Sugababes

At this point the Sugababes have suffered more bust ups and inter-band bitchery than Destiny's Child, and with Keisha now the lone original member, it really is a testament to the pop wallop of their tunes that they have maintained their position as Britain’s premier girl group.*

I, for one, was unsure if newbie Amelle Blah-blah-blah would be able to fill the spiked heels of my favourite 'Babe, the formidable Mutya Bueno. She of the over-plucked brow arcing archly over a stare that can make balls shrivel to raisins. Live and on record, Mutya’s effortless husk grounded the warm warbling from Heidi and Keisha. Lucky, then, that her replacement’s vocal chords possess a similarly smoky allure, albeit minus her diva-tude. Indeed, from the appreciative shrieks that fill the Apollo, it seems Mutya’s legacy is fading fast.

Frozen and backlit behind sheer, white-fabric panels, like the Charlie's Angels of pop, the sight of their feminine silhouettes rachets up the anticipation before a note is sung. Fully-grown men squeal and tweens sporting pink bunny ears bop as an apocalyptic squall of synths and drums seer the air. As the curtains drop, and the three-piece rip into 'Round Round', even the accompanying fathers in the audience are captivated. While the girls grind the mic stands and stalk the stage flipping their volumised hair, ‘Freak Like Me’ still sounds as fresh and smutty as it did three years ago.

Although there is something slightly budget about the ‘Babes – the stage set looks like it’s made from the remains of Woolworths' Christmas clearance sale, their costume changes are unimpressive and the most choreography they can manage is crossing their legs at the same time – these girls can really belt it out. Midway through their set they sit coiled like coy kittens at the foot of an acoustic guitarist and effortlessly segue from the Sting-endorsed 'Shape' into their lighter-waving anthem of self-reliance and recovery, the peerless 'Stronger'. As their entwined harmonies soar up to the balcony you’d have to be (already) made of stone not to feel your nipples harden. You know, the way they do when a truly impressive live vocal bolts through your ears and runs the length of your entire body (don’t pretend it hasn’t happened to you).

From their debut single ‘Overload’ to ‘Hole In The Head’, to recent 45 ‘Push The Button’, it’s easy to forget how many platinum pop songs the revolving cast of Sugababes can call their own... until you hear them back to back, which is what makes tonight’s gig such a delight.

Will Amelle last the distance?

Will Keisha crack when Amelle and Heidi-ho start locking her out of their dressing room?

Will Mutya realise she’s made a catastrophic mistake and try and bump-off her replacement by thumping her on the head with a Moschino handbag?

Time will tell. Until then the best thing to do is sing along.

*Feel free to argue the relative merits of Girls Aloud.