It is a testament to Girls Aloud's wide appeal that this, their second night at London's O2 Arena, should see such a variety of people turning out to see the most successful girl group in British pop history; young and old, male and female; it doesn't matter when a pop show is done this well. This is yet another arena tour for them, and a showcase this time for their 'Tangled Up' album, again made in collaboration with pop hit factory Xenomania.

Beginning with the girls slowly lowered down on wires (ok, not exactly original, but hey), they eventually kick off the show with 'Sexy! No No No', the opening single from the new album. A rousing start is quickly improved upon with a stand out track from 'Tangled Up', 'Girl Overboard' - a mid-ninties house style number which is pretty adventurous from the group who covered the Pointer Sisters' 'Jump' not so long ago (a track which, surprisingly, is still given a regular outing). The new album features heavily throughout the night (which is a good thing since it is their career highlight to date), although the crowd seem to respond less well to the new material than the old favourites; surprising since the album has been out for several months.

New tracks are spliced with a string of hit singles, however (so many, in fact, that there is no room for 'The Show' on the set list), and the girls take it in turns to chat to the crowd; Cheryl informs us in her geordie brogue that "It's DVD nayte to-nayte people!". Pop classics 'Love Machine' and 'Biology' are predictably well received, but a clattering, percussive heavy rendition of new song 'Black Jacks' is the highlight of the show's first third.

A costume change later and it's on to the ballad section, and a nicely arranged and excellently performed cover of Robyn's 'With Every Heartbeat', a song previously covered on Radio One's Live Lounge programme. It is clear, however, that slower numbers are not the group's strong point (not because of a lack of ability to carry them, but simply because Girls Aloud are at their best when getting a crowd to dance), so the final part of the show is welcomed with open arms as it marks a return to the up-tempo tracks. Three final covers frame new and old tracks, including new album highlight 'Fling' and possible future single 'Control Of The Knife', which is briefly segued into Kelis' 'Trick Me'; it's impossible not to read into the fact that it's sung by Cheryl.

One final costume change into day-glo new rave outfits heralds the last track of the evening - crowd favourite 'Something Kinda Ooh' - and the show is over for the night. This was a pop show of the highest order, something that is now expected of them given their recent recorded output, and perhaps the only downside was the decision to include the relatively obvious 'Jump' instead of any of a host of tracks from the excellent 2006 'Chemistry' album; only two selections from the latter record were performed all night. However, with a show so well polished and performed, coupled with the undeniable charisma of the group, it does not significantly detract from what is essentially a platform to demonstrate the way pop music should be written and performed in the 21st century.

It is a testament to Girls Aloud's wide appeal that this, their second night at London's O2 Arena, should see such a variety of people turning out to see the most successful girl group in British pop history; young and old, male and female; it doesn't matter when a pop show is done this well. This is yet another arena tour for them, and a showcase this time for their 'Tangled Up' album, again made in collaboration with pop hit factory Xenomania.

Beginning with the girls slowly lowered down on wires (ok, not exactly original, but hey), they eventually kick off the show with 'Sexy! No No No', the opening single from the new album. A rousing start is quickly improved upon with a stand out track from 'Tangled Up', 'Girl Overboard' - a mid-ninties house style number which is pretty adventurous from the group who covered the Pointer Sisters' 'Jump' not so long ago (a track which, surprisingly, is still given a regular outing). The new album features heavily throughout the night (which is a good thing since it is their career highlight to date), although the crowd seem to respond less well to the new material than the old favourites; surprising since the album has been out for several months.

New tracks are spliced with a string of hit singles, however (so many, in fact, that there is no room for 'The Show' on the set list), and the girls take it in turns to chat to the crowd; Cheryl informs us in her geordie brogue that "It's DVD nayte to-nayte people!". Pop classics 'Love Machine' and 'Biology' are predictably well received, but a clattering, percussive heavy rendition of new song 'Black Jacks' is the highlight of the show's first third.

A costume change later and it's on to the ballad section, and a nicely arranged and excellently performed cover of Robyn's 'With Every Heartbeat', a song previously covered on Radio One's Live Lounge programme. It is clear, however, that slower numbers are not the group's strong point (not because of a lack of ability to carry them, but simply because Girls Aloud are at their best when getting a crowd to dance), so the final part of the show is welcomed with open arms as it marks a return to the up-tempo tracks. Three final covers frame new and old tracks, including new album highlight 'Fling' and possible future single 'Control Of The Knife', which is briefly segued into Kelis' 'Trick Me'; it's impossible not to read into the fact that it's sung by Cheryl.

One final costume change into day-glo new rave outfits heralds the last track of the evening - crowd favourite 'Something Kinda Ooh' - and the show is over for the night. This was a pop show of the highest order, something that is now expected of them given their recent recorded output, and perhaps the only downside was the decision to include the relatively obvious 'Jump' instead of any of a host of tracks from the excellent 2006 'Chemistry' album; only two selections from the latter record were performed all night. However, with a show so well polished and performed, coupled with the undeniable charisma of the group, it does not significantly detract from what is essentially a platform to demonstrate the way pop music should be written and performed in the 21st century.