News

February

19/02/03 - Tour Cancelled!!

A joint tour by pop acts Girls Aloud and One True Voice has been called off because of poor ticket sales.

The groups, manufactured by the TV show Popstars: The Rivals, had expected to perform 12 shows together.

Girls Aloud manager Louis Walsh said the association with their less successful boy band rivals had been "letting them down".

He said: "They were meant to be touring with One True Voice and the others from the programme, but it wasn't selling, nobody was buying the tickets." To see the full article click here.

15/02/03 - Girls to perform at Party in the Park!!

Aberdeen is set to stage a repeat performance of the city's biggest open air pop event. The hugely popular Free at the Dee will be held in the Duthie Park in August.

Last year's party in the park attracted a host of top pop stars including Gareth Gates, Darius, Hear'Say and The Sugababes.

This year's event will also be free of charge although revellers will be asked to give a donation to Northsound's Cash for Kids charity.

Possible stars could include Fame Academy stars David Sneddon, Sinead Quinn and Malachi Cush.

Popstar Rivals bands One True Voice and Girls Aloud could also appear at the park.

15/02/03 - New single Exclusive!!

Girls Aloud's second single, the follow up to the hugely successful 'Sound Of The Underground', has been given a release date for May 2003.
The track, rumoured to be entitled 'Cant Stop Rockin', is set to hit the shops on May 12th 2003, almost 5 months after the release of their debut song. Polydor originally planned to launch the single in March but decided this would be to much of a rush.
Girls Aloud have just finished recording over 20 possible album song and have begun rehearsing for the Popstars: The Rivals Tour. This leaves no time for the girls to shoot a video in time for a March release. Therefore they will shoot this after the tour and it will be launched in April.
A debut album will be released the week after the single on 19th May. However, Polydor are considering moving the single release forward a week or two.
Stay tuned for more news on the single and album! Sorry guys you will just have to wait until then, but on the other hand there is still the tour to look forward too!!

15/02/03 - Aloud to tour in Derry!!

Nadine Coyle, member of Girls Aloud, has revealed that her chart topping band Girls Aloud will perform in her home city during their debut tour. Nadine has persuaded Girl's Aloud record bosses at Polydor to allow the band play a one-off concert in Derry at the beginning of next year.
Speaking to the 'Journal' last night, the teenager said that she "kicked and screamed" when she learned that there were no Irish dates on the forthcoming Popstars: Rivals tour. But Nadine eaked an assurance from bosses that Derry will feature in the Girls Aloud official tour. "I made them promise me that Derry will be on the tour," she said.

She revealed that the band, buoyed by their recent chart topping Christmas, have recorded 20 songs and their next single will be released on May 12 and will be an up tempo effort.
"We got the song we all really liked and there's only a couple of things left to be done to it. It's hard work recording all the time, but I'm really, really enjoying myself."
The debut Girls Aloud album follows at the end of May. Nadine says she is still adjusting to her knew found fame. "We went to go to the sun beds the other day, but left because everyone noticed us and we ended up in the paper. I was out with my boyfriend and Kimberly in a restaurant and that was in the paper the next day as well. We've had the best and worst of learning experiences."

Nadine said that she's still living out of a suit case until the band get two London flats sorted out. Nicola and Cheryl are likely to share one while Nadine, Sarah and Kimberly will share the other.
And a year of continued success is guaranteed. Girls Aloud have teamed up with the Swedish songwriting stable that produced a string of world-wide hits, including Britney Spear's, 'Baby One More Time'.

January

23/01/03 - New Tour dates added!!

There have been four new dates added to the Popstars The Rivals tour, yay!!

