Brian to write autobiography?

Brian McFadden has apparently threatened to unleash a war of words against ex-wife Kerry Katona.
The former Westlife singer is in talks with a ghost writer about writing his first autobiography and has vowed to reveal all about his relationship with the 27-year-old mother of his children.
The pair are currently embroiled in a custody battle over daughters Molly, six, and Lilly Sue, five, and have traded many insults in the papers.
Brian told New! magazine he has resisted writing a tell-all book until now but said: "I am pushed into a corner really and I have taken years of personal attacks. I don't care what the public believe but all I ask is that they give me this one chance."
The 28-year-old singer is engaged to Australian singer and former Neighbours star Delta Goodrem, 23, and hopes to win custody of his daughters.

Is McFadden really anti-gay?

Published: Today

BRIAN McFADDEN has sparked outrage by saying heterosexual men should not wear pink.
The ex-WESTLIFE star shocked listeners on a New Zealand radio show, saying: "If you are not gay, a man should not be wearing pink.

"Saying pink is a form of red is the same as saying homosexual is a form of male."

Understandable, gay rights activists have accused the singer of homophobia.

A local Auckland charity have spoken out, with Rainbow Youth co-ordinator Robert Marshall saying: "It's the sort of stuff that gets said every day in the schoolyard. A lot of young people are quite impressionable, and when they see celebrities saying stuff like that, they think it's OK to say it themselves."

Life without Brian ... Westlife

Meanwhile Brian revealed the moment he wanted to quit his former boyband was when they were asked to record a cover of BARRY MANILOW's Mandy.

The Irish singer announced his departure just months later and started making plans for a solo career.

He said: "We never got any respect as artists because we didn't write all the songs and we weren't a self-producing product. We were being controlled more like puppets than anything else."

But despite his fizzling career, he's the last one laughing having traded in KERRY KATONA for DELTA GOODREM.

.....

McFadden apologises for gay remarks
Wednesday, September 3 2008,

Brian McFadden has apologised for causing offence by claiming that only gay men should wear pink clothing.

The former Westlife singer said he was only having a "light-hearted conversation" on the radio when he made the comments and insisted that they were not meant to be taking seriously.

Speaking at UNICEF's Soccer Aid event, McFadden told DS: "I made the joke when I was on a radio station in New Zealand.

"Some woman rang in and said my husband wears pink. I was winding her up, saying, 'He must have a dark secret'. But then it got completely taken out of context.

"It went on every bloody gay website in the world and people called me homophobic. It's ridiculous!"

He continued: "It wasn't a big deal on the day, people were laughing. One person got offended, put it on a website and everyone jumps onboard.

"I apologise if I upset anybody, but it was supposed to be a light-hearted conversation."

Saturday, August 16 2008
McFadden reveals Westlife frustration

Brian McFadden realised that he wanted to quit Westlife when the group were asked to record a cover of Barry Manilow's 'Mandy', he has revealed.

The Irish singer announced his departure just months later and started making plans for a successful solo career.

"We never got any respect as artists because we didn't write all the songs and we weren't a self-producing product," McFadden explained. "We were being controlled more like puppets than anything else."

Speaking about 'Mandy', he continued: "They were formulating how to get a No.1 record. I wanted to write my own songs and sing my own music."

McFadden's debut solo song 'Real To Me' topped the UK singles chart in 2004. However, his album Irish Son and future single releases suffered as a result of the backlash surrounding his marriage split with Kerry Katona.

"That has shaped my career," he admitted. "Hero to villain literally in one weekend."

Brian has released his second album Set In Stone in Australia, where it has been a top five hit. The LP will hit shops in the UK next year.

brain mcfadden kids
molly & lilly

The new life of Brian

5/11/2008 1:00:00 AM
BACK in July, Irish musician Brian McFadden made an appearance on ABC1's music trivia comedy Spicks and Specks.

It wasn't his first time on the show, but for the many Australians tuned in, his tongue-in-cheek treatment of Guns N' Roses' Patience was significant.

The Irish boy-band superstar, who quit Westlife in 2004, flexed his sense of humour and further endeared himself to a country's people who tend not to pander to musicians who take themselves too seriously.

"That was just a bit of fun. We had a laugh," McFadden recalled before going on to explain the welcome embrace of Australians.

"It's been amazing. It makes you really feel at home you know, especially after the treatment I got in England with the press."

Formed in 1998, when McFadden was 18, Westlife stormed the UK charts with 14 number-one singles - the third-highest in UK history. Only Elvis Presley and The Beatles prevented Westlife from taking the top spots.

The UK boy bands of the era, such as Take That and Boyzone were pop-culture phenomenons. Spawned by the success of the Spice Girls, all-female groups like The Sugababes and Atomic Kitten were also created.

The "treatment" by the UK press McFadden referred to was part of the fallout after his 2002 marriage to Atomic Kitten's Kerry Katona ended in 2004, and his decision (also in 2004) to quit Westlife.

"To come to a new country and be so welcomed it's like a safe haven now for me Australia. It's like my safe place to go to."

His relationship with fellow musician and former Neighbours actor Delta Goodrem started after his split from Katona, but the UK press went with different stories and the accusations flew.

McFadden has since enjoyed an extended stay in Australia and his new album - made both in the UK and Sydney - reflected that.

"I've spent a lot more time than I expected to spend here," he said.

"I originally came over just to release my album here, maybe spend five or six weeks and do the album in the UK."

With his life splashed all over the media, it's hard not to read into the emotional, sometimes bitter, lyrics of his new album Set In Stone.

"All my songs are quite personal," McFadden answered when asked of his lyrics' autobiographical nature.

"I can't write any other way. I write songs and whatever comes out comes from the heart. I find it hard to manipulate a song with something I'm not really feeling.

"If I don't believe it how can anybody else believe it? I have to believe it first."

Goodrem has songwriting credits on Set In Stone and McFadden said working together again was a pleasure. They initially collaborated on Together We Are One which they wrote, along with Guy Chambers, for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

"We decided we worked well and we ended up writing a couple (of songs) for my album and doing half her album and I think that's how we are going to work for the future - do a lot together.

"Especially at the moment, being in different parts of the world all year. It gives us a chance to spend time together as well."

Goodrem has spent most of 2008 in the US while McFadden has happily carved out a niche for himself in Australia.

"I got here and had so much fun ... and ended up doing the football show. I just never really got a chance to leave," he laughed of the circumstances that led to him hosting Foxtel's Football Superstar.

With the first season in the bag he said he is in talks about doing a second.

"I didn't have any interest in doing TV presenting at the time ... and they said you get to play football everyday. And I was like `I'm in, I'm in!'," he laughed.

The 28 year old said he is not really longing for home because Australia reminds him of Ireland.

"The only thing that's different is the weather. The people in Australia are pretty similar to the Irish - the same kind of humour, fun-loving people."

On Set In Stone, Goodrem's father Dennis is included on McFadden's list of thankyous and he agreed when asked if his fiancee's dad wasn't the only one he felt he had to win over when he fell for Goodrem.

"I had a lot of things to prove when I got to Australia ... I'm doing my best to live up to her good name."

Brian McFadden will appear at Wrest Point Entertainment Centre, Hobart, November 14; and Launceston Country Club, Launceston, November 15.

McFadden 'dumps' Katona designer gear
Tuesday, January 2009,

Brian McFadden has revealed that he gave away all of Kerry Katona's clothes to his relatives.

The former Westlife singer admitted that he got rid of all of Katona's designer gear by giving it to members of his family.

"I invited all my sisters' friends and all my cousins around to the house and literally opened up the wardrobe and said, 'Have what you like'," he said on his Fox FM breakfast show.

"All my cousins, they live down in the country in Ireland so they live on farms and stuff, are all walking around small villages in Dolce & Gabbana dresses and Gucci shoes and the like.

"She [Katona] did not know, but she knows now."

McFadden recently denied claims that he will seek custody of his daughters

brain mcfadden - twisted (live)

McFadden signs up for TV role again
Former Westlife star Brian McFadden has signed up to present a second series of the Australian reality television show 'Football Superstar'.

According to TV Tonight, the singer will co-host the show with Lee Furlong later in the year.

McFadden previously hosted the Fox8 programme last June.

AdvertisementSpeaking about the show, he said: "I had an absolute blast filming the first series and am really excited to be back at the helm again."

"We uncovered some serious talent in season one which is testament to the growing popularity of football in Australia. I can't wait to see who we discover this year."

McFadden is set to marry his long-term girlfriend, singer Deltra Goodrem, next Christmas.

Delta and Brian call wedding off

May 24, 2009 12:00am

SINGERS Delta Goodrem and Brian McFadden have put off their Christmas wedding, but have insisted their relationship isn't onthe rocks.

McFadden told The Sunday Telegraph he was still madly in love with Goodrem, but simply too busy to walk down the aisle.

Gallery: The many faces of Delta Goodrem

"We were sitting down to try to organise the wedding and we were thinking, `We're never going to get this wedding organised by Christmas','' said McFadden, 29.

Gallery: McFadden McMaddened

"I know if we don't get married, everyone is going to say there are problems because we pushed the wedding back.

"But we want to get married and take a nice block of time off, like three months, enjoy our families being there and have a nice honeymoon ... not get married between gigs.''

The pair spent much of the past 18 months apart as Goodrem based herself overseas, attempting unsuccessfully to break into the competitive American market.

Now back in Australia, Goodrem is getting ready to begin work on her fourth album.

And McFadden is about to launch a new music project named Wall Of Sound with former Savage Garden producer Rob Connolly. He is also busy filming the second series of Foxtel's Football Superstar.

"Since Christmas, we've only spent about one day apart, which is great,'' said the former Westlife singer. ``Hopefully the rest of the year it will be like that.

"I know she's going to go back to America and she's about to get knee-deep into her new record, so we're planning each week as it comes.''

The pair announced their engagement in November 2007, having met two years earlier while working together on a duet, Almost Here.

McFadden was then married to former Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona, with whom he has two daughters: Molly, 7, and Lily-Sue, 6. He and Goodrem have carefully kept the details of their planned nuptials secret.

Even close friends and family had been kept inthe dark on the wedding and invitations were expected to be sent out at the last minute to protect their privacy.

"I've been waiting but nothing's arrived,'' said one close friend, who did not want to be named.

"It's going to be in a magazine so they are keeping everything secret.

"Maybe I'll just get a text a few hours before.''

Earlier this year, Goodrem even indicated she may design her own wedding dress.

By Melanie Finn

Wednesday September 02 2009

Brian McFadden helped his elder daughter celebrate her birthday after flying back home from Down Under.

The former Westlife star flew back in the wake of ex-wife Kerry Katona's alleged meltdown.

And the devoted dad made sure to pay a special dedication to his daughter Molly as she marked her eighth birthday.

He sent special wishes to his elder child on his popular Twitter page, where he first revealed his plans to fly back to Ireland. "Happy birthday baby girl X," he wrote on his home page.

Brian has been on red alert for the past week, since Kerry was snapped allegedly taking drugs at her home -- in Warrington, England -- which she shares with her hubby Mark Croft and four children.

But the singer became so concerned for the plight for his two children, Molly and Lilly-Sue (7), that he jetted back over the weekend.

An incriminating video of the former Atomic Kitten star emerged just after Brian's two children returned to Britain after spending a three-week holiday with their dad in Ireland.

Just a few days later, Kerry was arrested by police after her accountant David McHugh claimed she had assaulted him during a heated meeting in his office.

After returning to her Cheshire home, she collapsed in hysterics and threatened to slash her wrists.

Her arrest came soon after she lost her €300,000 contract with Iceland, her last high-profile job after MTV axed her reality show.

Now Brian is said to be gearing up for a custody battle with the troubled reality star, as he has expressed his hope of bringing his daughters back to live in Ireland.

"He may live in Australia, but he's mad about his two girls and would do anything for them," said a source.

"He feels like all this bad stuff is unfolding around them without being able to do anything about it, and he's sick and tired of reading about the latest saga in Kerry's troubled life.

Westlife's Feehily wants critics to lay off

Westlife land at two with 'What About Now', narrowly missing out on a 15th UK chart-topper

1. (1) Cheryl Cole: 'Fight For This Love'

2. (-) Westlife: 'What About Now'

3. (-) Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne: 'Down'

4. (2) Alexandra Burke ft. Flo Rida: 'Bad Boys'

5. (9) Michael Bublé: 'Haven't Met You Yet'

6. (11) Black Eyed Peas: 'Meet Me Halfway'

7. (3) Chipmunk: 'Oopsy Daisy'

8. (5) Whitney Houston: 'Million Dollar Bill'

9. (4) Robbie Williams: 'Bodies'

10. (7) Black Eyed Peas: 'I Gotta Feeling'

Mark Feehily says he’s fed up of people criticising Westlife for doing cover songs.

The 29-year-old vocalist said he was annoyed his group – who have had 14 number one hits and sold more than 43 million records sold worldwide - were “misunderstood”.

The ‘Flying Without Wings’ vocalist said: “Our record company, they don’t want to take risks, so they are happier to do more covers.

“To anyone who criticises what we do, we actually do a lot of original pop songs and a lot of our best songs, a lot of our number one singles, are actually original pop songs. “

Although he added: “We definitely did go too far, we did too many covers. That’s something we allowed to happen and shouldn’t have.”

Despite this, Westlife’s new single ‘What About Now’ is actually a cover of a track by Daughtry, an American rock band.

Defending their choice, Feehily said: “It’s a cover in the way that it’s been recorded by another artist but it’s not a cover in the way ‘Mandy’ was, in that it’s been a massive hit already.”

Westlife Nicky's father dies, aged 60
Wednesday, November 4 2009,

Westlife have cancelled their current promotional tour after singer Nicky Byrne's father died at the age of 60.

The band had been in London to support their comeback single 'What About Now' but Byrne has now returned to Ireland to support his family following Nicky Snr's death from a suspected heart attack, the Daily Mail reports.

An official statement read: "The family would like to confirm the sad news of the very sudden loss of a husband, dad and grandad today.

"A wonderful man who will be sadly missed by everyone whose life he touched. The Byrne family would like to ask that you respect their privacy at this time."

A spokesman for the group added: "The boys in the band's main priority is looking after Nicky at this tragic time."

Bandmate Kian Egan, who lost his own father to cancer in July, told the Irish Independent: "It's been such a shock. Everyone feels so sad. It was just so sudden and unexpected."

The group's founder Louis Walsh said: "Westlife are all devastated. They can't believe a second father is dead."

New album for Westlife

Pop's most enduring group, Westlife, have finally emerged from the studio after a year-long break to present their brand new album, 'Where We Are'.

Spending much of 2009 hidden away in studios across Europe and the US, Westlife have been quietly creating their most exciting album to date. 'Where We Are' features work from pop's finest craftsmen, including grammy nominated Ryan Tedder (Leona Lewis, Beyonce) Steve Robson (James Morrison, Take That) Steve Booker (Duffy) Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters (Whitney Houston, Anastacia.) and Shaznay Lewis, who co-writes a track with band member Mark Feehily.

These stellar production teams have helped the boys create a new and contemporary sound, whilst retaining those classic Westlife soaring melodies and rousing lyrics. Featuring the already massive hit single 'What About Now' it's a collection bound to excite fans and pop enthusiasts alike.

Perhaps best showcasing this new sound is 'Shadows', co-written by Backstreet Boy A. J. Mclean. A classic Westlife choral anthem, peppered with a futuristic military drum roll fashioned by urban-pop maestro Ryan Tedder. The song sets the benchmark for the sound which brings Westlife bang up-to-date on the eve of the new decade.

Elsewhere 'The Difference' visits rockier terrain, while 'Another World' allows Mark Feehily's exquisite vocal to escalate to gospel territory, a moment sure to thrill live. 'I'll See You Again' laments the passing of a loved one, set to a haunting landscape of piano, synths and acoustic guitar, a moment surely relatable.

Shane Filan of the band says "We've been experimenting with a fresh vibe on this record, working with new producers and writing songs for the album ourselves. After eleven years we see this as phase two of the Westlife story."

Westlife's new material is the first since 2007's 'Back Home', which became the band's seventh number one album, spending two months in the Top Ten and selling over 1 million copies in the UK alone.

No pop band can compare to Westlife's extraordinary success. During their 11 years at the top of pop's hierarchy, the band has sold over 40 million records globally. In the UK alone they have scored nine multi-platinum albums and a record breaking 14 No.1 hits (behind only Elvis and The Beatles). They have also picked up innumerable awards and appeared on hundreds of magazine covers around the world. They are the only recording artists to win the prestigious 'Record Of The Year' an incredible four times (other top awards include two BRITS and an MTV Europe Award). Westlife are also the biggest selling Arena act ever, holding the record for the most concerts held at Wembley Arena, an incredible 23.

Where We Are

Shane says: "We've been experimenting with a fresh vibe on this record, working with new producers and writing songs for the album ourselves. After eleven years we see this as phase two of the Westlife story."

Westlife star Nicky Byrne lays his father to rest in emotional ceremony
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated on 07th November 2009

Westlife star Nicky Byrne laid his father to rest today in an emotional ceremony.
The 31-year-old's face was contorted by grief as he acted as pallbearer for his father Nicky Sr.
Earlier the grieving star and his family had been joined by Nicky's Westlife bandmates as they sang at the service in tribute to the 60-year-old, a musician and singer on the cabaret scene.
Grief: Westlife star Nicky Byrne (R) helps carry his father's coffin to the hearse at at Lawrences Church in Balldoyle, Dublin today

Amongst the mourners were writer Cecelia Ahern and her boyfriend athlete David Keoghan, Irish TV chef Terry McCoy, Miriam Ahern, the former Taoiseach of Ireland Bertie Ahern, Irish singer Michael English, Boyzone singer Ronan's wife Yvonne Keating, Irish TV producer Bill Hughes, and Gaelic footballer Gary Kavanagh.

Famous faces: X Factor judge and Westlife founder Louis Walsh joined former Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the service

Nicky Sr, who had his own band called 'Nicky and the Studz', was the person who inspired a young Byrne to go into the music business and the pair used to sing karaoke together.
The pair were partularly close and in December, Byrne threw a lavish party at a Dublin hotel for Nicky Sr 60th birthday and presented his father with a Harley-Davidson motorbike as a present.
His sudden death earlier this week left Byrne devastated. He was in London on a promotional tour and immediately flew home to Ireland.

