Live at the Marquee review: Sweet treat for Sugababes fans
The 2024 season of Live at the Marquee, its first in a new venue, was kicked off tonight by British pop group Sugababes.
While it’s only just getting started, there’s already a clear theme emerging for this year’s Live at the Marquee season: One of embracing change.
Now in its 17th year, this summer’s festival is the first in the Marquee’s brand new home in the former Tedcastle’s Yard.
And while the new venue is just a stone’s throw away from its previous location across the road, the difference the move has made feels vast.
The changes to the Marquee are clear to see wherever you look in the new site.
The large cabin-like sheltered Rockshore bar is among the very welcome new additions, though the equally large queues for it are not.
There’s plenty more open space available for gig-goers to enjoy a pint or food before heading into the show, which will hopefully come in handy for the sunnier Marquee dates in the coming weeks.
With so much change happening around the iconic blue and yellow tent, it’s only fitting that it is British pop group Sugababes who are christening its new home and kicking off this year’s Live at the Marquee season.
The members have weathered countless tumultuous changes over the years, with even diehard fans struggling to keep track of the group’s line-up at certain points.
It’s the original three founding members of the girl group, however, that comprise the Sugababes these days; Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhan Donaghy.
This trio started the group back in 1998, and while it’s easy to forget just how many hit songs they’ve had since then, they do a hell of a job reminding their Irish fans of just that with this jampacked Marquee set.
From the moment they open with ‘Freak Like Me’, the audience is up on its feet, dancing and screaming along to every word.
It’s worth noting that they’ve already been warmed up to great effect by fun-loving DJ Stevie G, who earlier played a mix of floor fillers from Pitbull and Sophie Ellis Bextor.
The strong start is followed by undeniably catchy hits such as ‘Red Dress’, ‘Ugly’ and ‘Hole in the Head’.
The unbeatable highlight of the night, however, is a stirring performance of ‘Too Lost in You’, the biggest ballad in their discography that showcases some of the best of their individual vocals.
Overall, the Sugababes deliver a sweet treat, if bogged down at times by sound quality issues where the three girls’ mics seem to be at wildly different volumes.
- Live at the Marquee continues until June 25, with Christy Moore, Van Morrison, and Bryan Adams among the acts appearing.
