Live Review: Sugababes @ Festival Hall, Melbourne

Jimi The Kween gets the crowd pumped up with a DJ set guaranteed to set off the dance floor with an electrifying energy. Jimi plays a nostalgic set featuring a mix of classic ‘90s hits to get everyone dancing.

Local rising pop trio Blusher bring their unique blend of electro-pop to life, captivating the audience with their infectious energy and catchy tunes. It’s their biggest show ever played so there’s a high-level excitement in the air for the group who recorded their EP not too far from tonight’s iconic Melbourne venue.

They get the party started with Rave Angel full of dreamy synths, thick bass lines, and infectious melodies. They blend introspective lyrics with explosive-pop, making their performance both emotionally raw and irresistibly catchy.

Blusher’s high energy and engaging stage presence draws us in, and the crowd becomes fully engaged, dancing and singing along to every song in no time. Each member of the girl group takes turns singing and swapping instruments and places on the stage and unleashing synchronised dance routines for a whole lot of fun.

Their setlist includes tracks from their debut EP Should We Go Dance? Plus, a new song called Racer, a cover of Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj’s hit Beauty And A Beat and they finish on a high with their recently released song Accelerator which feels like having 10 cups of coffee.

The original Sugababes lineup of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhan Donaghy make their way out onto the stage in front of their live band ready to go with their iconic hit Freak Like Me.

The chart-topping trio have come a long way since they formed in the late ‘90s but despite their ups and downs and many evolutions of the band, it’s a true comeback having all three original members come full circle back together performing live on stage again. Their impeccable chemistry and harmonies are on point with powerful and emotive vocals proving they’re back in the groove of their prime.

The setlist is a perfect mix of their classic hits that defined the ‘00s pop landscape including their debut single Overload, Hole In The Head, and Too Lost In You. Each song is met with excited sing-alongs and endless cheering from the audience, who are thrilled to see the group back in action.

“We’ve been back together for about 12 years,” says Donaghy before sharing their official comeback song (Flatline) released in 2013.

“As you know we started when we were like 11, 12, and 13 years old. We’ve been on such a journey together so thank you so much to every person who has supported us from the beginning. A few years ago we decided to come back as the Sugababes, but we couldn’t because we didn’t have our name – the name that we came up with. So, we started to release music under the name MKS (Mutya, Keisha, Siobhan). But now we’ve got our name back (Sugababes). Thank you for your patience,” Buchanan says. They perform a few more songs from their MKS times from The Lost Tapes album, including Today. 

The encore sees them return for three of their biggest hits Push The Button, Round Round, and About You Now which gets everyone up on their feet dancing and singing along to the nostalgic pop hits. The crowd is left buzzing with excitement, a testament to the enduring appeal of the group's music and their ability to connect with fans old and new and leaving us excited for what they’ll do next.