A Tumultuous Year For S Club

2023 has been a tumultuous year for S Club. 20 years after their last release, in February, the group announced they would be reunited for a tour to celebrate 25 years since they exploded onto TV screens and radio stations around the world. Sadly, just a few months later, Paul Cattermole passed away from heart-related issues. Shortly afterwards, Hannah Spearritt decided she could not continue with the planned tour.

The remaining 5 decided to continue in tribute to their late friend, renaming the tour Good Times and releasing a new song, These Are The Days, in his honour. With the tour more than selling out, additional UK dates and even some US dates were added to the line-up, proving that despite their sad situation, S Club were back!

So what of the tour itself? As the show pulled into Birmingham for the penultimate night, opening acts Sweet Love and Now United teased the pop drive with well-executed sets. While Sweet Love relied on covers, they easily had the audience on side, and their renditions of Flowers and I Love Your Smile were strong.

Now United's dance routines are faultless, while their dance pop sound has the audience compelled. They are very slick; they show themselves ready for the next level of their career.

After the two newer groups warmed the audience up, the S Club Party exploded onto the stage. Playing mostly the hits with a few deeper cuts, S Club showed that they still know how to bring the fun times with a nostalgic feel.

With a touching tribute to Paul mid-set, the band shows that they still have the moves, and the audience laps up Reach, Don't Stop Movin', and Bring It All Back. However, it is the truly captivating Never Had A Dream Come True that really steals the show.

Whether S Club can now move on to emulate the success of reunified Steps remains to be seen, but the audience left with a spring in their step.