United in grief: Brian McFadden's mother Mairead McFadden, Westlife member Mark Feehily and his boyfriend Kevin McDaid, Brendan McFadden

Tuesday - November 17 - 2009

Westlife to switch on Christmas lights

Westlife, who will switch on the Christmas lights in Grafton Street this evening, have dedicated their new album to the fathers of Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne who died this year.

Egan (29), who lost his father Kevin in July to cancer, said 2009 had been an extremely tough year for the band. His wife Jodi Albert also suffered a bereavement when her grandfather died.

Byrne's father Nicky snr (60) died suddenly of a heart attack earlier this month. The death of Boyzone's Stephen Gately also affected Westlife as both bands are close.

The album sleeve for Where We Are was due to go to the printers on the day that Byrne's father died.

The day Nicky's father died, a girl from the record label rang me and said, 'we have enough time to put Nicky's father on the dedication if he would like that'," Egan said.

We rang Nicky reluctantly because it was all so sudden for him. Luckily we had enough time. It would have felt wrong if the album was only dedicated to my father.

Mr Egan, a father of seven, died in July after a year long battle with cancer. Pictures of him and Mr Byrne will be on the inside cover the album.

We never had to deal with death ever as young adults. This year it seems that we have to deal with a lot of it. It makes you question what life is all about, his son said.

It has been a very strange and difficult year for us. I had not been to a funeral since I was a child when I think about it. All of a sudden in the last six months we have been to four funerals, two of them being parents of Westlife

The new album includes a song about death entitled I'll See You Again .

The first time I heard it, it nearly broke my heart, but then as I kept listening to it, I thought that it really fits. Anybody in the world who hears this song will see that it really means something for anybody who was lost somebody. It will really touch them emotionally,Egan explained.

Egan accepted criticisms Westlife had played it safe in the past by covering well-known songs such as Bette Midler's The Rose and Michael Bublé's Home were valid. He said the new album marks a departure from that with 11 original songs out of 12, mostly written by American songwriters.

It features only one cover, What About Now , a song by the American group Daughtry which is the first Westlife single from the new album.

Looking back, we had one too many well-known cover songs," Egan said. If we'd gone out there singing songs like The Rose and Home for the rest of our career, we would not enjoy it as much.

The album also features a rare self-penned Westlife track Reach Out , co-written by band member Mark Feehily.

We went through a phase in the early part of our career where we did want to write our own songs and we did, but they were crap in comparison with all the other great songs that we had, Egan said.

If we wanted to write the album ourselves, we could, but we know we're not naturally gifted songwriters. We know our strength is in singing the songs and performing them on stage.

November, 2009

Westlife: Us against the world
It has been a year of sorrow and loss for Westlife. Or, as Nicky Byrne puts it, 'It has been a shit year and I can't wait to see the back of it.' In their only in-depth interview this year, the four members of the band tell Barry Egan how tragedy has made brothers of them. Photography by Sarah Doyle
Sunday November 29 2009

May, 2003: I get to spend two ostensibly fun days and nights in London in the company of Westlife. At 3am one night, Louis Walsh and I are standing in the courtyard of the Conrad Hotel overlooking Chelsea Harbour when one Robbie Williams comes over and tries to wind up the Westlife manager. The ex-Take That singer repeatedly says to Louis: "What did you mean, man? I respect you . . ." A few months before, Louis, being Louis, had dubbed Robbie "a bad karaoke singer" in Heat magazine.

Standing to our immediate left, Kian Egan is waiting by his brand-new BMW. Then Louis, myself and Kian make our excuses and leave Mr Williams to argue with himself.

Five hours earlier, Kian and his bandmates had been mobbed by thousands of teenage girls as they attempted to leave Wembley Arena. I wonder whether a certain insufferable glamour model was in the audience, not least because that day's newspaper featured the particularly tender headline: "Jordan -- I want to f**k Kian".

The day before, the band are in their dressing room before the show. Outside, in the backstage area, Georgina Ahern looks utterly gorgeous in a demure, summery dress, wandering around happily as her fiance Nicky prepares to go on in front of 15,000 fans. When Westlife -- Kian and Mark and Shane and Nicky and a fella by the name of Bryan McFadden -- take the stage, each song is greeted with a veritable volcanic eruption of pubescent squeals: the choruses of Tonight and then Flying Without Wings building over soulful, multilayered, five-part harmonies are not your average boy band fare.

"Westlife are a great, great vocal group," Louis tells me during the show. "They appeal to everybody. It's not just to kids. Mammies and daddies and twenty-somethings love them. That's why they sell so many records."

"The one thing that Westlife have and that Boyzone and Take That didn't have -- it's not about one person," Bryan tells me after the show. "With Take That, Gary was the singer and Robbie was the joker. In Boyzone, it was Ronan and the other four. In our band, we are all singers."

I meet Nicky and Georgina the following morning over breakfast. I ask Nicky how they met. "We met in first year when we were like 12 or 13," Nicky says fondly, "but we didn't really talk to each other then. We were a little bit shy. She was more shy than me. We started going out when we were 16."

During the 48 hours I spend with the band, they all appear happy young people untouched by life's pain and suffering, especially Nicky Byrne who, like a young Larry Mullen in his jeans and jacket, walks around like a personification of love's young dream with Georgina.

November, 2009: Nicky Byrne's face carries the permanent, troubled aura of someone who only two weeks ago lost his father. He is standing in the Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin's Ballsbridge. He points to the room opposite and says that his father, Nikki, often came here for Westlife album launches and after-show parties. It is still too soon to put any kind of proper perspective on losing his father but Nicky, who was always mature, says he is still in shock. And shock is probably an understatement. "I still don't believe it. Actually, it's not that I don't believe it's real, I can't believe it's real. I can't," Nicky says.

"I hate to sound like I'm sorrowful," he adds, needlessly. "People have dealt with grief before me and people will deal with it tomorrow and the next day. But he was the youngest 60 years. He was so full of life. He had everything going for him. He was fit and healthy. He loved his job. He loved his motorcycle. He loved his gigs at the weekends. He sang. He played guitar and he could play a bit of keyboards but his main thing was vocals."

You obviously came to music through your father?

"I spent all my childhood watching my dad sing," he answers, immediately. "He went out gigging seven nights a week. Every night after dinner, he would get his clothes on and go out singing. You would see him going out during the summer in pale blue trousers and flowery shirts. He was a cabaret star."

Nikki's favourite song, the song he always did without fail, was Honey (I Miss You), made famous by Bobby Goldsboro. At the funeral in St Laurence O'Toole Church in Baldoyle in early November, Nicky asked his mother, Yvonne: "Do you want me to sing Honey?"

She said: "No way -- I couldn't hear that."

The song Nicky did sing with Westlife at the funeral was Please Stay by The Cryin' Shames.

"It was a song that my dad always wanted Westlife to do," he recalls. "He always thought the song would suit Westlife, and me in particular. It was one of those songs that I never did. And I did it at the funeral. I said in my eulogy, 'It is probably a bit late, Dad, but I'm doing it now for you.'"

His father singing was Nicky's earliest childhood memory. He can remember Nikki singing at the Racecourse Inn in Baldoyle, or at the Grand Hotel in Malahide throughout his childhood.

"There are hundreds of people, thousands probably, walking around this city whose weddings my dad sung at. He was such a likable man. He always had a smile," says Nicky, almost smiling himself.

I ask Nicky what his oul' fella was like.

"Oh, he had bundles of energy," he smiles, adding that the Sunday before his father died he was playing football with Nicky's godson, Zack, in the garden. "I never thought we'd only have him until he was 60. I thought we'd have him until he was at least 75 or 80. But it wasn't to be."

There is a long pause. Then Nicky says: "My dad looked amazing in the coffin. He didn't look dead. He looked asleep. I have seen so many people over the years in coffins that had illness and they deteriorated and they looked terrible. He looked like he was asleep. I have a picture of him on my phone. I can't believe he is not just awake. But all those things help.

"You know, I think talking about him kind of helps it," he adds, leaving the sentence hanging there.

One of toughest parts of losing his father so suddenly was that Nicky never got a chance to say goodbye. "I was chatting to him on Saturday night, Halloween night, and he died Tuesday morning," he says. "He was out in the house on the Saturday night. We had a fancy dress for the kids and a few of the friends' kids and my dad was over and I was chatting to him. He seemed in good health and in good form."

And then he says: "I had a bad day on Sunday. And my mam had a bad day on Sunday. It is just so strange. I mean, where do you even start to pick up the pieces? His birthday is coming up on December 14 and Christmas after that. Last month, we were talking about Christmas. He was looking forward to his Christmas gigs at the Regency Hotel on the Airport Road. It is all such a punch in the face. It is like a steam train. Every morning, I get up, I feel sick."

Death of a loved one, I say, makes you realise what forever means: you will never see that person ever again in this world.

"I know," Nicky says. "The finality of it all kills me. The fact that I can never see him; the fact that I can never talk or have a laugh with him or anything like that. I suppose when you realise that, that's a bad day. Other days, you still think you have all the memories and a million photographs of him. Things like that, I suppose, help. A part of you dies with them and obviously you learn to cope and you do your best, especially when you're married and you have kids. But a part of me died with him."

His and Georgina's twins, Rocco and Jay, have been told that their grandad has gone to God. They call Nikki 'Grandad Nucan'. Ten years ago, Nicky explains, his father came in from a night out with his wife, and was plastered. When Nicky started to rib his father for being drunk, he said, "I'm not drunk at all. I could drive from all the way to Nucan and back."

"He meant to say Lucan," Nicky explains. "From that day on, his nickname was Nucan. The boys called him that. I told them that Grandad Nucan is in heaven and he is a star. So at every night at nighttime they point up at the stars to Grandad Nucan."

In July of this year, another member of Westlife, Kian Egan, had his father, Kevin, die after a long battle with cancer. The new Westlife album Where We Are is dedicated to both Nicky and Kian's late fathers.

It was a very difficult time, Kian says. He and his bride, Jodi Albert, had planned to get married in Barbados in May. But his dad, he recalls, got progressively very ill, fast. "And by Christmas of last year we knew he wouldn't be here by this time next year," Kian says. "We had to try and make a final decision on whether to move the wedding or not; you know, was he going to be able to come to the wedding, etc. So that was a whole rigmarole in itself.

"He wanted us to go ahead with the wedding. So we did. Then we came and we were on cloud nine for a week. But then we were kicked off it with my dad on his deathbed. He was dead on July 19.

"It was a very strange year," Kian says. "But that was meant to be for me."

Some people say that a man truly stops being a boy and only really becomes a man when his father dies, I say.

"My dad was a teacher in his role to me as a father," Kian says. "He would teach you how to do something. That was the type of man he was. He was a quiet man but he read books on how to fix an engine."

Kian's mother said to him recently: "Death comes in waves."

"There has been so many deaths around us this year," Kian adds. "So I kind of hope that our wave is over and that is it."

Boyzone singer Stephen Gately's sudden death on October 10 was another part of the dark wave that hit Ireland this year, lest we forget.

"People tend to forget about how powerless everyone is against the reality of the inevitable," says Mark Feehily. "It definitely does bring it right to the front of your mind. Stephen was so young. Kian's dad's death was prolonged. Nicky's dad's death was so sudden. It instilled in me, in a way, that whole thing of 'Get out there and do it before it is too late. Don't leave things unsaid.'

"Over the past year I have taken time to be able to hear myself think by taking some time away from Westlife. I took time to decide what I liked about life and what I didn't like about life. And it is quite difficult to do that in the middle of the madness. I am following my gut and believing in myself more. I stand up for what I believe. Automatically I started being happier. I wrote a song on this new Westlife album. It's called Reach Out. I've been putting my songwriting off with Westlife." His dreams, growing up in Sligo and watching Top Of The Pops, were, he says, always to sing and write songs.

So, Jedward -- pop heroes or the end of civilisation as we know it?

"I have grown to like them an awful lot," says Mark. "Some people hate them. I look at them as two 18-year-old lads from Dublin over in London and they have become the two most famous people in the country overnight. I look at them and hope they are OK and hope they can cope with all the madness. I am so close to it because I can understand to a certain extent what they are going through."

How did you deal with being judged?

"I didn't deal well with it, because I don't think I have ever been designed to be, like, a pop star. I hated it all. I couldn't believe there were people who would just casually say to you, 'You need to lose weight', or, 'You look terrible', or, when you were singing your heart out, 'That was fucking shit'. I was brought up by a lovely family with two lovely grannies, Bridget and May. So I was brought up to be nice to people."

2009 for Westlife's Shane Filan was, he says, both joyful and horrific. He started the year with him and his wife Gillian having their first son, Patrick -- someone for four-year-old Nicole to play with. "So that was great to be at home with the new baby," Shane says. "It was a big family year for me; to stay at home a lot, and doing normal stuff like having me pints in the normal pub with my father-in-law. But then, as the year went on, Kian's dad got sick and he was dealing with that the whole time. It was hard to see that. Then he died and then Stephen died and then Nicky's dad. There was so much sorrow and sadness in the year for us."

Westlife are like a band of brothers, I say.

"That's really true," he says. "We always were close but I think now we are closer than ever. We see each other like brothers. We feel like giving each other a hug more often."

So, you will be watching Nicky at this very difficult time for him?

"Oh yeah," he says instantly. "We've got to take care of him. Me and Mark, we still have our dads, but our job now is to make sure Kian and Nicky are OK in their personal lives and try to make things easier on them whatever way we can; because there are going to be really hard days for them, I'm sure. We just got to look after each other now because, as a band, without each other we don't have a band.

"It has been such a strange, strange year," he adds.

"The whole year was very strange," concurs Nicky. "Imagine: two months before my dad, Kian's dad passed away from his illness; he had been sick for a while and he didn't make Kian's wedding in Barbados. And then there was Stephen at 33. That was impossible to comprehend.

"I'll tell you what," Nicky adds, "it has been a shit year and I can't wait to see the fucking back of it, to tell you the truth."

It must have taught you a hard lesson of how random and cruel life can be.

"Absolutely. When Stephen died, I remember going to the funeral and we had to fly to Iceland the next day to shoot a video. On the plane it was just so morbid, the four of us. It only really sunk in then.

"I noticed this with my own dad's death. At the funeral, as sad as it is, you are on a bit of a high because everybody is around you and you are doing so many things. But even a day or two afterwards . . . everyone is gone, and you are alone with just your close family. I have been going to the graveyard. It's just, he was my best friend. I bought him a motorbike for his 60th last December. I bought him a brand new Merc in 2002. It is just so hard to even consider at the minute. I don't know where to start. I really don't."

Westlife's new album, 'Where We Are', is out now

Westlife Look To Put Tough Year Behind Them

December 02, 2009
Westlife have admitted they can't wait to see the back of 2009 following a year of personal tragedy.

Saturday, December 5 - 2009

Westlife 'unconcerned by singles' success'

Westlife have declared that they are not concerned about having number one singles, claiming that they are more interested in conquering the album charts.

The band released latest album Where We Are on Monday and are hoping to hit the top spot come the weekend.

"Getting the album to number one is more important than having a number one single for us and Simon [Cowell] agreed," Westlife singer Shane Filan said.

"He pushed us to make a great album. He agreed we needed to up our game and not to record as many covers. We needed to get back to making great pop music."

Filan also spoke about how the Irish group changed direction on the LP, adding to Playlist: "Simon got us in with everyone we wanted to work with. And we only hired producers we haven't worked with before.

"Simon and Louis Walsh think it's the best album we've ever made."

December 4 - 2009

Ireland this week.The top ten albums in full:

1. (1) Susan Boyle: 'I Dreamed A Dream'
2. (-) Westlife: 'Where We Are'

3. (2) JLS: 'JLS'
4. (3) Black Eyed Peas: 'The E.N.D.'
5. (5) Michael Bublé: 'Crazy Love'
6. (4) Lady GaGa: 'The Fame Monster'
7. (6 ) Leona Lewis: 'Echo'
8. (-) Andrea Bocelli: 'My Christmas'
9. (7) The Priests: 'Harmony'
10. (8) Mario Rosenstock: 'Gift Grub 10

Westlife exclusive

We were at parties with beautiful women and we wondered why Mark wasn't chatting up

Talking to The Sun ... Westlife's Mark Feehily, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan and Shane Filey chat with Gordon Smart

GORDON SMART
Bizarre Editor

Published: 26 Dec 2009

WESTLIFE are modern pop legends. Under the watchful eye of SIMON COWELL they have dominated the charts for a decade, selling more than 45million records.
Here, on Day One of our exclusive two-day special on the band, MARK FEEHILY talks about his decision to reveal his homosexuality and band mate NICKY BYRNE recalls meeting the world's most important man.

Since coming out in The Sun, Mark says he feels as if a weight has been lifted from his shoulders.

The Irish heart-throb revealed his homosexuality in August 2005. Up until then he had kept it from his legions of fans, but the burden of secrecy took its toll.

"I spent a lot of my teenage years and early 20s in a very dark place," says Mark, now 29.

Happy now ... Kevin McDaid and boyfriend Mark Feehily
"There's a real misconception about when I came out.

"I didn't tell the guys when I was 18 or 16 or anything. It took me a long time to sort everything out in my own mind before I was open to anyone about it.

"I just shoved it all down and ignored my feelings and paused, closing the door and leaving it."

Mark, now settled with long-term boyfriend KEVIN MCDAID, says: "It wasn't hiding a secret from the guys or the public. I didn't have any love life or relationship or sex life at all.

"That's why things went so dark for me. It was like a ticking time bomb but now I am so happy."

Bandmate and friend Nicky says he is relieved his pal can finally relax, and that he wasn't surprised to hear he was gay.

"We are at the best of parties with the best-looking women," says Nicky, 31.

"Obviously if you have a girlfriend it's a different scenario but if you looked at Mark, and he didn't have a girlfriend, we kept wondering why he wasn't chatting up the girls. I always knew with Mark. He had what people say is a swagger but it was a gay swagger, that thing going on.

"But you never say anything because it's no one's business.

"I remember the day he told Shane and me. We were all jumping around, hugging and everything. At last he felt comfortable in himself.

"I remember ringing round when the story came out. I rang one of my mates to tell him Mark was gay and he said, 'Make sure you tell him we are all behind him'. Then he panicked and said, 'No, no. Don't say it like that'. "

More than four years after going public over his sexuality, Mark says he is happier and stronger than ever.

