There was a lot riding on S Club 7’s 2015 Bring it all Back reunion tour. A rather rusty and slack performance on Children in Need last year left the public all rather apprehensive on the reunion of the spectacular seven. “Can Jo no longer sing?” “I’m not sure Paul can get down on the floor anymore.” “Do they not have a stylist?” You get the drift. Still, there was an air of excitement and a consistent buzz on social media for weeks in the aftermath of S Club 7’s first performance as  a seven-piece in twelve long years. Since their break up in 2003, S Club 7 have long been affiliated with nostalgia. They were an integral part of many’s childhoods, more so than anything could be to children today. They had their own TV show(s), documentaries, albums, tours etc. They were huge. And rightly so. What they lacked in credibility they made up for in fun. Every song was a hit (usually co-written by pop genius Cathy Dennis) and guaranteed to leave a huge smile on your face (except the ballads which could admittedly result in the odd tear…) S Club 7 were all that was good about the 90’s and noughties. They were the soundtrack to people’s childhoods, a pure reflection of joy and elation. No wonder, then, that demand to see them was so high for their reunion tour.

Fans needn’t have been worried about that Children in Need performance. It was evident that much hard work and intense rehearsals had taken place prior to the tour. Dance routines were slick and polished, harmonies were tight (admittedly aided by a little pre-recorded playback) and most importantly lead-singer Jo O’Meara has DEFINITELY still got it. Critics were quick to comment upon her shaky and flat vocal performance during the CIN extravaganza which O’Meara dismissed as nerves. Over the course of the tour, she more than proved she’s still got her powerhouse vocal, the backbone of all S Club 7 recordings.

The show opened with pulsing techno beats, more smoke than a sauna and six dancers in fluorescent clothing ostentatiously bouncing around the stage. “This is not a drill”, an assertive voice resonated into each corner of the 02 arena. A countdown from seven to zero with clips of the S Club 7 from their heyday climaxed with each member rising one by one from the inner depths of the stage. “7” album track “Bring the House Down” was a brave choice to begin a reunion concert with, considering it was never a single release but it was a wise choice. A common favourite of fans with tonnes of energy, it truly got the party in swing. From then on in, the group powered through their hits with more gusto than an 80’s workout video, sending the audience wild. Aside from minor weight gain and a few wrinkles, it was like no time had passed. Tina still did her thing, Jon is still looking for romance, Paul could just about get down on the floor, okay, you get it. “S Club Party” sent a rapture through the entire arena whilst “You’re My Number One’ had a slight musical makeover which dragged it from the 90’s more into euro-pop territory. “Love Ain’t Gonna Wait for You” was accompanied by a highly polished dance routine which went down a treat.

Unfortunately, the show dangerously lost its focus for a while. Each member performed a solo number, an unnecessary move that to many, was an excuse to nip to the bar or have a quick loo break. Tina Barrett’s performance of ‘Stronger’ (an S Club 7 album track from ‘Sunshine’) would have been fine if she had been accompanied by the other six members. Hanna Spearitt lip-synched her way through Paula Abdul’s 1988 hit ‘Straight Up’ whilst Bradley McIntosh ‘DJ’ed’ a mixture of throwback S Club songs. They were far from bad performances, just rather baffling to fans. Other solos were more successful however. Paul Cattermole’s solo version of ‘Reach’ in which he accompanied himself with an acoustic guitar, began slightly apprehensively but soon won fans over and was a beautiful moment in the show. Jon Lee and Jo O’Meara, by far the strongest vocally in the group, performed old S Club 7 b-side ‘Hello Friend’. Their fantastic and incredibly underrated vocal abilities were really showcased and their voices blended effortlessly with each other. Rachel Stevens performed a mash-up of two of her massive solo hits – ‘Some Girls’ and ‘Sweet dreams my LA ex’, again, a welcome addition to the show. It does feel a little like the inclusion of all other members’ solos were squeezed in to justify Stevens’ solo segment, however. It’s most likely most S Club 7 fans would rather them have been replaced with other S Club material. There was a missed opportunity to perform “Show Me Your Colours”, an album track from ‘Sunshine’ and firm fan favourite. Even more disappointing when Stevens (soloist on the track) informed a fan it was originally on the setlist. Other material such as ‘Friday Night’, ‘Best Friend’, ‘Sunshine’, ‘Summertime Feeling’, ‘Let Me Sleep’ and ‘Gangsta Love’, the list of potential successes goes on.

That said, the solos are hardly worth of a complaint. The hits were all there and the running order worked well too. Fans went wild for biggest hits ‘S Club Party’, ‘Reach’, ‘Don’t Stop Movin’ and ‘Bring it all back’ and each of these songs were performed with as much energy and charisma as the first time around.  The ballads were some of the finest moments of the show, however. Of course, these too were more saccharine than a tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream but it’s easy to forget quite how beautiful they were. “Two in a Million” has to be one of the greatest and most underrated cheesy-pop love songs ever. “Say Goodbye” only served as a painful reminder to the group’s break up and was surprisingly rather poignant, resulting in the group standing on-stage to regain their composure and take-in the atmosphere for a couple of minutes before ploughing on. “Have You Ever”, easily one of the group’s best songs in their catalogue was a stunning moment in the show where O’Meara really showcased her incredible voice and the group’s harmonies formed a gorgeous wall of sound. “Never Had a Dream Come True”, the penultimate song, was also gorgeous but was gladly followed by the more up-tempo and less intense “Don’t Stop Movin’ to close the show.

Perhaps the most refreshing element of the show was the group’s genuine appreciation to be there. Of course, money is always a significant factor in groups reforming but with S Club 7, it was evident that they were overwhelmed by the response of their ever-loyal fans and were having a whale of a time onstage. This created an even more vibrant energy and atmosphere. There was also a much-valued acknowledgement of the fact their fanbase are all adults now, demonstrated in each member’s statement in the tour programme and enjoyable cover of ‘Uptown Funk’.

The only real fault in the show aside from the bizarre solos was the lack of a live band. Considering their past shows always featured a live band to accompany them, it felt a bit slap-dash, a bit Eurovision/X Factor, a shame when the production in general was so well constructed. Despite this, the show provided an evening of nostalgia, a time capsule back to the late 90’s where all of us twenty-somethings could become primary school children again. And if that doesn’t brighten up your life for just a moment or two, nothing will.

Rating: 4/5.