Girls Aloud paid an emotional tribute to late member Sarah Harding as they returned to the stage for the first time in 11 years for the first night of The Girls Aloud Show in Dublin ahead of a national tour and headline appearance at this year’s Brighton & Hove Pride in August.
Nadine Coyle, Cheryl, Nicola Robertsand Kimberley Walsh made up the iconic girl band alongside Sarah until her tragic death from cancer in 2021.
The girl group’s opening night had their late bandmate at its centre with a Sarah’s vocals dominating number one hit I’ll Stand By You, leaving fans in tears.
Before the ballad began, Nadine told the crowd: ‘We’re going to do a duet with Sarah tonight. It’s going to be us, Sarah, you. Let’s do this together.’
Sarah’s vocals then began to play as her four bandmates sang live on stage alongside their late friend.
Later they performed Whole Lotta History, which was also dedicated to the late star.
Nicola reflected: ‘When we recorded this next song 19 years ago, we had no idea 19 years later it would become so poignant on our journey.’
Black and white footage of Sarah singing were then shown, followed by a emotional montage dedicated to the late star which read: ‘The darkest nights produce the brightest stars.’
Holding back tears, Kimberley told the audience: ‘Standing feeling all the emotions you’re feeling. I hope you know it means as much as it means you to you.’
Cheryl added: ‘Thank you for your support through everything we went through with Sarah. It’s hard to believe but it’s such a beautiful thing to be on stage with these ladies again.’
Show 1 done 💃 Dublin you were absolutely INCREDIBLE. What a start to the #TheGirlsAloudShow tour 💕💕
📸 @Shutterstock pic.twitter.com/S0HnOzv74o
— Girls Aloud (@GirlsAloud) May 17, 2024
The encore of the night was mega hit The Promise, which included an expanded “Walking primose…” section – inarguably Sarah’s most famous vocals echoing off the walls of the arena.
Girls Aloud formed in 2002 after winning Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 and subsequently scored a record breaking 21 top 10 hits, including Sexy! No No No, Biology, Call the Shots and Sound of the Underground.
Taking to Twitter after their first show, the band thanked fans as they wrote: ‘Show 1 done Dublin you were absolutely INCREDIBLE. What a start to the #TheGirlsAloudShow tour’.
Girls Aloud will headline this year’s Brighton & Hove Pride in August. Tickets HERE
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