He says: "I am embracing getting older. I feel more powerful against all the badness because I know how to deal with it better than I did. I know how to protect myself. I know more about life.

"Don't get me wrong, no one looks forward to getting grey and old and bald and wrinkly but I feel happier now than I ever have."

Critics
Westlife, whose album Where We Are is out now, have come under fire from critics who object to their boy-band brand of pop.

Nicky says: "People say we are not cool but I feel that's something to be proud of. I feel that's cool.

"After 11 years in the music industry and being at all the parties in the world, to have what I have and live the life I live, I am proud of it."

Mark added: "We're desensitised to people calling us s*** now.

"We don't get so worried about people slagging us off any more. We're numb to it."

Westlife were discovered by music industry supremo Simon Cowell. Although they weren't discovered through a talent show like most of Cowell's signings, the lads can empathise with new acts, including X Factor winner JOE MCELDERRY.

"One thing about Joe is he's very innocent and naive," says Nicky. "He was going on about how he doesn't really drink and he just wants to be around the house with his mum and he's a virgin.

"I just think all of that in one day? If he was more mature he wouldn't have gone down that road but he's only a kid."

Mark adds: "We were green like Joe once. When we started off everyone was so passionate and full of life. There were all sorts of positive and negative moments.

"I look at JLS and they remind me so much of us. Their eyes are so wide open. They are loving it, enjoying every minute.

"Since we started there have been BUSTED, BLUE, 5IVE. There has always been another band. We can all co-exist, no one has to go."

I wasn't hiding anything. I didn't have any love life or sex life at allMARK

Earlier this month the band met BARACK OBAMA at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and ended up being introduced to another US mega star.

Nicky says: "We were in a holding room with WILL SMITH and his wife. We got a picture taken with them. Will was so cool.

"We were talking about the guy with him who was a humanitarian who he was shadowing as research for a movie. He just stood in the corner chatting to everyone and we were all in another corner going 'it's f****** Will Smith!'

"Will was great. He told us this story how he was preparing all these questions about humanitarianism for the big interview with Obama. He said he was up all night practising the delivery and then when he met him he was telling himself to be on the ball.

"Then he met him and just said, 'What's it f****** like being the president of the United States?'"

Mark adds: "A security guard stuck his head in the door and asked for a picture with Will and handed me the camera.

Foreign
"It helped break the ice. A few other people started queuing for pics then."

Nicky says: "Meeting Barack Obama was incredible. It felt really important. On the bus going there we were with DONNA SUMMER, WYCLEF, NATASHA BEDINGFIELD and other foreign artists.

"You couldn't get anywhere near him without being vetted or given some sort of security clearance.

"We were meeting the President of America so it was incredible.

Mark says: "I came away thinking what an amazing person. The President was impressive too. He handled the situation so well, meeting everyone."

In 2003 Nicky married childhood sweetheart Georgina, daughter of former Irish Prime Minister BERTIE AHERNE. Still talking about meeting Obama, he says: "We were doing the picture and there was a moment when there was a silence waiting for the pic to be taken.

"So I asked Mr Obama if he was familiar with Bertie Aherne.

"He said yes and I told him I was married to his daughter.

"He said he was a great guy and to tell him he said hello. There were more flashes and we broke the ice then.

"I think I must be the diplomat in the band. He is a man of the people. He was cool, genuine. He was like a cool dad."

The band are enjoying continued success, despite being one man down from the original line-up. BRIAN MCFADDEN left the band in 2004 and has since become engaged to Aussie actress DELTA GOODRAM. "Brian lives in Australia now so we hardly see him but when we do it's a happy reunion," says Mark. "It's weird not knowing his day-to-day life any more. He has never said to any of us he regrets it."

Nicky says: "We played in Soccer Aid together last year and we hadn't seen each other for a while. It was great.

"He told me he never regretted leaving the band but he did hate it when we did Croke Park. He said that killed him.

So what's next for the lads?

"We've met Barack Obama, performed for the Pope, duetted with MARIAH CAREY," says Nicky. "We even knew Simon Cowell before he was really famous.

"Ten years on we are very alive and the passion is still there. We dream about the next goal all the time."

We slagged off Simon"s shoes and high trousers before anybody knew who he was

By GORDON SMART
Bizarre Editor

Published: 28 Dec 2009

IT may have been a grim 12 months for Westlife but Simon Cowell's favourite band are looking forward to a great 2010.
And the key to that will be keeping their most famous fan happy.

The lads, still our top-selling boy band after 11 years, are pop guru Simon's breakthrough success story.

And they constantly remind the record company chief he was not always the stellar name he is today.

In the final day of our Westlife series, Shane Filan reveals: "The big reason we still do so well is down to our relationship with Simon.

"We have worked together for 11 years and things go from strength to strength. Simon speaks highly of us, which means the world."

Missed ... Stephen Gately
But Kian Egan points out: "We used to slag him off about his shoes and his high trousers before anybody knew who he was.

"We used to slag off the shoes so badly, the big heels. Cobbler's shoes, we called them.

"We used to pull his trousers down lower and pull the T-shirt down and rip the p**s out of him, mocking his posh accent.

"As soon as he got on TV, people saw exactly what we saw and started to do the same thing."

Shane adds: "We were one of the first bands on Simon's S Records label, which he sold to BMG for £22million.

"He got a lot of money then before TV took over."

Despite almost 50million record sales, 14 number one songs and a host of sold-out tours, Westlife are still hungry for more.

"We're pocket change to what Simon makes annually but we've got history with him," says Shane.

"The hardest thing to do in our situation is sustain success.

"Every year is like a mountain to climb for us, even though people expect us to succeed now. We s**t ourselves before the midweek chart - we are still so ambitious."

The past year has seen the band rocked by tragedy. They have been hit by what they call "a big wave of death" that has struck their friends and family.

The recent loss of close pal and Boyzone singer Stephen Gately hit them hard, but Kian also lost his father, as did bandmate Nicky Byrne.

But with their usual upbeat, positive attitude they are now even more determined to appreciate everything they have and continue to enjoy life to the full.

Westlife have spent the best part of a year out of the spotlight, but in my interview with Shane, Kian, Nicky and Mark Feehily it was obvious they have used this testing 12 months to grow stronger.

Kian told me about the terrifying moment they discovered their good pal Stephen had passed away and Shane, 30, says: "Until then, we hadn't really thought about people from our generation not being here.

"As singers we are always thinking about the next album, the next tour, the family growing.

"You don't think about being dead. You would never think that about someone in your own band.

"If one of us died... it's a terrible thought but that would be it. Over. We couldn't carry on as a band.

"For us, it makes you realise how important the other members of the group - your dearest friends - are to you, and it makes you appreciate life an awful lot more."

Kian, 29, adds: "I had been out in the local with mates, gone home and fallen asleep on the couch.

"A mate rang me and told me about Stephen and I thought it was nonsense. I rang Louis Walsh (Boyzone's and Westlife's manager) and sure enough got the same response. It was truly awful.

"It has been a really tough year. On top of that both my dad and Nicky's dad died either side of that. My dad was 64 and had been sick for a year.

"My mum said to me we are at that age now where we start losing people.

"My grandmother, my wife Jodie's grandfather, Nicky's dad, my dad, Stephen...

"My mum said in her life, death sadly comes in waves and we are experiencing one of those big waves now. At the funeral of Stephen the four of us sat together with our partners.

"Brian (ex-Westlife member McFadden) happened to be sat in front of us. I remember looking at Brian and just feeling so sad, realising life is too short.

"We all felt the same - like we all needed to give him a big hug. I felt so sad towards him.

"Once the Boyzone speeches came out we were in pieces."

Shane adds: "It was after 1am when I found out about Stephen. I rang Louis and it was like 'boom'.

"He told me it was right and said he couldn't speak. I will never forget it as long as I live.

"In Ireland Stephen was a massive icon, a true pop star. He was one of us and he was dead.

"It just doesn't happen, so it was truly upsetting and tragic.

"We appreciate each other so much more since.

"We're thankful for what we've got and for having each other because life is so precious, and sometimes you can forget that."

29 December 2009

Westlife credit Cowell with album release
Westlife star Nicky Byrne has said that the group wouldn't have released an album this year if it wasn't for Simon Cowell's help and encouragement.

Speaking to RTÉ.ie, the singer said of 'X Factor' judge Cowell: "What he is with us is... he's honest.

"What he sees is what he says. But we've a good relationship with him, especially this year, even stronger. This is our eleventh year with him."

Speaking about how the new album came about, he said: "We had a big meeting with him in August in his house in Beverly Hills... It's a tiny little house... By the time you walk around it you're tired!

"It was a great meeting and it was real positive.

"He kind of heard where we were coming from and agreed with it and was on the same page and that's how we got working on this album.

"Otherwise there wouldn't have been an album for Westlife this ye

29 December 2009

WESTLIFE - WESTLIFE STILL SOUR OVER GELDOF SNUB

WESTLIFE STILL SOUR OVER GELDOF SNUB
Irish band WESTLIFE are still fuming after BOB GELDOF snubbed them over 2004's Band Aid II single - because he could have raised more cash for charity if he'd included them.
The former Boomtown Rats star left the Flying Without Wings hitmakers off the charity song, dismissing them at the time as "not relevant".
But the four-piece is still reeling from the snub because they believe Geldof was just on a "power trip".
Singer Kian Egan says, "I think that was pretty rich given he only started his international campaigning when he realised the Boomtown Rats weren't relevant any more."
Bandmate Nicky Byrne adds, "Bob Geldof didn't include us on the Band Aid II single, even though we were the biggest band at the time. He could have made even more money for charity by having us sing, but he chose (British groups) Busted and Sugababes because he was on some sort of elitist power trip."
The group's Mark Feehily is also sick of their 'uncool' image: "We are a pop group, striving to make the best pop music we can. We don't claim to be anything other than good singers, and to dismiss us just because we might not be to some rock critic's taste, is to insult the millions of people who buy our records and enjoy what we do."

Westlife talk of being cool
December 29, 2009

London: Irish pop band Westlife has in a recent interview discussed about how they were cool despite there being reports that they weren't.

The interview between the boys, Kian Egan, Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, and Mark Feehily and Judith Woods started off with the four talking about what they had done to be deemed cool.

In the middle of the discussion, Egan, 29, rolled up his trouser leg and flashed a heavily tattooed calf in Woods' direction.

"Look, this is Buddha! Is that cool enough for you? Is it?" the Telegraph quoted him as saying.

"I've got a palm tree and waves and a Hawaiian flower on the other one. What have you got to say about that?" he stated.

Baby-faced Byrne, 31, was next to proclaim how cool he was.

"I've got a Hummer golf buggy - and I don't even play golf! How much more rock-and-roll can you get?" he asked.

Filan, 30, who is the relaxed one, joined in the fray, announcing with perfect deadpan timing that he has "a big, fat house, way, way bigger than anything Bob Geldof's got. Two fat houses, in fact. And loads of cars and watches".

Then Feehily, 29, the soulful one, reminded him that he's also got a helicopter.

"There you go, I'm so crazy and cool that I'd forgotten I have my own helicopter. Who says we're boring now?" Filan added.

The whole outburst from the boys had started after a remark about their rather bland reputation and how one critic said Westlife "were so anodyne as to make Boyzone look like Led Zeppelin at their most orgiastic".

"Honestly, we're not dull," Byrne, who is married, with two-year-old twins, had protested.

"We're the life and soul of any party - Barack Obama said he'd love to go for a pint of Guinness with us some time.

"Just because we're fit and healthy and don't look like drug addicts or as if we haven't washed, doesn't make us uncool. It makes us normal," he stated.

Feehily, who along with Filan sings the majority of the group's vocals, also came to the band's defence.

"Excuse us if we get a bit defensive, but this whole 'cool' thing is a sideshow that distracts from our music," he said.

"We are a pop group, striving to make the best pop music we can. We don't claim to be anything other than good singers, and to dismiss us just because we might not be to some rock critic's taste, is to insult the millions of people who buy our records and enjoy what we do," he stated.

Filan also joined in by stating that it did not matter if they were seen as cool or not.

"We've had an amazing time, travelling the world, singing songs we love, meeting the fans and becoming financially secure," he said.

"If our only problem is that somehow we're not deemed cool enough, well I think we can live with that," he added.

westlife takeover GMTV 2009 december

THE WESTLIFE STORY - 2009 -

17 Jul 2009

Westlife singer Nicky Byrne has got the eye of the tiger as he prepares to launch a pop comeback.

The Dublin star has taken up boxing to get in shape for Westlife's big return to the charts later this year.

Nicky, 30, told the Irish Daily Mirror: "I'm really into it. It's such a tough sport but I have been doing all the workouts and the sparing sessions and all.

"When we took a year off I really wanted something to keep me in shape.

"Boxing is perfect because it works you out on a physical and mental level. I love it."

Nicky's bandmates Kian, Shane and Mark have also been hitting the gym to get in their best shape for their upcoming 50-date tour next year.

Shane said: "It's a tough schedule to be on the road and working late hours all the time so we want to be 100% ready for it."

Credit/Source: The Irish Daily Mirror

..

Wednesday July 22 2009
Kian Egan and his brother, Tom, carry their father Kevin's coffin

WHEN Kian Egan stepped up to the altar yesterday for the most difficult performance of his career, his friends stood solid by his side.

The four members of the world's most successful boyband, Westlife, faced the congregation to sing a solemn version of 'You Raise Me Up' in tribute to Kian's father, Kevin, who died of cancer last Sunday.

"Myself and the guys would like to sing this song for my dad. I feel the words of this song really represent the type of man my father was," said an emotional Kian at his father's Requiem Mass in Sligo Cathedral.

And when Kian struggled to fight back the tears as Shane Filan sounded the opening lyrics, he felt the comforting arm of Mark Feehily around his shoulders.

He was finally composed enough to join in a roof-raising final chorus of the moving song which gave the band a number one hit. Then as the last notes still lingered in the hallowed arches, and the congregation wiped away the tears, pals Mark, Shane and Nicky embraced their grieving friend.

Beloved

Father-of-seven Kevin died in the arms of his beloved wife, Patricia, and surrounded by his children and grandchildren at his home on the Strandhill Road last Sunday morning.

"Dad died at home in mommy's arms as she was saying 'I loved you from the moment I first saw you, and I will love you for always'," his daughter Vivienne said.

In a moving tribute, she said her father encouraged all his children to be the best people they could be.

"He loved everything to do with all the Westlife things that happened over the years." But she said her father was so proud of all of his children, "whether they were a Westlife singer or a parent or school teacher".

Kevin, who was in his mid-60s, was too ill to attend Kian's wedding to former soap actress Jodi Albert in Barbados last May.

Leading the mourners yesterday were his wife Patricia, daughters, Vivienne, Marielle and Fenella, and sons Kian, Tom, Gavin and Colm.

Westlife manager Louis Walsh joined hundreds of mourners in the church to pay his respects.

Later, Kian left with the cortege, with his new wife Jodi by his side. They headed to his father's final resting place on the Strandhill Road, not far from the family home that had been a gift from Kian several years ago.

Westlife have postponed recording of their new album to give tragic star Kian Egan time to grieve

Westlife promise 'strongest album yet'
Tuesday, August 11 2009, 12:57 BST

By David Balls, Music Reporter

Westlife have promised that their upcoming ninth studio album will be the group's strongest to date.

The Irish boyband, who have not released any new material for two years, insisted that they will surprise fans when they return later this year.

"The album will have no covers at all - we want it to be our strongest ever," Shane Filan told the Irish Daily Mirror.

"We're working on it in the studios at the minute and it's really exciting. We took a decision that we didn't want to do any covers at all this time round and give the fans 100% new material.

"We know this has to be something special because we have been away for over a year. I think everyone is going to be really surprised when they hear it."

Guy Chambers, former Savage Garden star Darren Hayes and Ryan Tedder, who penned Leona Lewis's 'Bleeding Love', are all rumoured to have contributed material for the new record.

"We're lucky to be working with some amazing writers and I'm sure this album is going to bring us back with a bang," Filan added.

"We want great up-tempo songs and some really strong ballads. That's what we made our name with and that's what we want to do again.

"The plan is to release the album before Christmas and then hit the road for a tour next year."

Westlife have sold over 40 million copies of their nine previous albums, seven of which were bestsellers in the UK

Westlife: 'We've taken a new direction'
Thursday, October 15 2009, 20:37 BST

By Oli Simpson

Westlife have admitted that they took a "new direction" on their upcoming single.

'What About Now', the Irish boyband's first release since 2007's Back Home album, will be the first track taken from forthcoming LP Where We Are.

Singer Mark Feehily told The Mirror: "We wanted the first single from our new album to be somewhere between the Westlife sound our fans know and love, and the new direction we're heading in.

"We've been experimenting with a fresh vibe on this record. After 11 years we see this as phase two of the Westlife story."

'What About Now' is released on October 26. Their tenth studio album Where We Are follows on November 30.

...

Westlife attend Stephen Gatelys Funeral,

Westlife join mourners in paying tribute to Stephen GatelyBy Mirror.co.uk 16/10/2009

Irish boyband Westlife joined mourners in paying tribute to Gately tonight.

"We are here today as friends of Stephen, not as popstars," the band said in a statement.

"Thank you to the media for respecting that. Stephen Gately played a big part in our story. "We watched him on TV in our early teens. We met him as fans when Westlife first got together and supported Boyzone. We got to know him as a friend over the many times our paths crossed and he would always have that same smile for us any time we bumped into him.

"It's a shame that today we have to say goodbye to him like this. Our love and support goes out to Andy and the rest of Stephen's family. Also to Keith, Mickey, Ronan and Shane, who have lost their best friend.

"Our deepest sympathies go out to them all. We trust they will be left to grieve in peace."

Feehily nervous over X Factor show
Westlife's Mark Feehily has admitted he is nervous about the group's 'X Factor' performance this weekend which marks their return to the stage after a year off.

The Daily Mail reports that singer Feehily said "There is always something a little bit scary about the 'X Factor' stage. It's so huge and you have the judges in front of you. It's like being a teenager at your first audition.

"It's strange - we've performed some massive gigs and huge TV shows but 'X Factor' always makes me a little bit more nervous than anything else we do."

AdvertisementThe group has appeared on the show more times than any other act as performers, mentors and even judges. They had originally been due to appear in a month's time but according to Kian Egan, Simon Cowell moved up their performance after he heard their new single. Egan said "He went berserk and said it's too big a song - I want to get them on the show as soon as possible."

