Sugababes and Groove Armada

The very name ‘Sugababes’ probably means different things to different people, depending on how old you are; they’ve undergone so many lineup changes these past few years that they make The Smashing Pumpkins look stable. The present lineup, in fact, contains precisely zero original members; Heidi Range is the closest thing they have to a stalwart, at over a decade in the group, but Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen are both relatively recent additions. To make things even more confusing, the very first iteration of the band - comprising Siobhan Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan - have gotten back together, too, under the inventive banner of Mutya Keisha Siobhan. The current Sugababes are currently on hiatus, with their only record between them, Sweet 7, meeting with an unfavourable response both critically and commercially. Should they choose to regroup, though, the one thing they will have on their side is a formidable back catalogue; one of the strongest in recent British pop history, in fact, with the likes of ‘Freak Like Me’ and ‘Too Lost in You’ only sounding better as the years roll by; the mark of a genuinely excellent commercial pop song. In an ever more fickle scene, though, they’d be well-advised not to leave it too long; irrespective of which version of the group they’re most used to, the public forget alarmingly quickly these days.

With almost twenty years in the business now firmly under their belts, Groove Armada are now officially veterans in the UK electronic scene, to be filed alongside the likes of Fatboy Slim and Massive Attack as part of an old guard that continue to surprise and impress and the years roll by. They’ve often threatened a genuine mainstream crossover, without every quite managing it - number eight as is high a singles chart position as they’ve managed, with 2007’s superb ‘Song 4 Mutya’ - but with the likes of ‘I See You Baby’, ‘Superstylin’ and ‘Get Down’, they’ve certainly cemented a place in the British public consciousness. Their glowing reputation is down in no small part to their thrilling live shows; on their most recent UK jaunt, they performed in front of a giant screen broadcasting complex visuals to the crowd, whilst reworking the classics with a live band and bringing a host of guest vocalists into the fray. Stylistically, you’d struggle to find a more diverse gig than a Groove Armada one; they range from downbeat trip hop and electro to their signature big beat cuts and tracks that touch upon the niche likes of dub, reggae and disco. The inclusion of a full live band is key to properly translating the London duo’s vision; with a new EP, Pork Soda, due this year, we can only hope there’ll be a tour to go with it.