The Pussycat Dolls
at the NEC Arena
Review by Rhona Ganguly

The Pussycat Dolls, or PCD, have been attacked in the past for their raunchy image, and sound, with lyrics such as "loosen up my buttons" and "don’t you wish your girlfriend was hot like me".

But looking around the NEC, it appeared that the thousands of women and young girls, who made up most of the audience, had not taken offence. In fact it is hard to criticise Nicole, Ashley, Carmit, Jessica, Kimberley and Melody, because it is obvious that it is not only their sex appeal that has sold records.

This was no simple concert but a performance combining flawless vocals, catchy songs including their hits Stickwitu and Don’t Cha, and impressive choreography, all while dancing in stilettos. Yes there were raunchy costumes but they seemed relatively toned down. As lead singer Nicole Scherzinger put it, "We do sexy, but we are classy".

However, their raunchiness seemed to have had an impact on supporting artist Rihanna, who danced around in black PVC hotpants. The 18-year-old from Barbados has seen a surge in popularity since releasing her debut single Pon de Replay in 2005 and proved she was a popular artist in her own right.

But it is a shame that her relatively short time in the States has meant she has been stripped of what was once unique about her. Where Caribbean beats are now all the rage across the pond, an actual West Indian has started to blend in with all of the other R&B American artists and her Bajan accent is long gone – replaced with a sometimes over-the-top American one.

The PCD concert brought back memories of the Spice Girls’ girl power era as each singer spoke to the audience addressing "all the little Pussycat Dolls out there", encouraging them to follow their dreams and always believe in themselves.

But their girl power motto seemed less in your face and more enjoyable than the British version.