...

Westlife fever hits Sandown Park Racecourse
Thursday 5th August 2010

Westlife fever is growing outside Sandown Park Racecourse.

The Irish chart toppers are due to play the Esher venue this evening, and adoring fans started queueing by the entrance to the venue on last night, to ensure they could get to the front of the stage.

One fan right at the front of the queue said she and her friends left her home in Grimsby yesterday evening.

She said: "I've been a fan for 12 years now. This is what we do, we camp out so I can to the front.

"They've got good voices, they're sexy, I just love everything about them."

Natasha "blown away"after meeting Westlife at their homecoming gig in Sligo

Date: 04 August 2010
By James Rogers
LOCAL woman Natasha Woods had a once in a lifetime experience on Friday when she got to meet her heroes Westlife at their homecoming concert in Lissadell House in Sligo.

The 27-year-old landed the dream prize after winning a competition on the Colm and Lucy show on 2FM.

Having made the trip to the North West with her best friend Amy Callaghan, Natasha admitted that she did not know what to expect but told The Dundalk Democrat on Monday that she was "blown away" by how nice Mark, Shane, Nicky and Kian were in person.

"I had a ball. It was absolutely brilliant," she said.

"I didn't expect it at all. Our seats were great and then about 7.45pm we were taken to the courtyard of Lissadell House where we met Louis Walsh. I think he was doing some filming for X Factor so one of the guys from Westlife must be a mentor.

"Then we met Jodi Albert and her band Wonderland who were supporting Westlife. They were really nice but we missed them on stage because we were waiting for Westlife.

"The lads were so nice to us. They had all the time in the world for us and posed for as many pictures as we wanted and signed anything we asked them to. They were so polite and must've given us about 15 minutes.

"They asked us all where we came from and made it feel quite personal. I explained that I had travelled over from Dundalk and Nicky said he had heard me winning the competition on the radio.

"Overall the whole experience was brilliant. I'll never forget it," she said.

Of course, the night didn't end there for Natasha who manages Exhibit in the Marshes Shopping Centre - as she still had the concert to look forward to.

"They were absolutely brilliant live.

"They started with Where We Are and it just got better from there on. I'll See You Again was amazing but my favourite song was Already There.

"It was just an unbelievable show, an unbelievable experience and I'll never forget it."

Westlife fans Unbreakable as they brave rain to see lads at STV

Hysteria descended on the STV car park as fans queued up to catch a glimpse of Westlife, ahead of their interview on The Hour.

27 October 2010

The STV car park was awash with Westlife fans this afternoon, as the boyband loving diehards braved the cold, wind and rain, to catch a glimpse of their idols.

And judging by the screams as the Irish stars
tour bus pulled up outside the TV studios, it was well worth the wait.

Kian Egan, Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne and Mark Feehily had a quick smile for delighted fans, as they ran into The Hour for an interview with Michelle McManus and Stephen Jardine.

The pop favourites were doing a whistle stop tour of Scottish media organisations to promote their new single Safe, which is released on November 7, and their 11th (yes, 11th) album, Gravity, which is available from November 11th.

They also spoke about their forthcoming X Factor appearance and revealed they will take to the stage on November 14 scream!

As the fans made their way home sporting their diamante encrusted Westlife hoodies,
the smiles on their faces showed that catching a glimpse of the boys, certainly brightened up their day.

Lifelong fan Laura Butler on the day the music died as Westlife call it quits

Thursday October 20 2011

I LOST my heart to Westlife 14 years ago -- today I've been left broken hearted by Westlife.

The boyband was the teenage soundtrack to my life and the sad news that they are no more brings me back to younger days with fondness and nostalgia.

A besotted fan from the get-go, I first heard of the then five-piece group when they burst onto the scene in 1999.

As a first-year secondary student, I was holidaying in Connemara with pals, and we were instantly in favour of them and declaring them to be better than anything else in the charts.

dream

A welcome change from Boyzone and the Spice Girls, Westlife garnered lustful sighs from us as we listened to Swear It Again for the first time on the radio.

Animated debate over what their real name was -- "is it Westside or Westlife?" -- quickly followed and my friends and I promptly chose our favourite band members.

After buying their first single and taping my A2 sized poster of Sligo native Shane Filan to my bedroom wall, my adoration for the chart-toppers was firmly cemented when tracks If I Let You Go and I Have A Dream followed.

A year later, when I was 13 and they had almost become a household name -- I spotted them at the baggage area in Dublin airport.

Overcome with a fit of nervousness and the giggles, myself and my shy cousin indiscreetly wandered over in their direction to get a closer look at them -- and managed to find a pen and a scrap of paper to bring with us.

I couldn't have been happier to return from holidays, as I left the airport that day with four out of five autographs -- Brian McFadden failed to impress -- from the group before they were swarmed by excited teens waiting in arrivals.

I seem to have been very lucky when it comes to this band -- I managed to bump into them on a number of occasions over the years, from randomly seeing Nicky Byrne shopping on Grafton Street, to literally walking into Brian McFadden in a Greystones newsagents -- where he lived up the road with ex-Kerry Katona and that just confirmed how cool I thought they were.

From seeing them at the Childline concerts and cheering to turning on the telly to cheer them on at the MTV Europe music awards, their ballads failed to hit a sour note with their adoring fans, myself included.

Although my interest waned in their later years, I've always had a soft spot for their easygoing music, with -- admittedly -- Flying Without Wings in my top five favourites.

I still enjoy belting out a few of the cheesy numbers and tend to always revert back to them when compiling my Christmas playlist for my iPod.

When the lads announced the release of a greatest hits album last week, I had a sneaky suspicion that news of a split would follow.

Crooned

They've gone from being a fresh-faced boyband to a more mature looking manband and I suppose it was only inevitable after 14 years of a hard slog in the business.

And for those of us who grew up with Shane, Mark, Nicky, Kian and Brian, it definitely reminds you of your first dance at the local disco or pretending to be a backing vocalist with a hairbrush as your parents had to suffer Uptown Girl yet another time.

Teenagers now have the likes of Justin Bieber to scream and shout over, but no-one can compare to Louis Walsh's denim-jacket wearing, floppy-haired hopefuls who crooned their way into the lives of many Irish girls and seemed so down-to-earth that we thought we could always walk over and say hello.

Westlife fans queue for farewell tickets
From left, Westlife fans Rachael Cromarty (23), Vickey Lax (31), Michelle Watson (40), Nicola Hall (28).

Published on Friday 21 October 2011 12:14

WESTLIFE fans camped out for three days to get their hands on tickets for their heroes’ last live shows.

Superfans Nicola Hall, 28, her mum Sharon, 53, and friends Vickey Lax, 31, and Wendy Reed, 56, and her daughter Gemma, 20, braved freezing weather to camp outside Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena.

The Washington women heard of the Irish boyband’s split yesterday and that the tour in May would be the group’s last.

Care assistant Vickey, who has been to every tour and met the band, said: “We were keeping warm inside our tent when I saw on Twitter on my phone that they had announced their split.

“We were absolutely devastated. I understand they want to pursue other things, but it feels like the end of an era.”

Although the pals were first in the queue as tickets went on sale yesterday, they were told that the best seats had been reserved for fan club members.

Nicola, a care assistant, said: “It’s absolutely shocking that we haven’t been given the best seats even though we were the first in the queue.

“You would think that the first people would get the best, but we were told that all the front-row centre seats had been reserved for the fan club.

“We’re all part of the official Westlife fan club and we weren’t informed of this.”

Paul Tappenden, marketing director for the Metro Radio Arena, said: “Westlife tickets went on sale on Tuesday 9am to their fan club, and yesterday to previous Westlife bookers.

“The event goes on general sale to the public today, and tickets are sold on a first come basis, and are allocated best seats at the time of booking.

Westlife fan blames marriage break-up on obsession
The mother-of-two said she had spent thousands of pounds following Westlife A Westlife "super fan" has blamed the breakdown of her marriage on her obsession with the Irish boy band.

Jane Fogg said she had spent £30,000 on merchandise and tickets to see the singers perform over the past 10 years.

The 44-year-old pub cleaner from Forest Fields in Nottingham has nine tattoos dedicated to the band, including five portraits.

She said her relationship failed because she loved the band more than anyone, even her husband.

"I just love Westlife too much," she said.

"I love them more than I loved him. It is the biggest thing in my life."

Ms Fogg has five Westlife portraits tattooed on her legs Ms Fogg became a fan shortly after the band formed in 1998.

'Complete nutter'

She has seen Westlife perform live about 60 times and admitted her obsession had spiralled out of control.

"Once I'd been to my first concert I was gripped. The more I had, the more I wanted." she said.

The mother-of-two spent over £1,000 on tattoos on her arms and legs and said her house was like a shrine.

"My son says I'm a complete nutter. My daughter, she likes them as well, but she's not a super-fan like me."

Westlife have announced they are to split after their farewell tour next year.

Ms Fogg said the announcement had left her "truly devastated", but she added: "I have all those memories and no-one can take that away from me."

Fans were in tears when Westlife announced they were splitting, especially Jane Holmes – who knows a thing or two about break-ups.

Obsessed Jane, 44, ditched her second husband when he issued her with an ultimatum: “Choose Westlife or me.”

Jane’s skin has become a shrine to the chart toppers. She has eight tattoos of the group and has screamed her way through 60 of their concerts, spending £30,000 following them around the country.

Advertisement >>
The pub cleaner says she warned hubby Norman Holmes, 46, that the Irish lads would always be her biggest passion.

She says: “I think he thought I was joking but he soon realised I wasn’t. I always get stopped in the street and he couldn’t hack the attention I was getting.

“The concerts take up a lot of my time and money. Westlife are a really big part of my life. I’m completely devoted to them and the tattoos are my way of showing my loyalty. I like to think I am their biggest fan.

“It’s my only hobby. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, so Westlife are my only addiction.”

Jane, who split from Norman last November after a year of marriage, has not had a holiday for seven years because her spare cash goes on her love of Westlife.

Fans camp out for last chance to meet Westlife
By SARAH SWAIN

21 Nov 2011

HUNDREDS of Westlife fans camped out to meet the Irish boyband on a flying visit to Glasgow.

Fans started gathering at 9am on Sunday – almost 24 hours before the band was due to arrive – for their last chance to meet the boys before they break up next year.

First in the queue for the CD signing at HMV on Buchanan Street was mum Sharon Blair, 38, from Motherwell, with daughters Jamie Leigh and Caitlin Armit.

Heidi’s Filan sad as band she idolises breaks up

Published on Saturday 19 May 2012

HEIDI Michelle Witherington is spending almost £1,000 going to one Westlife concert a week for five weeks.

It is her way of saying goodbye to the boyband that she has loved for the past 14 years.

And the single-mum from Hemel Hempstead is not alone as she will join tens of thousands of fans saying goodbye as Westlife announced their split last year and that this year would be their Farewell Tour.

When Heidi heard the news she bought tickets for the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff for May 10, 18 and June 12 and the O2 Arena in London for May 24 and June 7.

She said: “Everyone was crying at the end of the concert in Cardiff last week. I looked around me and all I could see were tears. I managed to take about 200 photos and some of them are really good and close up because I splashed out on a row two ticket.”

Some people may think queuing for 12 hours or spending a day constantly redialling a ticket hotline number to get a good seat or position close to the stage is too much effort.

And other people may think that by your 30s, getting all teary-eyed over a boyband, waiting in the rain to catch a glimpse of the band members, and screaming their names at concerts is for teenagers. But Heidi, who is 34 years old, doesn’t care what people think.

She is a superfan and dotes on Shane, Mark, Nicky and Kian, who make up Westlife, so much so that she was even considering camping in her car overnight outside their luxury hotel in Cardiff because it’s her ultimate dream to meet them.

In her mind the cold and uncomfortable experience would be nothing compared to being face to face with the famous four.

She said: “ One time we waited for an hour in the freezing cold to see them get out of their car before a concert.

“We waved at them and they waved back. I got a bubble of excitement to think that I was going to see them on stage in a few moments.

“My longest wait for Westlife was 11 and a half hours to get into an open air concert in Dorset.

“We arrived at 9.30am to get in the car park queue where there were so many cars the police had to control the chaos.

“At 2pm the gates opened so we could park up, run across a field and queue for another three and a half hours behind the barriers.”

The chase keeps Heidi going and she admits that if she actually got to meet the boyband she wouldn’t know what she would say or do.

Instead she loves them from afar – her collection of Westlife merchandise is worth thousands of pounds – and she talks about them with fans on some of the thousands, if not millions, of social networking pages and blogs dedicated to their every move.

There is nothing that makes Heidi more happy than putting Westlife on the CD player, getting her collection out and singing at the top of her voice while having a good dance around her flat.

She said: “It has only been recently that I have been listening to music other than Westlife.

“If you had asked me what was in the charts last year I wouldn’t have had a clue. The only music I have listened to for years has been Westlife. Some people get sick of it but I love it.

“Westlife has been a passionate 16-year love affair

Published on Tuesday 5 June 2012

AFTER more than 14 years of idolising Westlife, one fan finally got to meet her idols.

It was almost the last chance for Heidi Witherington, from Hemel Hempstead, to meet the famous boyband when she went to their concert at The Motorpoint Arena, in Cardiff.

The group is disbanding after 16 years so the 34-year-old mum and her pal booked into St David’s Hotel, where the boyband were staying, and couldn’t believe her luck when she met Westlife’s Nicky Byrne there.

She had her photograph taken with the star and he also signed a teddy bear for her.

She said: “We stood outside the hotel for three hours when he turned up. There were only a few fans there. I was thinking ‘oh my God’ and was shaking when he posed for the picture.”

Before the concert the following day, Heidi met the rest of the band and had her T-shirt and CD signed by Nicky, Kian and Shane.

She said: “A meet and greet costs about £425 but having a bit of patience meant it cost me nothing.”

Dream come true as Coalisland ladies meet Westlife heroes
Colleen Skeffington (right), with her sister Caoimhe and aunt, are pictured with Kian Egan of Westlife at the band's farewell concert at the Odyssey Belfast.

Published on Thursday 7 June 2012

A COALISLAND woman’s dream was made a reality when a chance meeting between her dad and the brother-in-law of Westlife’s Nicky Byrne in a bar, led to her getting up close and personal with the boyband members at their farewell concert on Tuesday night.

Colleen Skeffington, who travelled to the concert at the Odyssey in Belfast with her sister, aunt and fiance, told the Tyrone Times she was “really chuffed” to be given the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet her pop idols.

“Daddy was talking to Nicky’s brother-in-law in a bar as his family is from the same direction as where Daddy lives”, Collen explains.

“Daddy said to him, ‘My girls are going to the concert in the Odyssey and have never missed one, and would there be any chance of arranging a meet and greet with the boys?’

“We rang the man on the day of the concert, Tuesday, and he said he would ring Nicky to see if the band were doing any meet and greets, but he said he didn’t think so. However, Nicky then told him he would arrange for us to get to meet the band, which was absolutely fantastic!”

Colleen and her family were among only approximately 10 people out of a concert audience of some 8,000 who were allowed to pose for photographs with their heroes, and she has kindly allowed the Times to publish the images from her dream night.

“We were really chuffed to be able to meet the boys in person”, Colleen continued, “although we were quite nervous on the day of the concert and on the drive up to Belfast.

“But when it came to actually meeting them, it was just like they were ordinary people. They were all lovely, really nice and friendly.

“My fiance, Matt, was taking photos and I just told him to keep snapping! The concert itself was amazing, the band put on a really good show, it was a big combination of all the years.

“They were on stage for about two hours, which is longer than normal, and at times it was very sad as it was one of their last. My sister, Caoimhe, shed a tear or two, but I managed to hold it together!”

Westlife announced last year that they will go their separate ways, after 14 years together, and will play their last ever concert at Croke Park in Dublin next month.

Their closing gig will be screened at cinemas across the globe in countries including South Africa, Finland and the Netherlands.

///////////

Westlife fans miss farewell gig after Dundee cinema showing concert suffers satellite fault
Jun 24 2012 Exclusive by Euan McLelland

Westlife

SCOTS Westlife fans were fuming last night after a cinema ruined their dreams of watching the band’s last ever gig.

Hundreds flocked to Cineworld in Dundee to watch the Irish foursome’s final concert from Dublin’s Croke Park beamed live on the big screen.

But a technical glitch meant that the Dublin band’s devoted Scots fans were denied even a second of live footage.

And heartbroken fans say that when they complained, they were initially told there would be no refund on their £13.50 tickets.

Lindsey Fleming, from Forfar, said: “I paid £40 for three tickets.

“We sat in darkness for an hour before the manager came in and announced they couldn’t get the satellite feed.

“After taking us outside, they then announced that we weren’t getting any of our money back either – because their systems had gone down – and we’d have to come back some other time.

“It was an extremely full house and there were a lot of very angry people. Lots of children were crying.

“I thought it was quite horrible actually. They’ve offered us free tickets for another show of our choice but that’s not any good.

“That was Westlife’s final, final show and we’re never going to see them again. That’s the most upsetting part.

“I’ve loved them all through the 14 years and I am now completely gutted.”

Lindsey said Cineworld eventually did refund the money for her tickets after she queued for 45 minutes alongside other disgruntled Westlife fans.

Shelley-Anne McKenzie, who travelled from Perth for the showing, said last night: “It was an absolute farce.

“I couldn’t get a ticket for Croke Park so this was the best I could have done.

“I’ve travelled to Dublin to see them three times and this was my last ever chance to see them live.

“It was completely ruined.”

But theree were a few lucky stragglers who were waiting for refunds and caught the last four songs of the concert and farewell speeches form the boys when the screen suddnely sparked into life.

One girl said: "We thought we were unlucky because we were at the back of the queue but it turned out we were the lucky ones because we saw the end of the gig."

Record yourself on PureSolo and win concert tickets to the Westlife farewell tour and a meet and greet with the band! We are really pleased to announce we have partnered with Westlife to offer their fans the chance to record themselves singing over their favourite Westlife songs!

The best entry will receive a meet and greet on their final UK tour, along with concert tickets, and a signed Greatest Hits disc! The four runners up will receive a copy of the brand new album!

Sign up at www.puresolo.com/westlife-competition to claim your free track and we look forward to hearing your entries!’

