Chemistry: The Tour was the second concert tour by British all-female 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 ...

. It supported their third studio album, ''

Chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

''. Following the success of 2005's What Will the Neighbours Say...? Tour, Girls Aloud performed in

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

s across the United Kingdom for the first time. Girls Aloud announced tour dates in October 2005. They performed just ten dates, making it their shortest tour. The tour began in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

on 22 May 2006 and concluded in London on 3 June 2006. The show was divided into five sections with distinct costumes, including the encore. The set list featured songs mostly from ''Chemistry'', but also included singles from Girls Aloud's first two albums and cover versions. Girls Aloud began the show by rising from underneath the stage to perform the opening number "

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 ...

". The stage included video screens and a catwalk which extended into the audience. Chemistry: The Tour received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics who praised Girls Aloud's energy and fun. The tour was a commercial success, leading to the announcement of another arena tour the following year. A recording of the show was released on DVD in November 2006, oddly titled ''Girls Aloud: Greatest Hits Live From Wembley Arena'' to coincide with the release of the group's first greatest hits collection '' The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits''.

Background and development

The tour dates were announced towards the end of October 2005. Tickets went on sale on 4 November 2005, although pre-sale started two days earlier. The group did not tour in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, due to low record sales in Ireland. Girls Aloud also made their festival debut at 2006's V Festival.

Kimberley Walsh Kimberley Jane Scott (née Walsh; born 20 November 1981) is an English singer, fashion designer, model, variety performer, television presenter, actress and dancer. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality series '' Po ...

said the tour would be "bigger and better" than the What Will the Neighbours Say...? Tour, due to the size of the venues. "Everything will be in an arena so it gives us a bit more room to do some of the things we would have liked to have done last time." Girls Aloud also decided to take a more sexualised approach to the tour to make it "different" from their last. The stage included a

catwalk A fashion show ( French ''défilé de mode'') is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase their upcoming line of clothing and/or accessories during a fashion week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fa ...

which extended into the audience. There were two smaller video screens on the sides of the stage and a large one in the centre.

Concert synopsis

The tour begins with an introduction "evokes memories of '' Weird Science''", as a mad scientist creates five women. The video screen shows data for each member appearing one by one, followed by a ten-second countdown. The countdown begins to malfunction as pyrotechnics occur on stage. Girls Aloud then rise from underneath the stage. The introduction was seen as a reference to Girls Aloud's reality show beginnings. The group wear red, white, and black outfits as they perform "

". For the following performance, Girls Aloud don white lab coats over their outfits as they perform "

No Good Advice "No Good Advice" is a song by British-Irish girl group Girls Aloud, taken from their debut album, '' Sound of the Underground'' (2003). The song was written by Aqua's Lene Nystrøm Rasted, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xe ...

". Taking the theme of a laboratory, white sheet trolleys and shelves of potions and bottles are brought on stage. After a brief dance break,

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: ...

is put into a box. A red curtain is lifted around her and then dropped, revealing a missing Cole. She reappearsand the song finishes. "Waiting", an album track from ''Chemistry'', then follows. A ''

Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the classic film ''The Pink ...

'' themed dance is performed, leading into " Love Machine". The performance incorporates a sample of

Amerie Amerie Mi Marie Nicholson ( Rogers; born January 12, 1980) is an American singer. Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, she gained an appreciation of the classical arts from her mother Mi Suk Rogers and of music from her father Charles Rogers, and ...

's hit single "

1 Thing "1 Thing" is a song by American singer Amerie from her second studio album, ''Touch'' (2005). Written by Amerie and Rich Harrison and produced by the latter, the song is influenced by go-go rhythms and features a prominent sample of the Meters ...

". The dancers perform a dance break as Girls Aloud change into scantily-clad summer outfits.

returns first and joins the dancers, beginning to perform " Long Hot Summer" as the rest of the girls join her. There are benches on each side of the stage, which Girls Aloud use in their dance routine. They take to the benches to perform the ballad "

Whole Lotta History "Whole Lotta History" is a song by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their third studio album ''Chemistry'' (2005). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgi ...

". Girls Aloud are rejoined by their dancers to perform the ''Chemistry'' album track "Watch Me Go". They end the section with a cover of the

Kaiser Chiefs Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 2000 as Parva, releasing one studio album, ''22'', in 2003, before renaming and establishing themselves in their current name that same year. Since their formation the band h ...

' breakthrough single "

I Predict a Riot "I Predict a Riot" is a song by English indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs, appearing on their debut album, ''Employment'' (2005). It was originally released as their second single on 1 November 2004 and was the band's first release on the B-Uniqu ...

". Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson was "upset" because Girls Aloud changed a lyric from "condom" to "bus stop." After a video interlude, Girls Aloud return to the stage in

showgirl A showgirl is a female dancer or performer in a stage entertainment show intended to showcase the performer's physical attributes, typically by way of revealing clothing, toplessness, or nudity. History Showgirls date back to the late 180 ...

costumes and perform "

See the Day "See the Day" is a song by English singer Dee C. Lee, released as a single on 21 October 1985. On 2 December it peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart where it stayed for two weeks. The single sold in excess of 250,000 copies, receiving a s ...

". This is followed by a performance of their debut single " Sound of the Underground", which sees them replace the original microphone stand choreography with chairs. Girls Aloud then perform a medley of songs from 1980s

movie musical Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...

s. The songs within the medley are: " Fame", sung by

Nadine Coyle Nadine Elizabeth Louise Coyle (born 15 June 1985) is an Irish singer, actress and model. In 2002, Coyle was selected as a member of the girl group Girls Aloud, with whom she has been successful in achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK top ten ...

and Cole; " Flashdance... What a Feeling", sung by

Nicola Roberts Nicola Maria Roberts (born 5 October 1985) is a British pop singer. She rose to prominence in late 2002 upon winning a place in Girls Aloud, a girl group created through ITV's '' Popstars: The Rivals''. The group's success helped them win the c ...

and Walsh; and

Footloose Footloose may refer to: * ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film ** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack) ** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins * ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film ** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...