The four new shows will be in Bournemouth, Brighton, Cardiff and Nottingham. The tickets for these show go on sales tomorrow, Friday the 24th, at 9am. The tour will be headlined by winners Girls Aloud and One True Voice. The concerts will be hosted by Hayley Evetts and will also feature other stars from the show, plus special performances from those memorable Cheeky Girls at the Sheffield, Manchester, Brighton and Wembley venues. Plus Aimee, Emma, Chloe, Linzi, Peter, Andrew, Chris, Nikk and Mikey!
Some of the original tour dates have been moved due to arranging the additional shows - the updated tour itinerary is below:
March:

1st - Birmingham NEC (moved from 28 February)
3rd - London Arena
4th - Bournemouth Int. Centre (new date)
5th - Brighton Centre (new date)
6th - Cardiff Int. Arena (new date)
7th - Sheffield Arena (moved from 17th March)
8th - Glasgow SECC (moved from 7th March)
11th - Nottingham Arena (new date)
12th - Wembley Arena
14th - Newcastle Arena (moved from 19 March)
15th - Manchester Arena (moved from 21 March)

20/01/03 - Help the Welsh!!

As we all know Popstars:The Rivals are going on tour this year but, and it is a BIG but there are NO WELSH DATES! We voted for them and bought the singles too so why can't we see them in concert? Do you want to join a campaign that The South Wales Echo (Big Welsh Newspaper) are putting together and get the Popstars:The Rivals tour to come to Wales? All you have to do is sign this petition http://www.petitiononline.com/ptrwt/petition.html All Support would be greatly appreciated! Also Welsh fans email here at duncanluvzme@yahoo.co.uk coz the Echo want to run a story on this so we need lots of Welsh fans! C'mon Guys we need this to happen!!!

19/01/03 - Girls lose top spot

Girls Aloud were yesterday knocked off the top of the pop charts after their four week reign at Number One.

Fame Academy winner David Sneddon stormed to the top with his debut single Stop Living the Lie pushing the Popstars: The Rivals girl and their Christmas hit, Sound of the Underground, down two places to number three. C'mon the girls!! It justs shows the boys who had the better song!!!!

13/01/03 - Cheryl is no racist

Pop star Cheryl Tweedy last night said she was "shocked and horrified" by allegations that she was a racist.
The 19-year-old, of Heaton, Newcastle, a member of chart-topping pop band Girls Aloud, was tearful as she spoke for the first time about the nightclub bust-up which led to her being arrested and held in police cells for 10 hours at the weekend.
The singer, who beat thousands of hopefuls to win a place in the band formed by the ITV series Popstars: The Rivals, was accused of punching 39-year-old black law student Sophie Amogbokpa, who was working as a toilet attendant at The Drink nightclub in Guildford, Surrey, last Friday. Cheryl denied having made racist remarks during the row. She said: "I only acted in self defence because I was hit first and I struck her back.
"I admit that I may have called her a bitch in the heat of the moment but I never made any racist comments to her at all. I am really distraught that people are accusing me of racism - it couldn't be further from the truth. Throughout the Popstars: The Rivals series Javine was my closest friend. That could never have been the case if I was racist; it is a ridiculous suggestion."
The incident happened after Cheryl and fellow band member Nicola Roberts went to the club at the end of a day in a studio where they had been recording for a debut album.
Reports suggested Ms Amogbokpa was taken to Royal Surrey County Hospital for treatment to an eye injury.
After being held by police for 10 hours, Cheryl was released on bail on Saturday morning - and quickly called her mother Joan Callaghan, 43, who leapt to her daughter's defence last night. She said: "Cheryl is devastated. She is so upset and worried about her future. What has really devastated her and me are the accusations that she is a racist. It is a terrible slur on her and it simply isn't true.
"There is no doubt she has been involved in an incident but she told me it was in self defence and I believe her. She said this woman hit her and she retaliated, as anyone might have in the same situation."
Ms Amogbokpa told a national newspaper: "I was shocked. I don't care how many number ones she's had, if she was nobody she shouldn't have said those things to me or hit me. I had done nothing to her and whoever gives me an eye like this should be punished."
Cheryl managed to put the incident aside to fulfil a live appearance with her bandmates for the return of fellow North-Easterners, Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway on ITV1 on Saturday.
The incident will provide the band with their first real taste of negative publicity since the final line-up was announced live on the ITV1 show at the beginning of December. Girls Aloud - made up of Cheryl, Nicola, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding and Kimberley Walsh - were crowned the queens of the show when they beat the boy band One True Voice in the race for Christmas No.1 with their single The Sound Of The Underground. The song is still at No.1 after four weeks.
Last night a Surrey Police spokeswoman said: "A 19-year-old woman was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault in the early hours of Saturday morning. She has now been released on police bail pending further inquiries."
Mrs Callaghan said: "Cheryl is a young, quiet, sensitive girl who has never been in any trouble in her life. I can't imagine her starting a fight. There is nothing Cheryl likes more than going out dancing. She came back to Newcastle for two weeks over Christmas and we went clubbing together. Since the band formed and the single released it has been like a whirlwind but there has been jealousy towards the girls. She has had the time of her life and she has made us all so proud. Now this has come along and shattered us all."
A spokesman for Polydor Records said: "Cheryl obviously deeply regrets getting into the fight but when the terminology that she was supposed to have used came out yesterday she was shocked and absolutely distraught."
He said legal action was being considered after the claims of racism in national newspapers.