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Kian Egan said he wants Westlife fans to remember the good times

IT'S going to be an emotional rollercoaster.

But Westlife's Kian Egan says fans left devastated over their split should try and focus on how amazing their 14-year career has been.

Speaking in our exclusive interview, the heartthrob told us they want fans to walk away from their 2012 tour with "happy memories," and not in floods of tears.

"[We want the tour to give fans] happy memories," he told us.

"If a fan is that devastated that we've broken up, then it means they've been there from the start and it will be as devastating for them as it is for us.

"But don't look back on the last 14 years as if they haven't existed, look back on the last 14 years for how great they've been.

"It's been an amazing time," he said. "[But] not everything lasts forever. Take the positive don't take the negative. That's what we're trying to do."

And it seems he and the rest of the boys - including Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan - are going ALL out to give their fans the best-ever farewell tour imaginable.

"[Fans should] look forward to every hit," Kian told us. "And expect the best show we've ever done.

"You'll see four guys on that stage with so much passion, so much love for what we do and for the fans, who've given us what they've given us. We want to give amazing things."

Westlife star Mark Feehily to marry Kevin McDaid next year
By Vicky Allison Nov 26, 2011,

Westlife singer Mark Feehily plans to get married next year.

Feehily has been engaged to 27-year-old Kevin McDaid for almost two years after popping the question on their fifth anniversary.

The 31-year-old star told the Irish Daily Mirror: 'We plan to get married as soon as possible but it's about finding a gap to do it. It will definitely be next year. We want to do it as soon as we possibly can, but we want it to be right as well.'

Feehily wants to make sure every part of his big day is perfect, something he didn't have time to plan while he was busy working with the boyband.

He said: 'It's finding the time and doing it right. We've no reason to rush it or say, 'Let's just f***ing pick any church or hotel or venue in the country'.

'You really don't have time to plan. We've pretty much got the time to be getting on with the wedding now.'

,,,,,,,,,,

Westlife's Shane Filan: Louis Walsh was behind fake stories about us

Westlife singer Shane Filan, 32, talks to Metro about why the band decided to split, the worst gig they've ever played and why he suspects Louis Walsh was behind some of the group's most ridiculous stories.

Westlife's Shane Filan reveals why the band decided to break up
..Why did you decide to split up?

It?s been 14 years as a band, the Greatest Hits (album) was coming up, we?ve been talking about it for a year and thought it was better to end it on a high. The tour should be massive and it?s better we were honest with the fans now rather than tell them when the tour finishes.

Was it a difficult decision?

Yes, it was a massive thing. We?ve been in the band for half our lives. It?s given us the life we have and meant we can provide for our families. We could keep it going if we wanted to but every year we enjoyed it less and less, the past three years especially.

What bits weren?t you enjoying?

Just keeping it going. Making new albums, trying to get things to a level we wanted to be at. We haven?t had any bad years but we weren?t getting any better or bigger.

What will you miss the most?

The live performances. The adrenaline of performing on stage to a crowd ? there?s nothing like it.

What have been the highlights?

Playing our national stadium, Croke Park, in 2008 and we?ll be doing it again for two nights next year. Our first night there sold out in four minutes.

You?re renowned for sitting on stools singing ballads ? were you a fan of the music you were making?

When we started, we wanted to be like the Backstreet Boys but Simon Cowell was adamant we had to be different and there weren?t any other bands singing ballads. We had seven ballads in a row before we released Uptown Girl. They were going to No.1, so people liked it. Songs such as Flying Without Wings and Swear It Again are hard to come by. We?ve made 12 albums in 14 years and finding those songs every year was getting harder.

Were you frustrated with the material you were given?

Not at the start but towards the middle, we were being given lots of covers. We were striving to get the original songs but they weren?t there like they used to be. Our fans liked us doing covers so there?s no point knocking it.

What?s the worst gig you?ve done?

A gig in Germany around six years ago. It was 5,000 capacity and 500 people turned up. I was like: ?We?re not that big in Germany, are we lads?? We concentrated more on northern Europe and Britain after that. We still sell 100,000 albums there but to be big there you need to sell a million.

What lessons has the music industry taught you?

It?s very cut-throat. You?re only as good as your last album. You need to work hard, keep your head down and don?t lose your focus ? we could have easily lost the plot but we didn?t. If you have the songs, you?ll have a big career. If you don?t, you won?t.

What?s the most ridiculous story your manager, Louis Walsh, placed in the press about you?

Louis will deny to the last he?s had anything to do with any of those stories but I suspect he did. There was one that I?d broken my back and was in a wheelchair ? that was on the front page of one tabloid. The reality was I?d fallen off stage in Asia on to a drum kit. I?d hurt myself but that became exaggerated a bit. There was one that Kian was chased by lion. I think that came from us going on a safari in Africa and a lion came up to the van ? we were covered by a cage ? and growled at us. If a lion had chased Kian it would have eaten him. You just have to laugh at it.

Does Westlife have a typical fan?

The record company did a survey to find out who our demographic is and it turns out most of our fans are aged 44 to 64. We thought it was around the thirties. We were quite surprised but when you go to our shows you see we have older fans, which might be why we?ve been around for so long. They?re not teenagers who?ll grow out of us. It was mothers bringing their kids rather than kids bringing their mothers.

What?s the audience like?

Great ? there?s lots of hen parties, ten women in a row wearing wigs and having fun. Performing is the best part of the job. We walk over on the frames and are ten feet from the fans, and they?re 50 years old, pulling their tops down, screaming like teenagers. Maybe it makes them feel like teeny-boppers again.

What?s been your most extravagant purchase?

A four-seater helicopter. I used it for a year-and-a-half before I had children. I didn?t like taking my daughter in it so I sold it. It was pretty cool to have it for a while. I?ve been through the cars. Me, Nicky and Brian went out and bought Ferraris one day. I bought a black 550 Maranello. We were only 23. It was one of the best days of my life.

What plans have you got for after the band split up?

I?d like to keep singing ? whether that?s small or big. To stop singing for a living would break my heart. I?m not rushing into anything. Hopefully I?ll have something sorted out when the tour finishes.

................

Westlife Get Nostalgic in 'Beautiful World' Music VideoAdd CommentDecember 16, 2011 07:19:05 GMT

Shane Filan and his bandmates reflect their journey to becoming a worldwide music sensation in this newly-premiered music video.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Westlife are looking back at their heyday in a music video for their single "Beautiful World". The cameras follow the boys from Ireland as they travel around the globe to perform for their screaming fans. Compiling footage from the past years throughout their career, it additionally highlights their bromance on and off stage.

The boyband list "Beautiful World" in their latest "Greatest Hits" album. They will follow up the release of the compilation CD by hitting the road for a final tour before going their separate ways. "We see the greatest hits collection and the farewell tour as the perfect way to celebrate our incredible career along with our fans," so they stated.

To bid goodbye to their loyal fans, the Irish boyband will kick off the tour in Newcastle in May 2012, and will stay on the road at least until summer. "We would like to thank our fans who have been with us on this amazing journey and are part of our family too," they gushed. "It has been a dream come true for all of us."

''''''''''''''

Kian Egan Is A Dad

Westlife star Kian Egan received an early Christmas present on Tuesday (20Dec11) - his girlfriend gave birth to their first child.

Egan and his partner Jodi Albert, who performs with girl band Wonderland, are now the proud parents to baby boy Koa.

In a post on his Twitter.com page, the Irish singer writes, "Our Little baby Boy Koa was born today at 6.10pm. Jodi Albert is an amazing woman. Love them both so much. Both doing amazing, so proud."

...........

Shane Filan will be most successful after Westlife split, predicts Louis Walsh
By Lynne Kelleher, Irish Daily Mirror 19/12/2011
And the X Factor judge said the 32-year-old is the only one of the four who will remain in his stable of acts when they go their separate ways after 14 years together.

He said: "I'm going to manage Shane Filan. He's going for the Michael Buble market. They're all good but I can only manage one. I love Shane's voice. I love Mark's voice too.

"The other boys, Kian and Nicky, are going to do TV and different stuff and radio. They are going out on a high.

"Shane is going to be a big artist. I will only manage someone if I believe in them. If I get someone amazing I will manage them."

Westlife star Mark Feehily looks to solo future as band call it quits

2012 may or may not bring about the end of civilisation, as predicted by the ancient Mayan calendar.

However, it’s absolutely certain the summer will see the end of an era for one of Ireland’s most popular musical exports of all time, when Westlife call it a day.

The foursome – since Brian McFadden departed – find themselves contemplating life outside the band that’s taken them around the world for 14 years.

Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne have no idea which of them will go on to be solo superstars, and which – if any – will fade into obscurity, happily or otherwise.

Mark said: “I don’t think anybody could have predicted Cheryl Cole would have the most successful solo career out of Girls Aloud.

“It’s only when we all go off and make music that it will be a bit more apparent who will be successful or not.”

Mark is the guy most would put their money on. With one of the strongest voices in the band, striking looks, a likeable nature and having already written some of the material on previous albums, he appears to have a head start.

He admitted he’s keen to carve out a name for himself once the band finally stops performing, following a greatest hits tour in the summer.

He said: “I’ve been creative since I was 13 and recently I’ve been applying it a bit more. I’ve written thousands of songs but they are hidden away on a hard drive.

“In the last few years I opened up a bit more about them and presented a demo to Westlife.

“They were immediately recorded and the boys put some tracks on the Where We Are album.

“Our last album has four new tracks on it and I have written the last song we will release, Beautiful World.”

Mark, 31, is determined to continue with a musical career once he and his bandmates part ways.

He explained: “I’m a singer and will always want to make music. I didn’t want Westlife to end so I could make a solo record, but it is something I will do now.

“I’ve got a million ideas, a very creative brain. In order to be happy in life I’m going to have to create.”

Of course, Westlife are not the first boyband to split up, and the road ahead can be tough for members flying solo.

Having witnessed the hardships endured by members of East 17 and 5ive, after failing to relight the fires of success, Mark is determined that he and each of his bandmates are not headed for oblivion.

He asserted: “We’re all very driven people. If anything, we are more now that we have to push ourselves individually.

“Some people run off to the distance and you never see them again.

“They have a big stint at the top and then you see some random picture of them with a two-foot beard living in obscurity.

“We are more driven than ever. We are all just over the age of 30 now. A lot of people speak to us as though we are already dead but we are just moving on from Westlife.

“Each of us, hopefully, will have beautiful, flowery careers ahead.”

Most of his bandmates are champing at the bit to try their hand at new adventures but Mark admits Kian may take more time than others to readjust.

He explained: “The only person who wants to go off and completely get away and relax is Kian.

“He’s already a coach on The Voice in Ireland and he has just had a kid. Part of him wants to completely get away, step away from the business and enjoy his child.

“We took a year off three years ago and it was horrible for Kian because he suffered a terrible misfortune during that time.

“His dad passed away, which put a dark cloud over the year for him.

“He wasn’t able to relax and do a bit of soul searching like the rest of us.

“I think he’ll definitely relax and go away for a while, but Kian is also very driven.”

Making the final decision to split was not easy for anyone but it came after months of rumours about the band.

Mark is keen to reassure Westlife fans that there was never any animosity among them.

He said: “That is something we are stressing a lot.

“There was no incident or episode where someone said: ‘That’s it. I’m f***ing out of here’.

“There was no sensational moment. It’s something that manifested over years. It was more an idea of calling it a day and moving on to new adventures for all of us.

“Everyone’s mind was eventually on the same page.

“We’ve had an amazing 14 years but it’s time for something new. We didn’t want it to dwindle away and for the magic to have gone from it.

“The tour we are about to do, our farewell tour, is the biggest tour we’ll have ever done in our career.

“We are going out on top, not staying around like an unwanted guest at the end of the party.”

As Mark insisted that the boys’ plans to split are not a publicity stunt, quashing hopes that they have secret plans for a big reunion three years down the line, he revealed a new string to his bow.

Though his secret new project is still in its infancy, the excitement in his voice was clear.

He enthused: “I’ve been asked to write a musical by an amazing person in London.

“It’s somebody I really admire and it’s to do something like Boy George’s Taboo musical, which he wrote about 20 years ago. It’s an updated newer version and it’s not completely commercial mainstream – a jazz hands musical like Grease – but a bit more off the centre with a mixture of indie, pop music and Broadway.

“That’s always been something I’ve been interested in and I’m flattered that I’ve been asked to be involved with some people I really admire. But nothing exists yet.

“It’s all just talk but it’s very exciting to even be talking about it.”

Before anything can be done, however, the boys will lay to rest their collective status, their career together culminating in a farewell tour that will see them play 90 dates in the UK and Ireland.

Mark’s eyes twinkled, partly in sadness, part in excitement, as he added: “It’s going to be a sad day, but it’s also a celebration of 14 years together and 14 years of touring.

“It’s not all doom and gloom.

“We want to have fun and Scotland has an absolutely electric crowd who always scream very well.”

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Why Kian and Jodi won't show off new baby Koa to fans

Thursday December 22 2011

WESTLIFE'S Kian Egan and wife Jodi Albert have signed a six-figure deal with OK! magazine to feature their new baby.

Jodi gave birth to their first child, Koa, on Tuesday but the lad will have wasted little time before earning a first pay cheque.

The Herald can reveal how the delighted couple have signed a deal for an 'at home' shoot after signing a two-part deal with the UK glossy.

The young tot was born in Sligo General Hospital at 6.10pm on December 20 -- two weeks earlier than planned.

Over the next few days, the couple will take home their precious little bundle as they move into their new house in Sligo. It includes a state-of-the art baby room as they enjoy their first Christmas as parents.

And a source explained how Kian (31) and Jodi (28) have signed a follow-on deal with the publication, understood to be a "six figure sum", and will be keeping the baby under wraps until the interview comes out.

"They'll probably do the pics in January and this is a follow on to the previous spread they did on her pregnancy," she said. "They're just really happy and looking forward to going back to their new home with Koa, just in time for Christmas.

"They are doing brilliantly and Kian's just thrilled to bits. They've received so many nice messages from fans around the world - at one stage Koa was trending on Twitter."

Last September saw the couple, who married in 2009 in the Caribbean, posing for pics and doing an interview with OK! as they revealed their excitement about becoming first time parents. They first found out she was pregnant on April 29, the same day as Kian's birthday and the Royal Wedding.

A proud Kian, a mentor on RTE's The Voice Of Ireland texted the good news to friends and family before announcing the news on Twitter saying: "Our little baby boy Koa was born today at 6.10 pm. Jodi Albert is an amazing woman. Love them both so much. Both doing amazing, so proud."

He then added: "Wow thanks guys. Amazing to see our little boy Koa is trending in the UK! And he's only a few hrs old!!!"

His bandmates Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne and Mark Feehily were quick to follow suit as they sent their own messages of congratulations, as did wives Gillian Filan and Georgina Byrne.

Egan recently spoke of his excitement about becoming a first time dad. "I honestly can't wait for Jodi to give birth. I want to do everything -- nappies, feeds, whatever Jodi needs."

Kian will now be able to spend lots of time with his son as Westlife are set to disband after a greatest hits album and a farewell tour next spring which will culminate in Croke Park in Dublin on June 23.

The name 'Koa' is a traditional Hawaiian name meaning 'brave' or 'warrior' and could stem from Kian's much-publicised love of surfing.

Kian revealed that the couple had first come across the unusual moniker in a baby-name list and the pair both really liked it.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

The boys from Westlife, Nicky, Kian, Mark and Shane, performed one of their last ever international dates before going their separate ways.

"The car needs a re-spray," said lead singer Shane Filan, his age the only thing allowing the cheesy metaphor to fly. "We're the same body but with a clean new look. I think that's what people want to see. They wanna see a clean new thing," he added with a cheeky Irish chuckle.

''''''''''''''

Westlife: "Greatest Hits"

Dear Westlife fans, be strong, because this is it. “Greatest Hits” is the final release of the Irish boy band that first crooned its way into young girls’ hearts in 1998. The band announced it would split after its farewell tour in 2012. As part of that farewell, the band performed in Jakarta in October. While for some this may feel like the end of an era, others are probably just shrugging their shoulders.

This album is the band’s second compilation of greatest hits, following the 2002 release of “Unbreakable.” As a parting gift, Westlife provides four new songs on this last album: “Lighthouse,” “Beautiful World,” “Wide Open” and “Last Mile of the Way.”

Right off the bat, however, the order of the songs is a mistake, because we have to go through all the old stuff (“Swear It Again,” “My Love” ) before we finally get to listen to the new material. This is a shame because the new songs, which start at track 15, are quite charming, especially “Lighthouse” and “Beautiful World,” when listened to individually. But in the context of the album as a whole, they simply disappear.

Still, “Greatest Hits” is an appropriate goodbye. It couldn’t have been an easy decision to call it quits after more than a decade together, but as the band sings in the last track of the album, appropriately “Last Mile of the Way”: “It’s time to move on now so don’t be afraid/ We should remember the roles that we played/ Whether the future has dark or bright days/ I will still love you to the last mile of the way.”

'lllllllllll

Westlife concerned over split
Tuesday 27 December 2011

Westlife star Mark Feehily has admitted the quartet worried that no one would care that they were going their separate ways in 2012.

Speaking to the Irish Daily Star, Feehily said: "We were worried about saying we were splitting up.

"But we've just found out that our tour is going to be the biggest tour we've ever done... So thankfully people - well, our fans - care."

However, he said the members of the group are worried about the future.

"It is bittersweet because the reaction has been fantastic but we still have to face the unknown which is scary. We're walking into the dark - we've got no idea what's facing us," he said.

The 31-year-old said he wants to stay in the music business, but fears he'll never be a solo success.

"Ultimately people are going to look at whatever we do as either complete flops or successes," he said.

"You just have to be positive with yourself and try to do something good."

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Kian and Jodi join celebrity baby boom with son Koa
Wednesday December 21 2011

THE celebrity baby boom has hit a new high with Westlife's Kian Egan welcoming a pre-Christmas bundle of joy.

The Herald can reveal how the chart-topping singer and wife Jodi Albert (28) are "over the moon" after she gave birth to a baby boy in Sligo General Hospital.

The 8lbs 2oz tot's arrival was an early Christmas present for the thrilled couple, given that the baby wasn't due until New Year's Day.

And in keeping with celebrity tradition, they have opted for an unusual name for their first child -- Koa .

Proud dad Kian said in a text message how "both mum and baby are doing great. We are so happy".

