JLS

With 10 million albums sold, a reputation for shirtlessness, and countless arenas booked solid, how could JLS go wrong? The answer is they can't. The foursome whizzed their way through their string of hits at the O2 in London, beaming and bouncing all the way.

The set included their biggest singles, "Everybody in Love" and "Beat Again," although it was sometimes hard to hear them over the screaming girls. The arena is massive but they've got the personality and showmanship to fill the place up. Aston kept the crowd excited with his backflips, but Oritsé, JB, and Marvin got their turns in the spotlight, too. They really made an effort to get the audience involved.

There was lots of chatting and banter between the boys, and at one point, they whipped out the stools and got some girls from the crowd up on stage with them. The show was a whirlwind of lights, costume changes, and theatrics, but the guys have genuine talent to back up the spectacle. The story has a bittersweet ending since JLS won't be back for more, but they certainly give a new meaning to going out with a bang. If they were to reunite, you can bet there'd be plenty of people, including me, who'd go running back for more.

Gabrielle was queen of the 90's and the early 00's with her glossy, RnB-pop tracks With many a hit under her belt that have stood the test of time, from 'Rise', 'Out of Reach' and 'Dreams', she is still a nostalgic staple for ballad lowers, with many of her songs used in soundtracks for Hollywood films, such as 'Bridget Jone's Diary'. I saw Gabrielle at the height of her fame in the early 2000's. She was still playing large venues and bringing in the crowds. However, the NEC in Birmingham, where I was part of the audience, felt too big and didn't suit Gabrielle's soulful sound, or heartfelt lyrics. A more intimate setting would of taken the music to another level. Instead, Gabrielle tried to hold the huge stage all alone, with only the large screens to help. She wore her trademark black suit and sunglasses, making the show lack even more spectacle, some much needed colour wouldn't have gone a miss. The audience were a mix of ages, mostly women. A collection of mums, grans, aunts and kids all dotted around the enormous hall. The crowd were reluctant to dance or sing, but were willed to there feet by constant encouragement from the lady herself. Hits like 'Sunshine Through my Window' managed to raise some voices in a sing-a-long, but the older members of the crowd stayed very much quiet and seated.
Technically Gabrielle was pitch perfect, she has the vocal range and the stamina of a much younger woman and chatted with ease between songs to the crowd. She has a sweet, rich voice that didn't falter once, she even treated the crowd to some unexpected covers, in which she invited a member of Damage on to the stage (which really dates this review).