Music Review: The Big Reunion 2014 live at London's Hammersmith A ollo

The stars of ITV2's 2014 series of The Big Reunion took to the stage at the Hammersmith Apollo last night and all six groups gave impressive performances After last !ear's run of the sho" included former pop heav!"eights #lue$ %ive$ Atomic &itten and #'(itched$ the likes of )T and *irl Thing in this !ear's line+up initiall! seemed rather under"helming

The ,ig dra" this !ear "as the return of girl group -ternal The .&'s most successful all+female ,and of the 1//0s$ until the 0pice *irls came along$ -ternal had a long string of hit singles and t"o million+selling al,ums After a ,itter split in the late /0s$ a reunion looked unlikel! #ut it happened 1minus 2ouise 3edknapp$ "ho left the ,and in 1//45 and the trio stole the sho" 2ead singer -asther #ennett's po"erful voice hasn't dimmed over the !ears and she "as ,! far the strongest singer of the night$ "ith a set of lungs to rival an! of the ,ig American divas

Girl group Eternal gave vocally impressive performances

The! delivered the overall ,est+received performance of the night "ith their classic 1//6 .& 7o 1 single I Wanna Be The Only One The group "ere 8oined on stage ,! gospel singer #e#e (inans$ "ho provided the original male vocal on the track$ and the result "as an incredi,l! uplifting$ vocall! fla"less spectacle -ternal proved that the! could still ,e relevant to toda!'s music industr!

-nglish+7or"egian ,and A1 kicked off the sho" "ith an energetic performance of their A+Ha cover Take On Me The male trio choreographed some impressive dance routines that ,rought their performances to life

The enthusiastic audience "as mostl! made up of people in their 20s and )0s "ho'd gro"n up "ith the ,ands There "ere also a num,er of cele,rities "atching including comedian &eith 2emon$ 0pice *irl -mma #unton$ presenter Vanessa %elt9 and man! of the acts that took part in last !ear's series

:espite never achieving the huge success expected of them ,! manager 0imon ;o"ell$ *irl Thing's four performances "ere fun$ livel! and colourful and the! seemed genuinel! appreciative to ,e given a second chance

3<# =uartet :amage "ere vocall! strong and gave four credi,le "ell+received performances )T$ a trio of ,rothers "ho are more famousl! kno"n as >ichael ?ackson's nephe"s$ paid tri,ute to their famous uncle at numerous points during the evening$ "hich resulted in a ver! "arm reception from the audience

4th 0tor!$ the supergroup of former pop stars created especiall! for the sho"$ seemed relativel! slick and cohesive :ane #o"ers$ Adam 3ickitt$ &en9ie and &avana had good chemistr! together ,ut *areth *ates looked slightl! a"k"ard at times Ho"ever$ the Pop Idol runner+up came into his o"n for the sho"'s finale "here he led the group's performance of pirit In The ky All of the other acts 8oined 4th 0tor! on stage at the end for a final ensem,le performance of the song

The evening ended !ith all si" acts performing together on stage

@erhaps not =uite the hit packed extravagan9a of The Big Reunion #$%&$ this !ear's sho" "as nevertheless a highl! entertaining com,ination of nostalgia$ p!rotechnics$ lasers and confetti The concert "ill ,e ,roadcast on ITV2 on 26 >arch

!etlist: A1 + Take On Me -ternal + tay 4th 0tor! + 'reak Me :amage + Ghetto Romance *irl Thing + Girls On Top )T + (nything 4th 0tor! + I )an Make *ou 'eel Good A1 + )aught In The Middle :amage + Wonderful Tonight *irl Thing + Roar )T + I +eed *ou -ternal + ,on-t *ou .ove Me/Po!er Of ( Woman 1medle!5 4th 0tor! + 'lip Reverse/)rossroads/I Breathe (gain 1medle!5 *irl Thing + .ast One tanding *irl Thing + Pure 0 imple )T + tuck On *ou )T + (nything A1 + Everytime A1 + ame Old Brand +e! *ou :amage + 'orever :amage + .ove II .ove -ternal + omeday

-ternal < #e,e (inans + I Wanna Be The Only One 4th 0tor! + pirit In The ky All A pirit In The ky 1finale5