Jodi now joins a string of well-known personalities who have become mums lately, including former No Frontiers presenter Jenny Buckley and TV3 anchors Aisling O'Loughlin, Anna Daly and Andrea Hayes.

And the surge in births will continue into the New Year with socialite Virginia Macari and actress Rachel Kavanagh set to welcome their additions in the coming weeks. Former Xpose presenter Sybil Mulcahy is due to give birth in March and singer Andrea Corr is expecting in April.

The Herald Diary also reveals today how TV3 news anchor Colette Fitzpatrick is three months pregnant with her second child.

Shortly after the arrival of his first child, Kian (31) posted a message on Twitter stating: "Our little baby boy Koa was born today at 6.10pm. Jodi is an amazing woman. Love them both so much. Both doing amazing, so proud."

Bandmate Shane Filan was quick to offer his congratulations, saying it was "fantastic news".

As revealed in this newspaper, Kian was so anxious to be with his heavily-pregnant wife that he jetted straight back after his band's performance at the X Factor last weekend.

The couple are expected to be inundated with offers from UK magazines clamouring to get the first 'at home' shots with the young family.

Speaking recently about the prospect of becoming a dad, Kian said he couldn't wait for the new chapter in his life.

The past few months have certainly been eventful for the couple, given that Jodi's band Wonderland were unexpectedly dropped by their record company Mercury last September.

The following month Kian and bandmates Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily, and Shane Filan drop the bombshell that Westlife were splitting after 14 years together. Kian recently signed up as one of the four mentors on new RTE talent show The Voice.

''''''''''

Westlife singer Mark Feehily splits from boyfriend Kevin McDaid after seven years

Westlife star Mark Feehily announced today that he and partner Kevin McDaid have split after seven years together.
The singer, 31, took to Twitter today to reveal the news to fans, calling their time together 'amazing.'

He wrote: 'Sadly, Kevin & I are no longer together. We've had an amazin 7 yrs & are both so thankful for the love & support u have shown us from the start.
Split: Westlife star Mark Feehily and his boyfriend Kevin McDaid have announced that they have broken up
'We won't be answering any questions about this as its a very private matter. Thanks in advance for understanding that. Lots of love, Mx.'

Westlife's Feehily and partner split

The family of Westlife's Mark Feehily were said yesterday to be devastated by the split between the singer and his fiance, Kevin McDaid.

"It's all off and it's such a pity because Mark's family really liked Kevin," a family friend in Sligo told the Sunday Independent yesterday. "They thought he was a nice chap who was very good for Mark."

Another source said the family were "deeply disappointed" as they were "incredibly fond" of Kevin.

It was to have been the showbusiness wedding of 2012, but instead, the couple went their separate ways over the Christmas holidays after seven years together. And yesterday there were unconfirmed reports that Mark has met someone new since the break-up -- an Englishman who was described as "very nice, very mannerly and of independent means".

But a spokesperson for Mark Feehily denied that the singer was involved with anyone new or that anyone else had been involved in the break-up.

The 31-year-old pop star had been engaged to Mr McDaid, 27, for nearly two years after popping the question on their fifth anniversary as a couple. But this weekend, friends close to Westlife comfirmed: "It's all off".

Although an official spokesperson denied that Mark was seeing someone new, a source has said the singer is now being linked to "a very well-to-do guy" living in the UK.

After Mr Feehily discovered that this newspaper was to run the story, he released an official statement on Twitter yesterday evening, telling fans: "Sadly, Kevin and I are no longer together. We've had an amazing seven years and are both so thankful for the love and support you have shown us from the start."

The sensational news will shock Westlife fans, who were looking forward to the lavish showbiz wedding of 2012.

The split is a major shock for close friends of the handsome singer, who recently spoke about how he planned to get married to his long-term love "as soon as possible".

As recently as November, the loved-up singer had said: "It will definitely be next year. We want to do it as soon as we possibly can."

But this weekend a source confirmed the split while another friend close to Mark's family explained that the news was well known locally, saying: "People know back in his home town of Sligo.."

A source close to the singer explained: "Nobody likes going through something like this in the public eye. They are trying to keep it quiet and deal with it in their own way but it's all off. It's heartbreaking, it's upsetting, but that's the way these things go sometimes, unfortunately."

In recent days, Kevin deleted his Twitter account and has been keeping a low profile to deal with the heartbreak.

Speaking in recent weeks, Mark had explained why the pair had yet to pick a date for their big day.

"We've been so committed to Westlife that while we've had big gaps when we're not working, you have to plan so far in advance for a wedding."

Last year, the singer also revealed how he wanted to become a father some day by adopting a child with his partner. Speaking to reporters at the time, the Sligo-born singer said: "I'd like to think I'd be a good dad. It's the dream for me that surpasses everything else, to nurture and to bring up a kid and try and teach them all the right things."

The couple first laid eyes on each other backstage at the Cheerios Childline Concert in 2005 when Westlife and V, which Kevin used to be a member of, both performed at the event. Mark had been dating Kevin ever since he announced in 2005 that he was gay. At the time, he said: "I'm gay and I'm very proud of who I am. I'm not asking for sympathy, or to be a role model to anyone else."

Speaking at the time about the happiness he had found with Kevin, he said: "I've found someone who is a real companion. It does get lonely being on the road with the band sometimes and I'm very happy now. I'm in a relationship with someone who makes me laugh."

THEIR decision to rule out a comeback has left fans devastated.

But Westlife's Kian Egan said the reason they're so adamant about never getting back together, is to prove to fans it's no gimmick - they're ready to get on with their lives.

Speaking exclusively to OK.co.uk after Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Nicky Byrne and Kian shocked the world of pop by announcing their split, Kian told us that following the Farewell 2012 tour - Westlife will be over for good.

"The reason why [the split sounded] so strong was because we didn't want people to think this was a break-up gimmick," he explained.

"That's why we're saying this is it, this is the final thing. Next year's tour really is it. We're not all of a sudden going to do a reunion in two or three years time.

"We want to go away and get on with our lives."

And while their decision has left their fans reeling, Kian said it "felt good" to finally break the news.

Westlife have reassured fans that their announcement to split after 14 years was a "united decision".

The Irish group will go their separate ways following the release of their Greatest Hits album next month and their farewell tour in 2012.

Since they revealed plans to disband Westlife, the four-piece have been surrounded by speculation that they split over a difference in opinion over where to take their sound.

However, Westlife have now denied the rumours through their official Facebook page.

"We wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone for their kind words and support since making our announcement," they said.

"Our fans continue to be the best support system we could ever hope for and we thank each and every one of you."

They continued: "The support we have felt over the last couple of days gives us all strength as we look forward to our new individual paths in life and we all feel excited about the next chapters that we are embarking on.

"We know it doesn't make for a good story but regardless of what you might read in the papers this was wholeheartedly a united decision.

"Obviously there is already a huge amount of speculation as to what exactly is next for us all, but until you hear it from us it remains just that; speculation."

The boyband concluded the message by revealing plans to do fan Q&A sessions next month, where they will explain their plans further.

Westlife will release their new single 'Lighthouse' on November 13, while their Greatest Hits collection will follow on November 21.

ITV1 will be welcoming, Westlife: For The Last Time, in a farewell special featuring one of the biggest-selling boy bands in music over the last decade.

This unique one-off music spectacular will mark Westlife’s final TV appearance as the pop giants take to the stage to sing some of their greatest hits.

Over the past 14 years Westlife have had a staggering 26 top ten hits including 14 number one singles and 11 top five albums. They have had countless awards and sold over 44 million records worldwide.

Westlife: For The Last Time will feature exclusive interviews with key figures in their story as well as archive footage which will provide a unique insight into the life of this world renowned band.

Guaranteed to be the hottest ticket in town, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Westlife for the final time, as the global superstars perform their biggest hits live in front of a studio audience.

London, Nov 6 (ANI): Disbanded boyband Westlife have not heard a word from their former boss Simon Cowell after the group decided to go separate ways.

The TV magnate does not seem bothered that the Irish boys have hung their boots despite increasing his bulging bank balance by millions over the past 14 years.

“No, we’ve not heard anything from Simon at all, the Daily Star quoted one of the group’s singers Kian Egan as saying.

“We aren’t on his label anymore and I’m sure he’s really busy in America, so I’m just guessing he hasn’t had a chance,” he added. (ANI)

Band member Nicky Byrne has revealed that the Mayo man is "devastated" by their plans to break up next year.

Byrne said: "We're worried we'll have to set up a helpline for Louis because he wasn't happy about it all."

He added: "He is devastated - genuinely. We met with him a few different times and he said 'You're your own guys but I don't think you should break up but it's not my decision.'"

Nicky further explained that Louis is still refusing to accept that the band will go their separate ways in 2012 after 14 years together.

Speaking to The Irish Daily Star newspaper he said: "We did a show the other night, a show to be aired at Christmas, billed as our last TV show and I said to Louis, 'So how are you feeling?' he said 'I don't want to talk about it'."

The Flying Without Wings singer added: "So he's not there yet, but he understands."

Brian McFadden Not Making Appearance On Westlife Tour

Irish boyband Westlife have settled the score on the Brian McFadden reunion speculation – saying that there’s no chance fans will be seeing him back with the group on their farewell tour.

The band parted ways with their fifth member in 2004, and continued to tour and write material without him. Now they’ve secured their most lucrative tour deal so far, which they’ve planned to make their farewell tour, some fans were speculating (and hoping) that McFadden could make a comeback and return from his solo career to sing with his old makes once again – until Kian Egan told the Daily Mirror that it wouldn’t be happening.

“Some people do look at it like that,” Egan explained, “but the four of us have spent the past eight years working our asses off to keep it together. And he hasn’t.” He went on to say that if the five of them were to ever singer together again, it would be at an intimate gig – or during a drinking session. “Maybe a random gig. Or we could just get drunk together.”

Westlife embark on their final ever tour together next year in May. If you’re a fan, you simply cannot miss your chance to see the band before they call time on their illustrious, 14-year career. So make sure you check the dates and details below and grab yourself a ticket.

Westlife UK & Ireland Tour Dates are as follows:

Mon May 14th 2012 - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Tue May 15th 2012 - Echo Arena Liverpool, Liverpool
Thu May 17th 2012 - Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Fri May 18th 2012 - Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Sat May 19th 2012 - Sheffield Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
Sun May 20th 2012 - NEC - LG Arena, Birmingham
Tue May 22nd 2012 - Nottingham Arena, Nottingham
Wed May 23rd 2012 - The O2 Arena, London
Thu May 24th 2012 - The O2 Arena, London
Sat May 26th 2012 - Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester
Sun May 27th 2012 - Glasgow SECC, Glasgow
Tue June 5th 2012 - Nottingham Arena, Nottingham
Thu June 7th 2012 - The O2 Arena, London
Fri June 8th 2012 - NEC - LG Arena, Birmingham
Sat June 9th 2012 - Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester
Mon June 11th 2012 - Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Tue June 12th 2012 - Sheffield Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
Wed June 13th 2012 - Echo Arena Liverpool, Liverpool
Fri June 15th 2012 - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Sat June 16th 2012 - Glasgow SECC, Glasgow
Sun June 17th 2012 - Glasgow SECC, Glasgow
Fri June 22nd 2012 - Croke Park Stadium, Dublin
Sat June 23rd 2012 - Croke Park Stadium, Dublin

Westlife sign in for special Glasgow date

IRISH group Westlife will spark a rush by fans when they make a special visit to a Glasgow store next week.

The group, who have announced they will split next year, will be at HMV, Buchanan Street, on Monday morning.

Thousands of fans are expected to turn up in the hope of seeing Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan, who will be signing copies of their Greatest Hits CD from 9am.

By Melanie Finn

'\\\\\\
Saturday November 12 2011

TOP boyband The Wanted have revealed their delight at supporting Westlife at their final gig in Croke Park next year.

And they said they're hoping to steal some of the chart-topping boybands' fans when they finally step down after 14 years.

"It's awesome that we're supporting them," said Irish star Siva Kaneswaran.

"As soon as we got into Dublin, we were told that Westlife had sold out Croke Park so that's great news for the support act.

"When we got confirmed as the support for their final gig, we went 'Yes' because all their fans are going to be like, 'Oh no, what am I doing to do now without Westlife?' and then we'll walk on stage. We've solved the problem for them."

Made up of Dubliner Siva, Nathan Sykes, Tom Parker, Max George and Jay McGuinness, they have made a big splash internationally supporting stars like Britney Spears and Justin Bieber.

And the Glad You Came stars said they will always look up to fellow boyband Westlife for how to do things right.

"I think anyone would love to replicate their success," said Nathan Sykes. "They're really humble and down-to-earth."

- Melanie Finn

THE next 12 months are going to be very interesting and exciting in the Westlife camp.

Not only do we have lots of songs we feel are strong enough to be singles off our latest album Gravity, there’s our arena tour in March, plus we are nearly out of our recording contract with Simon Cowell’s Syco label.

Are we gonna stay for a million pound contract? That’s the million dollar question. We’ll have to see as it’s all about doing what’s right.

Musically, we feel stronger than ever but it’s all about how it’s marketed.

We know we’re releasing Beautiful Tonight next but we want to emulate someone like Pink and release four or five tracks from this album.

The Reason should be one as we want to show people the variety on the album.

Over the last few years there’s just been one single based around Christmas and that’s a Syco thing to be honest.

The Westlife formula has to change and we want to do things differently because we love this album.

We don’t wanna release one song and then be like “see you later”.

Internationally, the ballads haven’t been working for us, so with the new single we’re hoping to get back in there.

But we don’t think you’ll see us at the festivals, unless it’s Kian in a corner drunk.

We’re not sure whether festival audiences are Westlife audiences but the pop tent at the Isle Of Wight festival would be good.

If our schedule allows, we’re up for it – bring it on.

Pictures: Mark, Nicky & Shane leaving London hotel

Westlife part ways with Simon Cowell

Date: 14 March 2011

Westlife

Westlife have parted ways with Simon Cowell after working with him for 13 years.

Westlife have left Simon Cowell's record label Syco.

The Irish boyband parted company with the music mogul - who they have worked with for over 13 years - and signed a new deal with rival record label Sony RCA amid rumours they were unhappy with how their latest album 'Gravity' was marketed.

Singer Nicky Byrne confirmed the split in a tweet reading: "Truth is, yes, we have moved on from Syco records after a fantastic 13 years. But it is time for a change and it's very exciting."

His bandmate, Mark Feehily, added: "'Gravity' is the last album for us to make with Simon Cowell and his label. We love and respect him and thank him for his part in Westlife."

Although it has been reported the band - which also includes Shane Filan and Kian Egan - were upset when Simon refused to release a track they favoured from 'Gravity' as a single, Westlife manager Louis Walsh denied the band were unhappy with Simon's direction.

He said: "The move is a natural progression. There is no bad feeling."

Simon originally signed the band to Sony BMG in 1998 and they moved with him to his own label Syco label - also part of the Sony group - in 2002.

Westlife boys are up for the craic on the three-day Liverpool party

Westlife sure do love the craic ...

so much so they extended their stay in Liverpool to turn their St Patrick's Day celebration into a major hoolie.

They arrived two days ahead of their ECHO arena show so they could celebrate Ireland's patron saint's day in style.

according to Insider's Guinness-loving spy,

it seems they did just that after going on a marathon bar and club trail.

They warmed up with a shopping spree at Liverpool One and The Metquarter,

where Kian treated his wife,

ex-Hollyoaks actress now a singer with tour support girlband Wonderland Jodi Albert.

Having worked up an appetite,

the lads and girls headed for a meal at San Carlo before going back to the Hope Street hotel where they got ready to hit the town.

The only missing person was Westlife's Mark Feehily

who was staying at the Malmaison hotel instead,

along with his partner and his two pet dogs,

as pooches aren't allowed at the Hope Street venue.

They all met up for a quick pint at the Philharmonic pub before moving on to a string of bars including Walkabout on Concert Square,

where they joined in the fun at the St Patrick's Day party.

Westlife's

Kian Egan and Mark Feehily at Alma de CubaClearly in the Irish spirit, it was then on to Mood Bar, O'Neills and Pogue Mahone's.

A fellow drinker tells Insider:

We were surprised when we were told Westlife were in drinking, we don't usually have celebs in here,

but they were really enjoying themselves.

After a late night it was no wonder the band didn't emerge from their hotel rooms until 5pm the next day and spent it relaxing in the hotel's restaurant with coffees.

Restored, the boys and a few of the Wonderland girls all headed off for a meal at Alma De Cuba, where they happily posed for pictures.

The gang didn't leave until around 3am, although our source did spot Shane Phelan causing quite a stir in Passion and G-Bar later.

They were still up bright and early to sound check for their show the next day, even squeezing in a post-show party in the hotel bar along with a few friends and family members.

Despite having a show the next day in Glasgow the boys clearly didn't want to leave Liverpool they persuaded their management to let them stay in the city until around 2pm before catching a flight to Scotland.

Concert review: Westlife at Birmingham LG Arena
Saturday 26th March 2011, 11:29AM GMT.
Westlife at LG Arena, Birmingham
Westlife
LG Arena, Birmingham
Concert review by Helen Cartwright

Fans went wild for Westlife as the Irish popstars made a triumphant return in front of a devoted crowd.

Their followers may be a little older these days but they have lost none of their passion and turned up decked out with banners, decorated T-shirts, Irish flags, glow sticks and even the odd tiara and cowboy hat.

Both young and old arrived at Birmingham's LG Arena last night to dance the night away for the show stopping spectacular.

The band had promised they would be performing some of their songs from when they were young whippersnappers first starting out and their set list certainly did not disappoint their faithful crowd.

It is an impressive set of statistics 12 years, 11 albums and 44 million sales. But Westlife are showing no signs of flagging.

From the moment the band were lowered onto the stage in chairs suspended from the roof of the LG Arena for the opening number No One's Gonna Sleep Tonight it was clear the band have lost none of their passion to perform over the years.

With 14 number ones under their belt it is fair to say the Irish quartet had a decent back catalogue to pick from but this wasn't a show that went through the motions.

The stools they were so partial to sitting down on in their early years have given way to bright lights and a crazy stage featuring giant inflatable apples.

No money was spared when it came to the set, which boasted flames, ticker tape and even a moving bench which lifted the band over the middle of the audience.

Westlife pulled out some of their biggest hits including Uptown Girl and of course Flying Without Wings. The likes of JLS can only hope to be filling out stadiums like the LG Arena 10 years into their career.

