BIG GIG 2012
Almost 13,000
Guides aged 10 to 14 attended Girlguiding UK's BIG GIG on 31 March.
The audience at this girl-only event, which was held at
Birmingham’s LG Arena, were entertained by some of the best and
up-and-upcoming artists, including X Factor stars Olly
Murs and Alexandra Burke.
Girl band The Saturdays kicked things off with a bang, launching
into a performance of their biggest hits. Also performing were
hip-hop act Rizzle Kicks, who were welcomed onto the stage with
huge cheers, and X Factor winner Matt Cardle, whose
soaring melodies kept the crowd transfixed.
Rising stars Rita Ora and Conor Maynard got the crowd dancing
with their respective blends of urban and R'n'B music, and
folky acoustic performer Charlene Soraia, best known for her cover
of The Calling’s Wherever You Will Go, showcased her
guitar skills by performing without a backing band.
The show was closed by an energetic set from Olly Murs. Speaking
just before he went on stage, he said, ‘I’m very excited to be here
at the BIG GIG. I did the 2011 one – it was fantastic. It’s great
to be here. I’m looking forward to getting out there and
performing.’
The BIG GIG was presented by the record-breaking daredevil
television presenter Helen Skelton, who recently hit the headlines
for her 500-mile journey to the South Pole.
During the performance Girlguiding UK produced an
access-all-areas live blog featuring performance reviews and gossip
from the stars. The blog can be
viewed on the BIG GIG website under the ‘Live updates’ tab. The
Association also posted exclusive
backstage photographs and gossip on its official Twitter feed.