13/01/03 - One month at the top

Girls Aloud have retained the chart top spot for a fourth week. Yay!!
Sound Of The Underground beat strong competition from Electric Six, to stay number one. The Electric Six, are at number two with Danger High Voltage, while Eminem is at three with Lose Yourself. Daniel Bedingfield is at four with If You're Not The One and Divine Inspiration make up the top five with The Way (Put Your Hand In My Hand). One True Voice slide all the way to number nine. ha ha

13/01/03 - Another number one

Girls Aloud have managed to garb another number one. The girlband formed on the 'Popstars: The Rivals' TV show in the UK has ended Eminem's five week reign at the top of the Irish singles chart. After four weeks on release, Girls Aloud's 'Sound Of The Underground' rose from number two to take the top slot, knocking Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' back to two.

10/01/03 - Girls Aloud mime

GIRLS ALOUD cannot sing and dance at the same time, the boss of Top Of The Pops has revealed.
Chris Cowey says the Popstars: The Rivals winning girlband demanded they be allowed to mime for TOTPs Christmas Day special so they could concentrate on their simple routine. So they pre-recorded their No1 Sound Of The Underground while One True Voice the boys they beat on the telly star search performed live. Chris, who was stunned by the girls ultimatum, is now determined to make more bands sing live on his BBC1 show.
He says: We had a big debate about live bands when Girls Aloud mimed on our Christmas special though they were No1. The boys were nervous but they sang live, while the girls wanted to focus on their dance routines, so they didnt. We recorded the vocals in the afternoon. Then they mouthed the words so they could do their little dance, leaning over the microphones. I always ask acts to sing live. If people watching think artists are miming, then they can draw their own conclusions. It doesnt matter if they hit a few bum notes. I think fans appreciate live performances.
Viewers picked Cheryl Tweedy, Sarah Harding, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh to form Girls Aloud after hearing them sing live each week on Popstars. But a row kicked off when the lads claimed the girls were useless.
Keith Semple said: I dont think any of the girls can really sing, bar Nadine. They are backing singers dressed up in a sexy package.
Then The Sun revealed Sound Of The Underground was an old song by defunct girlband Orchid and that Girls Alouds vocals had simply been put over the top of the original.
Chriss claims are bound to fuel the bust-up although Girls Aloud are due to sing Stay Another Day live on tonights show. He believes the girls, at No1 for a third week, beat the boys because their manager, Pete Waterman, picked the wrong song in Sacred Trust.
Chris adds: The girls choice was a better pop song. It was a typical daft Pete Waterman idea to do a Bee Gees cover. It was the wrong showcase for their obvious talents. Chris says he may force bands to sing live on TOTP if fans agree.
He explains: I want to spring clean the show this year. Its the most popular music show in the country and its got great bands performing on it. I have had some ideas about presenters and changing what bands do. I would be interested to know if people want bands to play live. If viewers think it is a big deal then I am happy to do something about it. I dont believe in being a complete fascist so in the past I havent deprived the nation of bands like Five, who never sang live on the show. The Spice Girls didnt either.
Chris also blasted bosses of TV talent shows such as Popstars and Fame Academy for exploiting young singers. He said: I feel a little bit sorry for the youngsters who are in them. They get abuse from judges or managers who just treat it like a business. Sadly a lot of people involved dont care about the kids careers its just a money-making exercise. But thats life, thats television.