They also performed their first singel
their upcoming tune Starlight and an impressive acoustic version of Adele's Rolling in the Deep.

Tesco worker Jodie Berrow, aged 22, from Davis Avenue, in Tipton said the show was one of the best she has seen and added: I love everything about them, they are really good brilliant entertainers.

She went along with aunt Samantha Berrow 39, from Hales Road in Wednesbury, her 15-year-old daughter Steph Berrow and friend Louise Mitchell, also 15.

Samantha said Flying Without Wings and What Makes A Man were her favourite songs and added: I have been a fan for a long time they have got the whole package.

The show was somewhat of a family affair with the mother, sister and wife of Shane singing along in the audience while the wife of Kian Egan, former Hollyoaks star Jodi Albert, was part of support act Wonderland, a girl band managed by Kian and The X Factor judge Louis Walsh.

Ahlan! Exclusive: Westlife Interview Nicky Byrne on Westlife's new direction and being abandoned by Simon Cowell

Westlife have been topping the charts for over a decade and with nearly 50 million albums sold, one of the World's most successful boybands shows no sign of giving up. After walking out on Simon Cowell's label Syco records last month, the band are already working on new material with record giants RCA to rival the likes of Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Britney Spears and Katy Perry.

When Ahlan! Editor Nathan Kay caught up with band patriarch Nicky Byrne this week, he admitted, Pop music is moving on and when you look at someone like Lady Gaga she is the new Madonna. You've got to try and cling onto that as much as you can. Hopefully the new producers we are working with this year can come up with something a little bit of a step up from what we did last year. Not necessarily up tempo but great songs.

We have been tarnished with a very ballad brush but I'm not the boring guy who likes dressing in a suit and sitting on a stool so I'm not sure why we developed into that. It's not always about recording a ballad and only a ballad. If we are going to keep up with the big pop stars then we have to think outside of the box and that's what we're doing now with our new team.

After 13 years under the supervision of music maestro Simon Cowell, one would have thought that with his vast knowledge of the industry he would be able to guide the boys in the right direction but not according to Nicky: We signed to Simon back in 1998 and he was brilliant but then came the development of X Factor and American Idol. Simon became famous himself and his interests went that way rather than on Westlife. We almost felt a little bit unloved with Simon Cowell, if I was to be honest.

We need someone in A&R telling you that's going to be a hit or not. We had it with Simon but he got so busy and would do it at the very last minute and we needed someone who was on it all the time. We have that now as we've just moved across from Syco records to RCA so it's a different team. It's their job to put us in with the right producers and co-writers so if it goes wrong then there's someone to blame but if it goes right then happy days. We're in that position now where we have someone working on it full time.

Two years ago, the band reached a point where they had to take a break and re-evaluate their focus and direction. It's now an ideal time for the boys to get their teeth stuck into their careers and give it their best shot with RCA. Nicky admits, The break was well needed but it was only a year so it wasn't like when Boyzone or Take That had a break and then got back together. Nobody did any work and we just thought lets not have an album out this year and it worked well. Taking a year out set us up so that we can make a good go of it for two or three years then maybe take a break. We had What About Now which was a really big hit for us everywhere and we're on tour right now which sees us go all around the world and then across to Dubai.

Ahlan! magazine is a huge Westlife fan so we are as delighted as you guys that the band will be heading over to Dubai on Thursday April 14 as part of their Gravity tour. Luckily, Nicky is a fan of the UAE and can't wait to head out. It feels good to be back, it's been too long. It's an amazing part of the World and we can't wait. I remember last time we were there we did the concert in an open air park and it was pretty spectacular so coming back to the Middle East is very special. Nicky says.
So, with all of this new found vigour and excitement back in their careers are the band going to take advantage of recent media reports that former band member Brian McFadden will be rejoining the group?

Well, I always say never say never but some of the boys may have a different attitude on that. We certainly have no plans to do that and the reason why I say never say never is because I'm older now and things come and go and I would have no problems with hooking up with him again, at the right time and for the right reason, for a song, a tour, an album but that's yet to be discussed.

We're still friends but friends to the level of where we talk to each other on Twitter and have each others numbers. It's like having an old school friend but then again we all shared something that nobody else can understand. Therefore, doing something with Brian, I think, would be fun. I don't want to get to the stage when this is long gone and I think back and say why didn't we do anything with Brian. I know Brian is quite sentimental and I have spoken to him about things. He will text one of us or when we're chatting and say you got to go on Youtube and check out X, Y or Z and you see it and remember those times. At this point, Nicky's twin sons Rocco and Jay, with former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern's daughter Georgina, left, can be heard scrapping in the background and as he steps in to break up the fight, he admits, It's great being a dad. It's stressful as they get older, but it's great. They love coming to the shows and trying the songs and the moves.

As a dad I would love them to play football as that's what I did when I was growing up. Whatever they want to do, as long as they are strong, happy and healthy and we have a strong family unit then I'm happy with that.

Monday April 11 2011

WESTLIFE have ruled out any Take That-style reunion with 'prodigal son' Brian McFadden.

There's no immediate plans to welcome the former member back for a one-off performance, with the lads themselves admitting it's "unlikely" to happen.

While talking to the audience during one recent gig, their jokes about how they might bring out McFadden were met with a chorus of boos.

Nicky Byrne (31) has revealed how he "feels sorry" for Brian after his split from fiancee Delta Goodrem. None of the band members has heard from the Artane native after he confirmed his seven-year relationship was over.

Speaking for the first time about Brian's newly single status, Nicky said his sympathies would lie with him.

"I haven't actually heard from Brian at all. I like him and I genuinely feel sorry for him. I would never wish any badness on him. He's a nice guy, deep down," he said.

McFadden quit the band in 2004 to go solo, but failed to achieve the same success.

As Westlife finished a string of five sell-out dates in the O2 last night, Kian Egan also said they hadn't heard anything from Brian. "Not a word, not a text, not a tweet, nothing," he said. Asked if there was a possibility of working with Brian again, now his relationship with the Aussie crooner had run its course, he said it was unlikely.

"We really don't see it. Given that we're doing a Greatest Hits tour, there's obviously a little whisper of should we do something with Brian or not?" he explained.

"And who's to say we won't? I don't necessarily see it happening, it would have to be something really special and something small, not this big thing."

The co-manager of Wonderland also said how his heart went out to the former couple in the wake of their split.

"Of course, Delta and Brian are both lovely people and it's always sad to hear when a couple break down," he continued.

"Jodi [Albert] is a very good friend of Delta's and every time when we were around together, the four of us would go out and do something together. It is sad, I just hope they're both okay."

He went on to say how everything had been going "absolutely superb" for the boyband and the move to the new label had given them a huge boost.

"The O2 is a very special venue for us and we feel it's probably one of the best venues we've ever played. It's just the intimacy of it and the way it's laid out. It's just been amazing playing to the home crowds again," he continued.

"This year we have a platform that comes right out over the audience.

"We haven't done that since we were in the real boybandy phase of our career when we were jumping around in the white suits.

"You see older women going absolutely nuts, you can make a lot of eye contact with the audience and it's great to have that."

Irish pop superstars Westlife
will be among the lineup to perform for Queen Elizabeth in an evening celebrating Irish fashion, music and theatre during her state visit to Dublin next month

Last night a concert for the Queen Elizabeth took place at Dublin's Convention Centre and Westlife performed
You Raise Me

Fashion Kicks 2011 that includes Nicky, Georgina, Shane and Gillian on YouTube. It shows them arriving and you can also see Nicky and Shane talking to the camera

A number of Irish artists including Jedward and Westlife played to an estimated 60,000 people at College Green in Dublin this evening.

The musicians entertained athe crowd ahead of a speech by US president Barack Obama.

Rounding off the afternoon were Westlife. Kian Egan told the crowd "it was a very big honour to be singing for the president. The other day we sang for the queen and here we are again today. What an amazing week it has been for Ireland, and we're very proud to be Irish."

WESTLIFE are thrilled with their new RCA record deal after arguing with Simon Cowell’s label Syco.

Bosses refused to let Westlife release more than one single from an album.

So after 12 years, the manband have moved on to pastures new and will release a greatest hits album containing five new tracks later this year. The first single drops on August 14.

Kian Egan, 31, told me: “The new single is up-tempo and very different for Westlife. Mark Feehily co-wrote it with John Shanks.

“Simon’s company has become more about TV as the music industry is shrinking.

“We’d have arguments about wanting to release more than one single with Syco, and Simon wouldn’t even be involved. Leaving was the best decision for us.”

May 09,2011 Westlife seen leaving a business meeting in Central London, UK

Irish super-group Westlife are to release their Greatest Hits album on November 21st, it has been announced.

The band comment: “It’s almost hard to believe that we’ve been doing this for as long as we have. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and are looking forward to releasing our Greatest Hits as a special thank you to our fans who have supported us throughout our career.”

Wednesday, 14 September 2011 Written by Jon Stickler

Irish boy band Westlife are set to announce a new UK tour for May 2012!

After a hugely successful UK tour earlier this year, kings of the charts Westlife are understood to be hitting the road once again in May 2012 to wow audiences up and down the country.

Westlife are among the world's most prolific touring acts, with ten sell out tours already under their belts, including playing to a sell out crowd at the legendary Croke Park in Dublin. They have sold more tickets at London's Wembley Arena than any other act and have played a record number of dates there.

Westlife, who will release their 'Westlife: The Greatest Hits' album on November 21st, will be visiting some of the biggest venues in the country playing out their biggest hits including tracks form their recent albums 'Where We Are' and 'Gravity'. More tour dates are expected to be confirmed during the lead-up to the tour.

'Westlife: The Greatest Hits' will feature hits from the band's entire career so far and is released in the UK on November 21st 2011. Westlife have sold an astonishing 44 million albums since they formed in 1998.

The Westlife boys said: “It’s almost hard to believe that we’ve been doing this for as long as we have. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and are looking forward to releasing our Greatest Hits as a special thank you to our fans who have supported us throughout our career.”

There are two versions of the album available including a standard CD featuring the Greatest Hits plus brand new tracks as well as a 2CD/DVD deluxe version including the Greatest Hits, brand new tracks and video footage.

Westlife's 2012 UK tour dates will be announced at Stereoboard.com in the coming weeks!

Westlife Tickets are set to go onsale in October.

Westlife are releasing a single written by Gary Barlow as they preferred it to one of their own tracks.

Westlife releasing Gary Barlow track

Westlife
The group's Mark Feehily had penned a song called 'Beautiful World', which was due to be the lead single from their forthcoming 'Greatest Hits' compilation but at the last minute they ditched the song in favour of one given to them by the Take That star and his 'Patience' co-writer John Shanks.

Mark said: "It was literally up until a day ago that we were deciding between 'Lighthouse' and 'Beautiful World' for the first single but they went with 'Lighthouse' in the end.

"I wasn't too gutted though. Once I write the song I've written it. You can't get too attached and just have to hand it over and forget the fact that you've written it."

The group insist there is no rivalry between themselves and Take That and they think it is "cool" to have Gary write songs for them.

Mark told the Daily Star newspaper: "I love the idea of Gary writing for us and throwing all the rules out the window."

Nicky Byrne added: "Some people might think Gary would be seen as the competition but we don't at all. It's kind of cool he's written for us."

They love us, we love them back: Westlife performs before their Filipino fans in their fourth Manila concert

Coliseum.

The “Gravity Tour 2011” is surely one for the books, particularly to those who, as the Irish lads said, “got through grade school” listening to their hits that never goes old… even if the guys that recorded them did. Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne may be in their 30s now yet their connection to the Filipino audience remains as strong as when they started out in the late '90s, and even if it’s already their fourth concert here.

The jam-packed venue was filled with squeals, cheers, and colorful lights—even before the white curtain on the stage fell and revealed the group and even after they’ve left the platform—from the fans who sang their lungs out to their all-time favorite Westlife songs, as well as tracks from the group’s 11th studio album, “Gravity.”

Apparently, the feeling is mutual. The members of the million-record-selling boy band incessantly said their thanks yous to their beloved Filipino audience. Shane and Kian both declared that it was one of, if not, the best crowd they’ve had. And to cement that momentous event, Nicky and Kian took out their camera phones and captured videos of the crowd. It turned out, as the latter revealed, that they’re making a “video diary” for their family in Ireland.

In spite of the large venue,

the concert felt intimate and personal. Westlife members know how to make their fans feel special. At one point during their spiels, the four chose four fans who had what they deem as the best banners,

invited them onstage and dedicated their song “Beautiful Tonight” to them. Nicky also got the Filipino fans doing their own brand of a giant wave and at another point, singing “My Love” in a capella, which Nicky both filmed through his phone.

The four also made simple, personal gestures at their fans from time to time, such as waving and smiling at them. We caught Mark pick a rolled letter which a fan in the front area of the stage probably tossed to them. After quietly signaling each other, Mark discreetly tucked the letter in his pants’ pocket. Sweet.

It was apparently a nostalgic night for the fans,

hearing the energetic three-song opener “When You’re Looking Like That,” “World Of Our Own,” a

nd “What Makes A Man,” as well as the Westlife hits

“Flying Without Wings,” “Seasons In The Sun,” and “My Love.”

Their 15-song set also included their versions of “Home,” “You Raise Me Up,” and an amusing and surprising medley of pop tunes, consisting of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida,” Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In The World)”—

the chorus of which Mark tweaked into “I’m gonna make you feel, like you’re the only girl in the world…”—The Black Eyed Peas’ “Time Of My Life (Dirty Bit),” and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” (done with some Gaga-esque choreography).

Apart from singing clearly—and may we make special mention of Mark’s flair for improvisation which added a different spice to the songs—

the boys also unleashed the signature dance moves characteristic among boy bands. That’s something we don’t see often nowadays, and probably that’s why the show became all the more enjoyable.

Westlife heeded the fans’ loud screams for an encore and performed “What About Now” and “Uptown Girl” before taking their final bow in what surely the fans hope not to be their last Manila show. Two hours watching a Westlife concert was indeed time well spent.

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 September (Bernama) -- Irish super-group Westlife will be releasing their brand new single 'Lighthouse' on Nov 14, to be followed by with the release of their 'Greatest Hits' on November 21.

The single, which is co-written by Gary Barlow and John Shanks, is one of four new tracks featured in the album.

MANILA, Philippines - Did Westlife forget about American Time and keep Filipino Time?

You see, the group’s welcome presscon was scheduled at 1 o’clock yesterday afternoon at a function room of EDSA Shangri-La where the four guys were billeted but they showed up at way past 3:30 p.m. Some of the media had left but some stayed to hear the guys apologize for the miscommunication between them and the organizers/ producers of the concert staged last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We didn’t know that there would be a press conference,” admitted Nicky Byrne who, at 33, is the oldest among the members.

Westlife used to have five members but one of them, Bryan McFadden, has gone solo. The three other remaining members are Shane Filan, 32; Kian Egan, 31; and Mark Feehily, 31.

The boys arrived before midnight Wednesday from Hong Kong where they had a show. From Manila, they will go to Hanoi today for another concert which is part of the promo for their album Gravity (released locally by Sony Music).

In an exclusive interview with The STAR two weeks ago, Nicky Byrne publicly invited Manny Pacquiao to watch their concert, saying, “I do hope that we could do a song with him, preferably ‘You Raise Me Up.’ During the day, I would love to do a bit of boxing training with him and at night, we could do more singing. You see, I’ve been boxing as part of my workout, part of my conditioning.”

But due to his tight schedule training in Baguio for his return bout with Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao begged off from watching the concert.

“He would have loved to but he was really pressed for time,” somebody close to Pacquiao told The STAR.

Other boy bands have split up and new ones have cropped up, but Westlife has managed to stay on top these past 14 years. Asked how they do it, Nicky said, “Honestly, I don’t know. You know, maybe we know what buttons to push and what pushes each other’s buttons. There’s really no magic formula. If there was, we would have put it in a bottle and sold it.”

It’s not the quartet’s first time to visit the Philippines. They first came here in 1999.

“We love coming back to the Philippines,” said Nicky. “I think we’ve been here five times for promo visits and for concerts. We always look forward to coming back because the Philippines has always been very welcoming to Westlife.”

WORLD EXCUSIVE: BEHIND THE SCENES OF WESTLIFE'S NEW VIDEO LIGHTHOUSE
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/posts/view/214264/Westlife-We-track-down-manband-s-new-video-shoot-in-Afri

Westlife concert interupted by health and safety fears
By Anthony Lund on 06/10/2011 : Westlife Fans were in danger of being crushed at the concert in Jakarta.
Related
Westlife concert interupted by health and safety fears

Westlife
Irish boyband Westlife were forced to interrupt their concert in Indonesia last night (05.10.11) when they had fears for the safety of the crowd.

The group took to the stage as part of their Far East tour, and were performing in Jakarta but had to leave the stage for half an hour while security fears were being addressed.

The issues started when hysterical fans began to surge forward, alerting security that there were people about to be crushed to death if something was not done.

Posting on his Twitter account, band member Kian said, “We had to stop our show in Indonesia for 30 minutes for the safety of our fans. We feared someone would die. Thankfully no one did.”

Westlife celebrate success with hits album
Friday 7 October 2011

To mark fourteen years of success in the music industry,

Westlife are releasing their Greatest Hits on November 21.
Westlife's Greatest Hits album is out in November Having sold over 44 million records worldwide,

had 14 number one singles and 7 number one albums, Westlife are treating their fans to a special compilation of their hit records.

Speaking about the upcoming album the band said: "We're incredibly proud of what we've achieved."

Westlife are celebrating fourteen years in the music industry with a Greatest Hits album.

They added: "We are looking forward to releasing our Greatest Hits as a special thank you to our fans who have supported us throughout our career."

The specific tracklisting will be released at a later date, but fans can preorder the album from Monday from Amazon and HMV.

Versions will include a standard CD featuring the Greatest Hits plus brand new tracks and there'll also be a 2CD/DVD deluxe version including the Greatest Hits, brand new tracks and video footage.

Westlife Reveal Greatest Hits Artwork & Tracklisting
Brian McFadden features heavily
Westlife have revealed the cover art and tracklisting for their forthcoming Greatest Hits package.

The standard edition features 18 tracks, including 14 of their biggest singles and four new recordings.

