of the art production and dazzling costumery, one of the most recognisable women in pop should seem so faceless". In London, André Paine writing for ''

London Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'' gave the show three out of five stars, calling the show uneven yet ultimately enjoyable. He continues, "It was all over in 70 minutes and while Cheryl did just enough to justify her solo career, you suspect she's looking forward to being part of a girl group again". At the same concert, Robert Copsey from ''

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

'' gave Cole's performance three out of five stars, saying the singer's performance was surprising flat. He says, "The flashes of brilliance in ' Under The Sun', '

3 Words ''3 Words'' is the debut studio album by English singer Cheryl Cole released on 23 October 2009 by Fascination Records. Cole's first solo performance was on American rapper will.i.am's "Heartbreaker" (2008), on which she sang additional vocals ...

'—which featured a surprise appearance by friend and mentor will.i.am—and '

Fight for This Love "Fight for This Love" is the debut solo single by English singer and Girls Aloud member Cheryl (singer), Cheryl Cole, recorded for her debut studio album, ''3 Words'' (2009). It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the lead single on ...

' proved that she is capable of holding her own in front of a larger crowd. Though with a new book out and a number of well-publicised TV and film spots on the horizon, it proved all-too-easy to remember that she's a celebrity as much as a poster". During the final shows at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, Jessica Philips of ''

Sunderland Echo The ''Sunderland Echo'' is a daily newspaper serving the City of Sunderland, Sunderland, South Tyneside and Easington (district), East Durham areas of North East England. The newspaper was founded by Samuel Storey, Edward Backhouse, Edward Tem ...

'' called the homecoming concert triumphant but short. She also stated, "Her fellow

Geordie Geordie () is a nickname for a person from the Tyneside area of North East England, and the dialect used by its inhabitants, also known in linguistics as Tyneside English or Newcastle English. There are different definitions of what constitut ...

s were practically effervescent in their enthusiasm for their idol, chanting her name with all their might".

Broadcasts and recordings

Shortly after the tour was completed, a DVD release was issued for November 2012. In November, Cole had two specials airing on

ITV2 ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, a ...

. The first was a behind-the-scenes documentary titled, "Cheryl: All Access Areas". The special showed footage from the London concert, along with rehearsals and intimate moments with Cole. The special aired 20 November 2012, to an audience of over 800,000 viewers. The second was an abbreviated concert special, filmed at The O₂ Arena in London. The special, "Cheryl: Live in Concert—A Million Lights Tour", aired 25 November 2012. The DVD titled ''A Million Lights: Live at The O₂'', was released on 26 November 2012.

Set list

This set list is representative of the 3 October 2012 show in Belfast. It does not represent all dates of the tour. Act One #"Sexy Den a Mutha" #" Call My Name" #"Girl in the Mirror" #"

Promise This "Promise This" is a song by English recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her second studio album ''Messy Little Raindrops'' (2010). It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the album's lead single on 24 October 2010 by Fascinati ...

" Act Two #

Girls Aloud Medley: " The Promise" / "

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

" / " Love Machine" #

" Under The Sun" #

" The Flood" Act Three #

Parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...

" #

"Last One Standing" #

" #

"A Million Lights" Act Four #

"DJ Section" (contains excerpts from "Let"s Get Down", "

Heartbreaker Heartbreaker(s) or The Heart Breaker(s) may refer to: Film and television *''The Heart Breakers'', a 1916 film starring Andrew Arbuckle *''The Heart Breaker'', a 1925 film directed by Benjamin Stoloff * ''Heartbreaker'' (1983 film), an American f ...

", "

Cockiness (Love It) "Cockiness (Love It)" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna, from her sixth studio album ''Talk That Talk'' (2011). The song was written by Rihanna, Candice Pillay, D. Abernathy and Shondrae Crawford, with production helmed by Mr. Bangladesh. C ...

", "

Sexy and I Know It "Sexy and I Know It" is a hit song by American duo LMFAO from their second studio album, ''Sorry for Party Rocking''. It was released as the third single from the album on September 16, 2011. The song was written by Stefan Kendal Gordy, GoonRock ...

", "

Gangnam Style "Gangnam Style" ( ko, 강남스타일, ) is a K-pop song by South Korean rapper Psy, released on July 15, 2012, by YG Entertainment as the lead single of his sixth studio album, ''Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1'' (''Ssai Yukgap Part 1''). The term ...

", "Boys Lie", "Love Killer" and "

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album '' Thriller'' (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records. It was ...