06/01/03 - Aloud to sing Hear'say track?

It is rumoured that Girls Aloud's next single will be a track called, If You Wanna Roll, as Kimberley revealed on yesterdays Top 40 countdown with Dr. Fox.
Shockingly, a track with the same name was originally recorded by Hear'say, the winners of the first Popstars series. This was planned as Hear'Says next release, but never hit the shops due to their split. I heard the track yesterday when the girls sung it on air and it sounded pretty good to me, it is abit slower than SOTU but it sounds great!

05/01/03 - Girls top for third week

Girls Aloud have made it for the third week as the uk's official number one and the first number one for 2003. It was announced on the uk top 40 just before 7pm tonight. Dr Fox (who presents the show), spoke to Kimberley who said that they were all back to together getting ready to record their debut album. Dr Fox also spoke to Sarah who was very bubbly which indicates that she has not had a breakdown!! Anyway hopefully the girls can make it a whole month at the number one position!!

04/01/03 - Girls New Years resolutions

CD:UK today asked the members Girls Aloud what there New Years Resolution were going to be.
Cheryl replied: "To get up in the morning when Im shouted and not laze about in bed for so long."
Nadine, Sarah, and Nicola all said: "To start as I mean to go on."
Kimberley: "To go to the gym."

03/01/03 - 'Not Aloud to be lazy'

It has been reported in 'The Sun' today that NADINE COYLE was told to get her act together or she will be out of the TV shows winning girl band.

'Gorgeous brunette Nadine was given her official warning by boss LOUIS WALSH for continually oversleeping and keeping the rest of the band waiting for interviews and personal appearances. He is furious at her unprofessionalism and lack of respect for the rest of the band, Sarah, CHERYL TWEEDY, NICOLA ROBERTS and KIMBERLEY WALSH.' Here at the Kimberley Walsh fansite we believe that none of this article has a slight piece of truth in it. Whether or not it is true it is the music we are listening to, not their personal lives. 'The Sun' are just trying to ruin the girls, all they want is the girls to split up so that they have more articles to publish, we all know that the girls are much stronger than that and whatever happens we will always support them. To see the full article click here.

December

29/12/02 - Girls still on top

Girls Aloud have clung on to their Christmas number one for a second week as rivals boy band One True Voice drop a place to number three. (It just shows that the Girls are better!!)
The Cheeky Girls are in between the two rivals going up a place to number two, beating the boys!! haha

But despite accusations of not actually singing on their track 'Sound of the Underground', Girls Aloud - Nicola Roberts, Nadine Coyle, Kimberly Walsh, Sarah Harding, and Cheryl Tweedy - are a very much expected hit. Girls Aloud and One True Voice were manufactured for the ITV1 show specifically to compete for the Christmas number one. Lets hope that the girls can stay on top for a third week, C'mon the girls.

27/12/02 - Girls Aloud Manager dies

The members of Girls Aloud had some shocking news today that they didn't want over christmas. Chart-topping pop group Girls Aloud were "shocked and upset" after their tour manager was killed in a Christmas Day road smash. John McMahon died after the vehicle he was driving crashed near Stafford. Mr McMahon was one of the team which helped propel the Popstars: The Rivals quintet to the top of the charts. In a statement, the band's record label Polydor said: "On behalf of the girls and Polydor, we are truly shocked and upset by the tragic loss of someone we all adored and loved. Our thoughts are with John's family".

22/12/02 - Girls Aloud are the queens of pop

The christmas number one was finally declared tonight. The girls has a massive lead from the boys seeling way over 75,000 more copies than the boys. The Girls took the news really well and they were all totally excited. The boys just stood there in shock. It just shows that the girls really are better than the boys. C'mon the girls!!

The boys and girls finished the show by singing a christmas number with the rest of the popstar finalists, ahhh.

21/12/02 - Saturday chart christmas number one

The girls are on their way to beating the boys. With only one more day to go until the christmas chart is finally announced the Girls already have a number one under their belts. It was announed on CD:UK this morning that the christmas number one for 2002 was the girls. The boys came a mere second, ha ha. On a viewers pole also on television this morning on The Saturday Show the boys came 3rd and the girls came second. We will soon see tomorrow that the girls are better than the boys when they offically recieve christmas number one.

