Mis-Teeq @ Wembley OVO Arena (12.09.26)

A Trip Down Memory Lane: Mis-Teeq Had Everyone Dancing Their Cares Away at OVO Arena Wembley — Celebrating UK Garage

Saturday night was a trip down memory lane for garage lovers. A night filled with nostalgia, with Damage opening the show alongside two women who were making their mark on the UK garage and R&B scene at the time, Egypt and Kele Le Roc, before the legendary Mis-Teeq took to the stage. Even mid-set, the throwbacks kept coming, garage legend Nay Nay popped up during an interlude to perform her hit 'Body Move.'

At a time when UK garage was largely driven by male DJs and MCs, Egypt, Kele Le Roc and Mis-Teeq weren't just part of the sound of the era, they helped shape what it looked and sounded like.

A bit of history: Wordplay was founded in 2002 by hip hop and graffiti enthusiasts to champion underground street culture, before its focus grew to take in UK rap, jazz, soul and the lifestyle movements around them. Mis-Teeq formed just a few years before that, in 1999, releasing their debut single Why? in January 2001, followed later that year by their double-platinum debut album, Lickin' on Both Sides. Both Wordplay and Mis-Teeq have stood the test of time, continuing to tell and shape stories around the culture decades later. That says something about the importance of documenting culture properly, then and now. That's exactly why it was important to write this review for Wordplay. 

I attended the show with my eldest sister, who introduced me to the group when I was young and grew up on their music. It was great to see how they told the story of both albums throughout the night. It also says something that they've only ever released two albums, yet created, and are still creating, such a major impact; that's something that can only be said for a few artists.

The ladies certainly were out in style, hair on point, makeup glowing and outfits on theme. It was clear to see the effort that had gone into the production, from their amazing band which included long time musical director Donavon Hepburn on drums, to the support of both their OG and new dancer killing it with flawless routines, to Manny Norté being the best host and DJ. 

A highlight for me had to be, of course, seeing Alesha Dixon MC. She's a beast with the mic and, to me, will always be one of the baddest MCs in the game. Sabrina Washington's lead vocals were just as smooth and soulful live as they are on record, and it’s no understatement that she carry’s most of the group's biggest hooks. To be able to still do this 22 years later is no easy feat, and the group proved they still have what it takes to deliver live. And I can’t forget Su-Elise Nash's harmonies, often the quieter part of the mix, but she ties the whole sound together for me. The love she evoked alone in the room through her smile is a memory i’ll forever keep. Something else to note is that Donovan Hepburn helped the band to re-record all of their music for this show, when they couldn’t find their masters. Alesha shared this info on stage, which just shows the effort that went into putting the show together.

Some of the songs I loved on the night were All I Want, B With Me, Stamp Reject and All in One Day. All of which sounded incredible live. But the ones I really want to talk about are Roll On, Just for You, Why? and Scandalous.

Roll On, My favourite song of the night! It’s hard to believe the song is 25 years old; it sounds like it was made yesterday. A timeless song, and that’s exactly how their performance felt. For a few minutes I got totally lost in the song and couldn’t drop smiling as I watched them perform it.

What’s also great about the track is how relatable the lyrics are: a song about enjoying life, forgetting the troubles of everyday life and just zoning out in the moment. We’ve all had those weeks where, as the lyrics put it, “It’s been a long week and we’ve been working our booties off / Sometimes it all gets to you and it’s just too much.” And that’s exactly what we all did in that room when it played. The speakers were definitely turned all the way up, people were grabbing their boos, and we were all rolling on.

Just for You, One of their more understated songs. The lyrics focus on staying strong, ignoring doubters, and moving with quiet self-assurance.

"Bad gyals move in silence."

They put a slight spin on the track to reflect where they are now in life, but the core message still remained the same. Alesha took the lead here, mostly rapping through the verses with real strength and presence — and hearing her carry it felt like a full-circle moment, a marker of the growth they've each had individually and as a group over the years. Fittingly, given the title, it's also a dedicated shout-out and expression of love to the Mis-Teeq supporters, sisterhood, and community who have held it down for them. What I loved about hearing this song live was that I could picture it as one of those perfect pirate radio records back in the day — the perfect energy for that late-night listen. And that's exactly what I did after the show: replayed it on the drive home.

Why?, A garage classic. It's hard not to love this song, and hearing it live felt surreal. The gratitude from the ladies was sweet to witness, as Alesha thanked David Brant for writing the song for them, and Louise Porter for helping to put the group together.

"She's got blue hair, yuh can't miss her." — Alesha

What made this moment even more special was that the ladies brought out the original fourth member of the group, Zena McNally, to perform it with them. Definitely shed a tear as you could see how important this moment was for them all.

They sang the original slow R&B version, and you could really feel the love in the room. Seeing Sabrina and Su-Elise get emotional was a genuinely touching moment. 

"We've always been so close together. Doing things that only best friends do."

What I loved about this moment was the energy in the room — not just lovers, but friends and family embracing, singing the words back to each other.

They then kicked up the pace with the 'Why?' garage remix. Alesha also thanked everyone for how well the remix had been received back in the day, since it was the song that propelled them into the mainstream.

It must have also been surreal for Zena, stepping back in to sing with the group again — performing to a 12,500-capacity crowd. So the fact that the ladies gave her this moment was selfless. A priceless memory money could not buy.

Scandalous, This was the last song Mis-Teeq performed on the night. It is arguably their most famous song, produced by StarGate, which peaked at number two in the UK on its release in March 2003, before crossing over to the US the following year and landing on the Billboard Hot 100. It remains their most-streamed track to this day. 

Hearing it live, you really understand why it did so well. It’s sexy, confident and empowering, with the girls singing about being valued and knowing your worth: “You’re so special, you’re like diamonds and pearls…” before declaring, “and you come to rock my world.” And they really did rock people’s worlds when the song was first released — and they were doing it all over again at the OVO Arena Wembley. Cameras were out, people were singing every word and the crowd was completely caught up in the moment. There was something about hearing that familiar beat through the speakers and watching the whole room respond to it that reminded you just how powerful the record still is. 

Nights like this are about more than nostalgia. Seeing garage brought back for a sold-out crowd at the 12,500-capacity OVO Arena Wembley says something about how much this music, and the women who helped shape it, still matter. It's a night of culture in every sense, friends, family and strangers all in one room, singing every word back. And that's exactly why nights like this matter: they bring people together, build community, and pass this music down to a generation who weren't even around to hear it the first time.

Words: Kanika Phillip