", sung by

Sarah Harding Sarah Nicole Harding (; 17 November 1981 – 5 September 2021) was an English singer, model and actress. Her professional career began in 2002 when she successfully auditioned for the ITV reality series '' Popstars: The Rivals'', during which ...

. Following another video interlude, the girl group return in different-coloured dresses. They open the new act with "

The Show Show or The Show may refer to: Competition, event, or artistic production * Agricultural show, associated with agriculture and animal husbandry * Animal show, a judged event in the hobby of animal fancy ** Cat show ** Dog show ** Horse show ** Sp ...

", which sees them perform on stools behind lighted frames. Whilst singing "Intro" from ''Chemistry'', the members each walk down the catwalk during their respective lines. This is followed by "Models", which also follows "Intro" on the album. "Racy Lacey" is performed next, as the silhouette of a pole dancer is seen on the video screens. Girls Aloud stand at the end of the catwalk to sing the ballad "

I'll Stand by You "I'll Stand by You" is a song recorded by English-American rock band the Pretenders from their sixth studio album, '' Last of the Independents'' (1994). The song was written by Chrissie Hynde and the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Ste ...

", before performing a reprise of opening number "Biology." The encore begins with "Wild Horses", as Girls Aloud and their dancers return to the stage in hooded black cloaks. As the song transitions into " Wake Me Up", they remove their cloaks revealing five unique costumes: a cowgirl (Cole), a police officer (Coyle), a cadet (Harding), a sailor (Roberts), and race car driver (Walsh). The show ends with "

Jump Jumping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jump or Jumping also may refer to: Places * Jump, Kentucky or Jump St ...

Opening acts

Frank Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curre ...

Nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...

Setlist

# "

" # "

# "Waiting" # " Love Machine" (contains elements of "

") # " Long Hot Summer" # "

" # "Watch Me Go" # "

" # "

" # " Sound of the Underground" # Medley: " Fame"/" What a Feeling"/"

" # "

" # "Intro"/"Models" # "Racy Lacey" # "

" # "Biology" (reprise) ;Encore #

"Wild Horses"/" Wake Me Up" #

Tour dates

Broadcasts and recordings

The tour was recorded on 3 June 2006 at

Wembley Arena Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-sea ...

. Footage was later released on DVD that year. ''Girls Aloud: Greatest Hits Live from Wembley Arena'' is the second live video album fourth DVD release from

, released on 13 November 2006. Despite the title, the DVD features the Chemistry Tour as opposed to 2007's The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits Tour. In a review of the DVD, Glenn Meads of the ''

Rochdale Observer ''The Rochdale Observer'' is a tabloid newspaper published on Wednesdays and Saturdays for the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It has been Rochdale's main newspaper since 1856. It has also been a discussion po ...

'' praised Girls Aloud's performance. He wrote, "Now you can recapture the ladies live on this brand new DVD. Smooth vocal harmonies, athletic choreography, arresting visuals and packed with hits – I am not talking about

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

or Kylie. The girls deliver on all these fronts and more in this memento of the gig to remember." The DVD was certified gold by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...

. An edited version of the performance was shown on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

on Christmas Eve in 2006, titled "Girls Aloud: Live and Lovely!" It has been shown a number of times on VH1 under the title "Girls Aloud: Live at Wembley." An audio recording of the

cover "

" was included on the rarities disc of Girls Aloud's greatest hits album '' The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits''. A live recording of "

" was an iTunes bonus track.

Critical response

The tour received widespread acclaim from contemporary music critics who complimented the show's relentless fun. Laura Lee Davies of ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' praised the show, calling it "a thrilling hour and a half of skinny pants, fireworks and dry ice." Sophie Heawood of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' gave the concert four stars out of five. Heawood lauded the group's energy, vocals, and the show's "Broadway feel".

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

's '' Sunday Mail'' also gave the show four stars. Glenn Meads of the ''

'' wrote that "the girls confounded the critics – producing a slick live performance which left the fans eager for more." It was noted by critics that while Girls Aloud are not the best singers or dancers, they sing live. In a review for ''

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 ...

'', Michael Deacon stated that Girls Aloud aren't the best singers or dancers – "next to the dominant Nadine, the other four sound like squirrels on helium ��their routines are loveably literal: if a lyric mentions knocking at the door or drinking a cup of tea, all five helpfully mime it." He continued, however, that "Girls Aloud aren't about polish and perfection. They're about fun, and they deliver it in heaps." He wrote, "There's one vital thing that's absolutely un-manufactured about Girls Aloud, and that's their obvious love of what they're doing." Heawood wrote, "

carries most of the lead vocals, but each Girl can belt it out when required ��there's no

Posh Spice Victoria Caroline Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spice. Wi ...

-style miming in the background from

Cheryl Tweedy 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: ...

." The show also received attention for its sexuality despite children being present. "It's a saucy affair, all bras and hot-pants, and with songs such as Racy Lacy and Watch Me Go, sexual suggestions are everywhere. Yet with an audience made up of mums and their sparkly pink daughters, the level of suggestion is where the sauce remains", Heawood wrote. Michael Deacon noted that Girls Aloud changed the "condom" lyric in "I Predict a Riot" but then performed "Racy Lacey", which contains the lyric "She's got a PhD with her legs apart."

References

{{Girls Aloud 2006 concert tours 2006 in British music Concert tours of the United Kingdom Girls Aloud concert tours Girls Aloud video albums