The Saturdays + Jessie Malakouti @ Wolverhampton Civic Hall – 20th June 2009

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You may have been mistaken that The Saturdays are just another boring girl pop group, with typical washboard stomachs, perfect hair, fabulous wardrobes and average singing voices. Well you would be wrong.

Those girls proved at their performance in Wolverhampton that while they may have many of the qualities — they certainly did not have average voices or had to mime like Britney. Those girls can actually sing, dance, play instruments and put on a pretty decent show.

Support act Pixie Lott had to pull out of the show due to unforeseeable circumstances but was replaced by LA-based Gwen Stefani wannabe Jessie Malakouti.

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Donning a pair of red sequinned hot pants, a long chain of pearls, a platinum blonde hairdo, you could have very easily mistaken her for the world’s favourite Harajuku Lover.
Even mimicking Gwen’s trademark voice — Jessie belted out her songs from her debut album Pretty and Gritty and busted a move alongside her two hunky dancers.

Admittedly the songs were poppy and fun and she got the crowd involved when she got her digital camera out to take videos of the crowd. This seemed to get the entire crowd waving at the camera excitedly and shouting for her attention. But my attention began to wane after the third song — she was no Gwen Stefani I’m afraid.

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After a very long interval, which was full of interruptions on the PA system reminding the audience to not stand up during the show — or dance for that matter. It had been a while since I’d been to a seated gig but I had not realised dancing was now banned? Clearly health and safety gone mad again.
The crowd booed but not for long as the lights soon went out and with a huge build-up the girls finally came on stage. Wearing identical raincoats, adorned with rhinestones, the girls danced on stage to their second single ‘Up’, before quickly stripping them off to reveal silver dresses and to belt out ‘If This Is Love’.

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While they may not be the coolest band to claim to have seen live, their dance moves and especially their use of electro beats —makes them a little bit more credible than their Girls Aloud mates.
With loud bass lines and fun beats — some of those songs really do seem to echo that of New Young Pony Club or even a bit of Peaches. Two songs in particular — ‘Set Me Off’ and ‘Keep Her’ have now become firm favourites of mine, for that very reason, but I am a sucker for a meaty bass line.
They belted out heir now Comic Relief classic cover song ‘I Just Can’t Get Enough’ which definitely got the crowd bopping (in their seats), as well as new song and a fun Motown version of Album track ‘Why Me, Why Now’.

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The girls chatted to the crowd, constantly waving and smiling and flashing their brilliant white teeth — which got the crowd cheering even louder. Band member Vanessa White seemed to have sustained an injury during the tour as she spent most of her time onstage sitting on a stool while her other bandmates busted all the moves. But her phenomenal voice made up for her lack of dancing.
Irish singer in the band Una picked up a guitar in the show alongside Mollie to join the rest of the band in a rendition of Madcon’s ‘Beggin’, which definitely got everyone singing. But even the band found it weird that no one could dance and had to keep reassuring everyone that they could still join in by clapping and singing.

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A brief interlude in the show, filled with behind-the-scenes footage of the girls being dumb, so they could get changed into more rockin’ outfits and then rock out to a medley of pop-rock hits like Rhianna’s ‘Shut Up and Drive’ and Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed A Girl’ and Pink’s ‘So What?’.
The only bit I wasn’t so sure about was when they sang their new single ‘Work’, they were plugging the video on their website, which you had to pay £1.50 to watch — I guess there is nothing wrong with a bit of shameless self-promotion but I suppose I am just not used to it. It screamed ‘desperate record label bosses waiting for your cash.’

Overall it was good varied show with lots of expected cheesy bits but with lots of surprising show-stopping talent. There is no denying it, those girls sure can ‘Work’ it. Hehe.

Set List:
Up If This Is Love
Set Me Off
Keep Her
I Just Can’t Get Enough
Wordshaker (New Song)
Why Me, Why Now
Fall
Beggin’ (Cover)
Chasing Lights
Rock Medley — Shut Up and Drive, I Kissed A Girl and So What?
Lies
Work
Issues

Review – Emma Black
Photos – Dave Musson

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