16/12/02 - The single is finally here

After and long and hard wait the GIRLS ALOUD first single is finally here in the shops. The cd includes 'Sounds of the underground' and 'Stay another day'. They are both brilliant songs and I know they will get to number one on sunday. Good luck girls.

14/12/02 - Girls at G.A.Y

Both One True Voice and Girls Aloud made their live debuts in London at the weekend. The bands performed at London's famous G.A.Y nightclub. The boys were expected to bring the house down. However according to the Daily Star the opposite happened with the girls receiving the biggest cheers of the night. Yay!!

As the girls took the stage the sell-out crowd of 2000 people chanted, "Number One! Number One!" At one point the chanting was so loud the girls were nearly drowned out by the audience. They performed both songs on their new single, 'Sound Of The Underground' and 'Stay Another Day'.

After the show Louis Walsh said: "I think you'll find it's round one to the girls." The club's promoter Jeremy Joseph echoed his comments. He said: "The girls walked it. Before the gig the general vibe was that most of the crowds had come down to see the boys. But after Girls Aloud's amazing stage show everyone seemed to change their minds and said they were backing the girls." Keep it up girls!!

12/12/02 - Pre-sales for GIRLS ALOUD

The amount of pre-sales on both singles so far will guarantee the bands will be at either number 1 or number 2.
Amazon sales rankings have the boys at number 388 with their one CD. The girls are at numbers 532 and 466. This means that the girls have fantastic amounts of orders in both singles, with the boys getting sales on only one CD. This is great for the girls.
An insider from HMV said, "At this rate Girls Aloud will be number one. We have had a considerably higher number of orders for their debut track."
Buy Girls, Bye Boys!

12/12/02 - Number 1 on The Box

Well done to the girls, their video, 'Sounds of the underground' is number 1 one The Box music channel. Lets see if we can make it number 1 single as well!!!

12/12/02 - Girls on track to win

Girls Aloud are on course to win the all-important Christmas chart battle with the boys. Girls Aloud and One True Voice are going head-to-head for the festive chart-topper this year - and the girls have the edge. I always knew they would!!
When the groups were first announced, pop experts predicted the boys would easily win. This was because girl fans buy loads of records. (Not every girl, I ain't buying theirs!!) But now the tables are turning.

The rivals songs were put on cable TV channel, The Box, last week, and fans were asked to vote to see their fave. A huge 61 per cent of viewers are voting for the Girls Aloud song, 'Sound of the Underground'. 'After You're Gone' by One True Voice grabbed 21 per cent, and their double A side, 'Sacred Trust' got just 17 per cent, how pathetic!!
Girls Aloud manager, Louis Walsh, who also looks after Westlife, said: "This is war and we're gonna win!"

10/12/02 - Changing odds

The Girls are now favourites to win in numerous bookmakers. Even though, One True Voice, are still leading the way in most top bookies - Girls Aloud's odds are being slashed on a daily basis! The best odds for Girls Aloud are currently 4/5, with the boys being 9/4 - however this could all change by tomorrow with gamblers dashing to place bets on Nadine's band. Meanwhile the girls are winning almost every poll you can think of, from the Official Popstars poll to the phone voting on small radio stations such as FireTime FM! Good luck girls!

10/12/02 - Gearing up for number one race

The band's double A-side "Stay another day/ Sound of the Underground" will hit shops on Monday of next week and advance orders of the single are said to be extremely high.
Girls Aloud performed the single live for the first time on Saturday night when Popstars- The Rivals reached its climax on ITV.

The girls, who are being managed by Louis Walsh, will be up against Pete Waterman's male vocal harmony group One True Voice and their slushy ballad "Sacred Trust" for the coveted number one spot.

On Saturday night, both bands performed on the same stage while judges Pete Waterman, Louis Walsh and Geri Halliwell watched on.
Derry's 17-year-old Nadine once again wowed the audience with her breathtaking rendition of the Sting/ Eva Cassidy classic "Fields of Gold", before joining her fellow bandmates, Cheryl, Sarah, Nicola and Kimberley to sing both sides of their forthcoming single.