Girls tribute to sarah
Heartache as pop legends celebrate late bandmate on reunion tour debut
GIRLS ALOUD last night performed a tear-jerking tribute to late bandmate Sarah Harding as they kicked off their reunion tour in Dublin.
The girl band, Cheryl Tweedy, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh, had vowed their first gigs since 2013 would celebrate Sarah, who died aged 39 from breast cancer in 2021.
After a 30-minute delay, the fourpiece appeared on stage and performed their first song, Untouchable, with footage of Sarah playing on pink curtains behind them.
The girls gave the crowd a quick “hello Dublin” before belting out a rendition of Love Machine. Thanking the audience, Nicola went on to say: “What an incredible audience for our first show, thanks so much for being so supportive. We’re so happy to be back.”
Ahead of performing Stand By You for the delighted crowd, Nadine told them: “We’re going to do a duet with Sarah tonight. It’s going to be us, Sarah, you. Lets do this together.”
Things turned emotional when Sarah’s vocals began to play as her four bandmates sang. Ahead of the performance, at the 3Arena, Kimberley shared photos of the chart-toppers behind the scenes. She said: “We’ve had the best time creating this show for you and being back with my girls has been incredibly emotional but so special.”
Nicola, 38, promised an amazing gig while Nadine, also 38, said: “I am full of gratitude and admiration for our entire team. Thank you to everyone up to this point. Now the real fun begins.”
Cheryl, 40, released a photo of the singers on a plane as they flew to Ireland on Thursday night, adding: “Ready for take-off.”
The gig did not disappoint as fans enjoyed hits such as Something Kinda Oooh, Can’t Speak French and Jump.