") (Dance Interlude) #

" Ghetto Baby" #

" Screw You" ;Encore #

"Call My Name" (Reprise) (contains elements of the Wideboys Remix)

Tour dates

Personnel

;Band *Backing vocals: Alexis Strader, Renard Hughes *Dancers: *Walter Holloway III (Tre) *Tyrell Washington *Felix Burgos *Marshall Lake *Brandee Stephens-Harris *Ambrya Underwood *Alex Larson *Aviel Ayoung *Vinceny Clemmons *Adrian Wiltshire ;Management *Creative Director: Fatima Robinson *Set Design: Bruce Rodgers *Musical Director: Keith Harris *Choreography: Misha Gabriel, Beth Honan, Charm Ladonna, Adrian Wiltshire *Tour Production: Production North *Production Manager: Iain Whitehead *Stage Manager: Milan Rakic *Management for Rocket Pop Management LLp: Seth Friedman, Polo Molina, Lily Endland, Garry Tweedy *Agent For William Morris Agency: Solomon Parker ;Crew *Styling: Renelou Padora *Glam: Lisa Laudat *Rigging Company: Over The Top *Rigger: Mark Wade *Set Carpenters: Chris Bridges, Graham Kearsley, Stephen Buckley *Lighting Company: HSL *Lighting Designer: Peter Burnes *Lighting Operator: Neil Trenell *Lighting Crew Boss: Johnny Harper *Lighting Technician: John Trincas, Chris Roper *PA Company: Wigwam Acoustics *FOH: Nick Warren *Monitor Engineer: James Baker *PA Technician: Rob Priddle, Jack "Ginger Joe" Murphy *Pyro Technician: Steve Britton *Video Company: VER, XL Video *Tour Video Director: Ruary Macphie *Video Engineer: Rod Martin *LED Technician: David "Chalky" White *LED Tech/Cameraman: Al Bolland *Projectionist/Cameraman: Danny Sheldon *Screens Content: Helene Spencer for The Field *Backline: James Wiffen *Wardrobe: Hadassah Boyde, Marge Christodoulou, Michele Potter *Catering Company: Snakatak *Caterer: Stephen Knuden, Robert Oliver, Matt Holland, Lisa Cribley *Promoter Rep: Maximus Burnham (UK), Turlough McShane (Belfast), Aiden Lee (Dublin) *Trucking Company: Stardes *Lead Truck Driver: Dave "Rambo" Ramsden *Truck Driver: Simon Sinclair, Neil Moran, Gary Bunfield, Robert Quinn, Roy Ladds, Michael Staniforth *Band Bus Company: Jumbocruiser *Band Bus Driver: Billy Higgs *Crew Bus Company: Four Season Travel *Crew Bus Driver: Malcom Farrey, Alan Watkins *Day Bus Company: Glen Marshalls for Marshalls *Travel Agent: Abgail Dillon for The Tour Division *Accountant: James Doran for Livewire *Tour Book Keeping: June Jones for CIA *Merchandising: Global Merchandising Services *Merchandising Rep: Keith "Pledge" Pledger *Legal: Nicola Harvey, Mauny Wright, David Oudot *Production Accountant: Kristen Hemmingway *Runners: Farah Riaz, Kyle Jamrozy, Mehren Ahmed *Production Coordinator: Christopher Woodhams *Audio Recording: Peter Theobald for Wigwam Audio *Audio Mixing: John Norten *Audio Mastering: Jonathan Last *Additional Lighting: PRG *Gaffer: Rich Gorrod *Lighting Crew: Lars Kirstiansen, Phil Sharp, Pete MacDonald, Simon Anderson *Arenamation: Helene Spencer for The Field *OB Company: Trick Box *Technical Manager: Liam Laminman *Key Engineer: Carl Own *Engineer: Paul Nancollis, Steve Grant *Engineer/Rigger: Clive Owen *Riggers: James Woods, Mark Davis, Nick Wilkes *Camera Assistants: Chris Hayden, Andrew Trewartha, Ollie Wesley *Focus Pullers: Sam Garwood, Oleg Poupko, Warren Buckingham, Jon Mitchell, Roger Bowles *Jib Assistant: Giles Mallard *Crane Technicians: Martin Elven, Jon Crawford *Grips: Jem Morton, Pete Muncey, Ken Ashley Johnson *Crane Operator: Dave Emery, Tony Freeman *Camera Operator: Rob Kar, Sam Keogh, John Simmons, Adam Rogers, Greg O'Callaghan, Dax De Bice *Music PA: Emily Aldous Source:

References

External links

Cheryl Cole Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Million Lights Tour, A 2012 concert tours 2012 in British music 2012 in London 2010s in Birmingham, West Midlands 2010s in Glasgow 2010s in Manchester 21st century in Belfast 2010s in Dublin (city) 2010s in Liverpool 21st century in Newcastle upon Tyne 2010s in Sheffield Cheryl (singer) October 2012 events in the United Kingdom