Girls Aloud were well on their way to superstardom when pop hysteria took hold at Kirkcaldy’s Mercat Shopping Centre in 2005.
They officially opened a new HMV store in the Lang Toun.
Only a handful of the images were published in the following day’s paper and many of these photographs have been freshly unearthed from our archives.
They transport us back to the early noughties and have been published to mark 22 years since Girls Aloud were formed on November 30 2002.
Does that make you feel old?
How did Girls Aloud form?
There’s no doubt 2002 was the year pop went crazy.
We had Pop Idols, Pop Rivals and the kids from Fame Academy.
You could hardly move for wannabe pop stars and premium rate phone numbers.
Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle, Cheryl Tweedy, Sarah Harding and Nicola Roberts made the final five in Popstars: The Rivals to be part of Girls Aloud.
One True Voice were manufactured at the same time.
The girls saw off competition from the boy band to land the Christmas Number 1 spot with Sound of the Underground, which started a meteoric rise to fame.
Girls Aloud became the success story of the reality-show generation.
The Sound of the Underground album debuted at Number 1 and was later certified platinum with singles including No Good Advice and Life Got Cold.
What Will The Neighbours Say? followed in November 2004 and included Love Machine and The Show which both made Number 1 in the singles chart.
The girls also recorded the Children in Need anthem.
They were one of the most successful girl bands in chart history when they arrived at the Mercat Shopping Centre in December 2005.
Girls Aloud were on a whistle-stop tour to promote third album Chemistry.
After opening HMV they would sign autographs and meet fans.
The store was giving away 400 wristbands to gain access to the official opening.
One pair per customer with a first-come-first-served policy.
Nipper the dog joined the ribbon cutting
Girls Aloud fans queued for hours to get a wristband.
Some youngsters skipped school.
Kingdom FM DJs entertained the fans from 10.30am.
Security was tight for the visit.
Girls Aloud arrived at 12.30pm.
The Mercat Shopping Centre was teeming with people and the deafening scream that erupted wouldn’t have sounded out of place at a pop concert.
Good luck to anyone who was looking to shop at Clinton Cards or Superdrug.
There was literally no room to move.
Girls Aloud members Kimberley, Nadine, Cheryl, Sarah and Nicola were joined by store manager Joan Davidson and a Jack Russell terrier when they cut the ribbon.
Nipper the dog was the HMV mascot.
Girls Aloud spoke to The Courier in 2005
Kimberley, Nadine, Cheryl, Sarah and Nicola were leaving the girl-next-door image behind with an edgier look and sound for the new album.
They suggested Chemistry marked a major departure for the band.
Kimberley said: “I think it’s always difficult because we always want to try and better what we’ve already done.
“This album’s a bit more mature for us but we hope the fans like it.”
Biology received widespread acclaim from music critics, with the title track being lauded and one review comparing the band to “prime-era Bananarama”.
High praise indeed.
“We’re really, really pleased with the album,” said Nadine.
“We think it’s the best one we’ve done so far.
“It’s great that we’ve had a good response from the critics but it’s always nice when you hear more of what the fans think.
“Their opinions are far more important.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing them all.”
Sarah Harding was a favourite on the day
Three-year-old Paige Allan from Kirkcaldy was first in line to meet the girls.
Paige was walking on a set of prosthetic legs after losing both hands and feet to meningitis when she was struck down at the age of 13 months.
Paige ran up to them and said: “Sarah’s my favourite!”
Sarah flashed a big smile.
They all did.
Sarah chatted away with Paige and really made her day.
Five-year-old Erin Graham was also at the head of the queue, accompanied by her parents Paul and Melissa and her stepmother Kirsty Williamson.
Erin suffered from a debilitating illness which left her in a wheelchair.
Kirsty said: “She responds well to music and lights and she absolutely loves Girls Aloud.
“It’s great that she’s getting the chance, as things like this don’t usually happen in Kirkcaldy.”
Babes in arms were among the 400 crowd at HMV.
Girls Aloud brought the house down.
What was on the shelves at HMV in 2005?
The band tried to make time for all their fans during the visit.
They signed autographs and Cheryl made a point of flashing her left hand around after getting engaged to footballer Ashley Cole during a camel ride in Dubai.
The band also posed for photographs during the visit on December 6 2005 and signed copies of the Chemistry album, which had gone on sale the day before.
Elsewhere on the shelves that week in HMV you could find the singles Because of You by Kelly Clarkson, Let There Be Love by Oasis and Hung Up by Madonna.
The Biology single was still in the Top 10 after being released on November 14.
They matched the record held by the Spice Girls for 10 consecutive Top 10 singles.
See the Day was the next single.
It would be released in the race for Christmas Number 1.
Were the girls hopeful of hitting the top spot?
Sarah said: “It would be nice to think we could do it again.
“It was great to do it first time round but whatever happens, we’ve had a great year and we’re looking forward to going home for Christmas and New Year.”
Nadine added: “There’s loads of good songs out there but we’ll give it a go.
“It’s been like that from day one.”
It was an unforgettable afternoon in Kirkcaldy.
After the event, the band rushed to Glasgow to open another store.
Sarah Harding passed away at just 39
HMV brought several other big names to the Kirkcaldy store, including Paolo Nutini performing in 2009 – although none were bigger than Girls Aloud.
The shop closed when HMV was forced into administration in January 2013.
HMV was rescued from collapse.
Nevertheless, the Kirkcaldy store was shuttered.
Girls Aloud became the most successful UK girl group of the century before eventually splitting in 2013 after a tour and album to mark a decade of hits.
There was a tragic footnote.
A second reunion was planned for their 20th anniversary when Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer and she succumbed to the disease in September 2021.
She was 39.
Girls Aloud reunited for a UK tour in 2024 to honour their late bandmate.
Sarah was remembered for her incredible singing voice and for being the force of nature who brought sunshine into the lives of the many people she met in her short life.
Just like she and the rest of Girls Aloud did in Kirkcaldy in 2005.
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