Ten of the 14 pre-existing hits on the set feature former member Brian McFadden, such as 'My Love', 'Uptown Girl' and 'Mandy'. Recent singles 'What About Now' and 'Safe' have also made the cut, as have all of their first four number one hits 'Swear It Again', 'If I Let You Go', 'Flying Without Wings' and 'I Have A Dream'.

The deluxe version comes packaged with a bonus disc, featuring 12 more of their singles (eight with Brian), including 'Seasons In The Sun', 'What Makes A Man' and 'The Rose', plus six live recordings.There's also a DVD featuring all 35 of their music videos to date.

The band said: "It’s almost hard to believe that we’ve been doing this for as long as we have. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and are looking forward to releasing our Greatest Hits as a special thank you to our fans who have supported us throughout our career.”

The album, out November 21, is preceded by the new single 'Lighthouse', written by Gary Barlow. It will face tough chart competition from One Direction and Rihanna, who also bring out their new discs on the same day.

Westlife touch down at Heathrow Airport…

On Tuesday afternoon we caught up with Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily and Kian Egan arriving in the UK.

Well, you’ll have to take our word for it that Kian was there as he asked our photographers not take his picture. Apparently he wasn’t looking his best after a 15-hour flight. Fair enough.

Although Kian should probably get used to some extra attention as it’s just been confirmed that

the Westlife singer will be a judge and mentor on ‘The Voice of Ireland.’

The rest of the line-up with includes Bressie, Sharon Corr and Brian Kennedy.

Posted: 12/10/2011

.......

The Westlife Greatest Hits cover is a classic

The Irish boyband (that's Nicky, Kian, Mark and Shane) master the art of the staring-into-the-distance-longingly shot in the cover shot for their Greatest Hits.

And we know we've probably drunk too many cups of tea slash been staring at a computer screen for too long but we've convinced ourselves they're staring at us.

We reviewed the lads' brand new single Lighthouse and it made us feel all autumnal.

And this shot is having the same affect - with the fresh blue sky, orange hues in the trees and the biker boots/cardis.

The band have also enticed us with a tracklisting for the album (out November 21st).

1. Swear It Again
2. If I Let You Go
3. Flying Without Wings
4. I Have A Dream
5. Against All Odds
6. My Love
7. Uptown Girl
8. Queen Of My Heart
9. World Of Our Own
10. Mandy
11. You Raise Me Up
12. Home
13. What About Now
14. Safe
15. Lighthouse
16. Beautiful World
17. Wide Open
18. Last Mile Of The Way

WESTLIFE’s

dream of sharing the stage and singing together

with Manny Pacquaio during their Gravity Tour 2011 concert held at the Araneta Coliseum on Sept.

29 never came true.

Not that the boxing champ snubbed the Irish boy band because of the “informal invitation.” Pacquaio is set to fight against Juan Manuel Marquez come Nov. 12 and so his coach, Freddie Roach, did not allow him to get out of the training camp in Baguio.

Aside from the Westlife lads, who else needs the presence of our “Pambansang Kamao” in that concert anyway? Minus Manny, the Irish pop sensation composed of Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Nicky Byrne and Mark Feehily could still whip the crowd into frenzy, effortlessly!

And that’s what exactly happened last Thursday night: Westlife showed A1, Boyzone, Backstreet Boys, Blue, F4 and all other foreign boy bands that stepped into the Philippine soil in previous years just how it’s done—and what has brought them such longevity o n the global music scene.

Second-rate opening

Since ABS-CBN was

the official TV network partner of the Irish quartet’s Philippine tour, it tapped budding Star Magic talents as front acts: Young JV, Van Roxas and Piero Vergara. But whoever thought of assigning these still-nameless performers as “appetizers” for the show should be reprimanded because they did not start the “meal” off on a delicious note, with their so-so RnB, pop and rap acts that irritated majority of the audience at the Big Dome.

It would have been better if the Kapamilya station just utilized one artist who could guarantee better routines like Yeng Constantino, Angeline Quinto or Marie Dibgy. In short,

the front acts’ segment was “very Asap Rocks” (read: boring).

Deafening applause and screams from adoring fans broke loose shortly after the white curtain dropped and Shane, Kian, Nicky and Mark appeared on stage then belted out “When You’re Looking Like That,”

“World of Our Own” and “What Makes a Man.” All of them are in their ‘30s now, but they hardly looked any older.

The opening number was too reminiscent of their past concerts archived on DVDs—

the lads were clad in black trench coats as usual—

but it was clear they haven’t lost their passion to

perform for more than 13 years now.

The Irish group’s second set, which included “Safe,” “Home”—a Michael Buble original—“Beautiful Tonight”—which sounds like Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are”—was the least-liked segment among the elder devotees as some of them had lost track of Westlife’s most recent albums by now. But this was the part where they extended their huge thank yous to everyone in attendance at the Big Dome. “You are the most enthusiastic crowd I’ve ever seen,” Filan revealed, while Egan said, “Sorry, we left you for so long. Let us bring some old songs back… Are you familiar with the song “My Love?” The fans were made to sing a few lines in a capella, to which Egan and Byrne recorded through their camera phones.

In the absence of Pacquiao, the boy band chose four fans that carried attention-grabbing banners—“Nicky, I want twins, can I have your genes?,” “Kian, is it hot in here, or is it just you?” and “Christine Loves Shane”—and were asked to go up on stage to sing “Beautiful Tonight” with them. And the greatest upset among the female fans that night? Oh well, the openly-gay Feehily picked another gay man with “Mark, Kiss Me, It’s My Birthday!” banner to join him on stage!

Bora as backdrop

For their third set, Westlife ditched their usual suits for colorful jackets, Mickey Mouse shirts and jeans, then rocked out with the crowd with their versions of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida,” Black Eyed Peas “Time of My Life (Dirty Bit)” and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” This type of medley has become a popular staple of the four piece’s most recent shows, and their Manila concert was no exception.

But who would forget Feehily’s powerful rendition of Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In The World)?” Not only did it showcase his full vocal range and great potential as a solo artist—it left everyone with their mouths wide open after his astounding performance!

From the more current sounds, the group then swapped to their usual slow songs on their fourth set with “Already There” and “I Will Reach You.” The fans were transported back to the beginning of Westlife’s career via “Seasons in the Sun”—where the alluring and pristine beauty of Boracay island was featured on the wide screen that served as their backdrop—and “Flying Without Wings.”

“You Raise Me Up,” a song which has been covered more than 125 times, brought the curtain down that evening along with ear-splitting applause. Surprisingly, the Irish boy band did not include in their set list some significant songs that propelled them to stardom: “Swear It Again,” their first-ever UK no. 1 single, and “Fool Again,” their fifth consecutive UK chart-topper.

Superb show?

Fans were moved when Westlife returned for their encore—they donned stylish black suits this time—and sang “What About Now.” Instead of belting out another ballad that would leave spectators at the Big Dome teary-eyed or crying during their closing moment, the quartet smartly opted for a happy, upbeat piece, “Uptown Girl.”

Gravity Tour 2011 marked Westlife’s fourth visit to Manila, the previous ones were back in 2000, 2001 and 2006. But with an estimated number of 11,000 people who trooped the Araneta Coliseum to see them face to face, it appeared like it was only their first time to come here!

The Gravity Tour 2011 concert was magnificent as it showed how much Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Nicky Byrne and Mark Feehily evolved from being a stereotype boy band to a live-performance act.

The Irish quartet has gone so far to become a mature vocal group packed with tightly-knit harmonies and easy grace on stage. With a couple of new arrangements for some of their previous hits, they were able to make attendees at the Big Dome feel that they were hearing several songs for the first time. That’s quite an achievement in itself. Westlife’s Manila tour was indeed worth the long wait.

Westlife, . Irish Deaf Society opens 'Signs of Life' Photography Exhibition at Film Base, Temple Bar.. Dublin, Ireland - 13.10.11.

Westlife Tour Dates in FULL:

May 2012

Monday 14 Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
Tuesday 15 Liverpool Echo Arena
Thursday 17 Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
Saturday 19 Sheffield Motorpoint Arena
Sunday 20 Birmingham LG Arena
Tuesday 22 Nottingham Capital FM Arena
Wednesday 23 London O2 Arena
Saturday 26 Manchester Evening News Arena
Sunday 27 Glasgow SECC

Westlife plan farewell tour to thank broken-hearted fans

But after 14 years, 14 number-one singles and 44 million album sales, the chart-topping act announced last night they were to split after a final farewell gig in Dublin next year.

"We lived the dream so we're not hanging our heads," member Kian Egan told the Irish Independent last night.

"We're celebrating what we came from and what we achieved. Meeting the Pope, Barack Obama, singing for the queen. We grew up in this wonderful, magical adventure which surpassed our wildest expectations but now the time has come to stop."

In a statement, the group said the decision had been "entirely amicable" and the four members would go their separate ways after the release of a greatest hits collection next month and a farewell tour next summer.

But Egan revealed Westlife's final goodbye was likely to be a stadium show in Dublin next summer.

"Doing Croke Park or Lansdowne would be perfect because we want to go out on a high.

"We wanted to finish it like this, and not be in a situation where we just dwindled away over the years, playing to smaller and smaller crowds," he added.

Although news of the split came around 6pm yesterday, the Sligo man said the parting had been an "ongoing discussion" among Westlife for the past few months.

It is now ticket sales rather than record sales by which the success of a music act is measured, so there was little concern when, last March, Westlife parted from record company Syco, run by Simon Cowell and with whom they had their biggest hits.

Picked up by label RCA, they have continued to be a popular live draw around the world, recently returning from an extensive tour of Asia.

But Egan revealed that each member was now keen to "do his own thing". Shane Filan (32) is working on a solo album, Mark Feehily (31) is penning songs for other pop acts and Dubliner Nicky Byrne (33) is looking at a career in the media.

Expecting his first child with wife Jodi Albert in January, Egan (31) is to be a coach/mentor in new RTE talent series 'The Voice Of Ireland'.

"We all have stuff we want to do and the time has come to do it. We're all looking forward to doing our own thing.

"We all feel very positive and we just want to thank our fans for the support they've given us over the years," added Egan.

Manager Louis Walsh was among those who paid tribute last night, calling Westlife "four of the best ambassadors Ireland has ever had".

"Westlife were always the best four people I have ever worked with. I had a brilliant time working with them," he said.

"And it just goes to show how far you can get in this business with the right attitude.

"I know the fans are going to be upset but they shouldn't be. The end doesn't really mean the end, look at what happened with the Stone Roses this week," Walsh told the Irish Independent.

Westlife's 'Greatest Hits' is to be released in Ireland on November 18, with a new single, 'Lighthouse', issued a week earlier on November 11.

Dates for a final Irish tour including a monster farewell in Dublin are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Westlife are back with a brand new single

so get ready to sway,

lighters in the air.

Westlife are back with

a brand new single!

Yahoo! omg!

were lucky enough to have a top

secret FIRST listen to their new track

'Lighthouse' in full yesterday.

The CD was literally carried to our office,

played to us and then smuggled back

in a secure operation which made

like we were in a Bond film.

And we can indeed confirm that

it's the Irish boys back at their best.

Think Elton John, pianos and romance

as the song opens gently.

But before long it gives way to a rich,

uplifting chorus like some of

Westlife's best ballads -

Take That in there too (Gary Barlow

wrote it so it's hardly surprising).

With lyrics like

"For a man who rarely cried/I get all choked up inside"

we can see ourselves kicking

autumnal leaves as this blares out of our ipods.

Rather like the video,

by the looks of these brand new

behind-the-scenes shots of their video shoot!

We had a first listen -

and these are brand new

shots from their video!

Westlife fans,

we challenge you not to like it.

Lighthouse' out on Nov 13th.

their Greatest Hits album, out Nov 21.

Nicky: It is going to be so scary, but we all know Westlife is over
Byrne just doesn't know what the next step is after calling it a day

IN GOOD NICK: Westlife’s Nicky Byrne is looking forward to the future – whatever it may bring
IT'S been a dramatic few weeks in the world of Westlife - and that's before they face into the emotional rollercoaster of their final shows this summer. Towering Mark Feehily recently announced his shock split with longtime English boyfriend, Kevin McDaid, a boyband-star-turned photographer. And The Voice of Ireland mentor, Kian Egan, got the best Christmas present ever when he and his gorgeous wife, Jodi, became first time parents to baby son, Koa.
Shuffle caught up with Nicky Byrne and Shane Filan to find out how they will cope with the traumatic months ahead as they close the Westlife chapter after 14 years at the top of the charts. The boys admit that all the Westlife lads are "scared" of what lies ahead.
"It's not like taking a break," Nicky Byrne points out."When we took a year off after Croke Park in 2008, I thought, 'I'll enjoy my life; I'll holiday, I'll do a little bit of work.' This is different: we're making a career decision that is final and that's going to be scary.
"How we are going to face our final show I don't really know. It's easy to predict that we're all going to be sad and that we'll cry and hug each other. But it's the aftermath that scares us because we just don't know what lies ahead.
"Waking up the day after our last show is going to be a really weird feeling. It's going to be like, 'OK, what are we going to do now?' None of us want to sit at home shining our golf clubs."
Singer Shane Filan, sitting on the edge of a couch in a plush hotel room, nods in agreement. "It is going to be scary and it scares all of us, but we also know that Westlife has to come to an end," he says.
"We're together 14 years as a pop group, which is bananas.We're wondering what else is out there in life, having spent half of our lives in a band. It's been amazing, but we also know there are other things in life that we'll never get to do unless we make the break and give it a go."

SIMPLY THE WEST: The forthcoming tour will be the last for Westlife, who have spent 14 years in the pop business

Shane reveals that all four members of Westlife want to remain in showbusiness - and he will be the first member to launch a solo singing career. Louis Walsh has already agreed to be his manager. "Shane is going to be huge as a solo singer," Louis tells Shuffle.
Shane admits: "I know it's a tough world out there and we are all going to have to prove ourselves outside Westlife.There will be a lot of pressure on us because we'll all be under a microscope no matter what we do."
Despite their apprehension about the future, the Westlife lads say they are also facing into the unknown with a sense of excitement. "We feel nervously excited that we have a challenge again because Westlife had stopped being a challenge," Shane admits.
"In the last few years it was nearly like auto pilot. And while we loved doing the live concerts, the business side of running Westlife was draining the joy out of it for us.The business side is stressful."
Filan and Byrne laugh at the reaction they got from some media people following the announcement of their split. "It's like when someone dies, suddenly we were great," Nicky laughs.
"I remember reading stuff through the years - and you only remember the bad things - about us being a karaoke band or whatever. And, do you know, probably some of them were right.
"But as soon as we said we were quitting, there was nostalgia for the group and loads of journalists and radio people were saying nice things about us. If we'd known they felt that way about us we might have stayed on."
............

Monday, 23 January 2012 Written by Jon Stickler

Another day and another Westlife tour date is announced, today the lads have confirmed a further show at London's O2 Arena for Saturday 12th May.

Westlife embark on their final ever tour together in May. They will play their final ever show together at Dublin's Croke Park in June. Since announcing the farewell tour back in the Autumn last year, Westlife have been forced to announce further dates nearly ever week to meet phenomenal demand to see the boyband live for the very last time.

Westlife UK & Ireland Tour Dates are as follows:

May 2012

Sat May 12th 2012 – The O2 Arena, London – NEW DATE
Sun May 13th 2012 – Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
Mon May 14th 2012 - Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Tue May 15th 2012 - Liverpool Echo Arena, Liverpool
Thu May 17th 2012 - Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Fri May 18th 2012 - Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Sat May 19th 2012 - Sheffield Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
Sun May 20th 2012 - NEC - LG Arena, Birmingham
Tue May 22nd 2012 - Nottingham Arena, Nottingham
Wed May 23rd 2012 - The O2 Arena, London
Thu May 24th 2012 - The O2 Arena, London
Sat May 26th 2012 - Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester
Sun May 27th 2012 - SECC, Glasgow
Tue May 29th 2012 – Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Wed May 30th 2012 – Odyssey Arena, Belfast

June 2012

Fri June 1st 2012 - Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Sat June 2nd 2012 - Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Mon June 4th 2012 – LG Arena, Birmingham
Tue June 5th 2012 - Nottingham Arena, Nottingham
Thu June 7th 2012 - The O2 Arena, London
Fri June 8th 2012 - LG Arena, Birmingham
Sat June 9th 2012 - Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester
Mon June 11th 2012 - Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Tue June 12th 2012 - Sheffield Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
Wed June 13th 2012 - Liverpool Echo Arena, Liverpool
Fri June 15th 2012 - Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Sat June 16th 2012 - SECC, Glasgow
Sun June 17th 2012 - SECC, Glasgow
Tue June 19th 2012 – SECC, Glasgow
Wed June 20th 2012 - Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Fri June 22nd 2012 - Croke Park Stadium, Dublin
Sat June 23rd 2012 - Croke Park Stadium, Dublin

l;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Westlife star Mark Feehily looks to solo future as band call it quits
Jan 1 2012 By Beverley Lyons

However, it’s absolutely certain the summer will see the end of an era for one of Ireland’s most popular musical exports of all time, when Westlife call it a day.

The foursome – since Brian McFadden departed – find themselves contemplating life outside the band that’s taken them around the world for 14 years.

Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne have no idea which of them will go on to be solo superstars, and which – if any – will fade into obscurity, happily or otherwise.

Mark said: “I don’t think anybody could have predicted Cheryl Cole would have the most successful solo career out of Girls Aloud.

“It’s only when we all go off and make music that it will be a bit more apparent who will be successful or not.”

Mark is the guy most would put their money on. With one of the strongest voices in the band, striking looks, a likeable nature and having already written some of the material on previous albums, he appears to have a head start.

He admitted he’s keen to carve out a name for himself once the band finally stops performing, following a greatest hits tour in the summer.

He said: “I’ve been creative since I was 13 and recently I’ve been applying it a bit more. I’ve written thousands of songs but they are hidden away on a hard drive.

“In the last few years I opened up a bit more about them and presented a demo to Westlife.

“They were immediately recorded and the boys put some tracks on the Where We Are album.

“Our last album has four new tracks on it and I have written the last song we will release, Beautiful World.”

Mark, 31, is determined to continue with a musical career once he and his bandmates part ways.

He explained: “I’m a singer and will always want to make music. I didn’t want Westlife to end so I could make a solo record, but it is something I will do now.

“I’ve got a million ideas, a very creative brain. In order to be happy in life I’m going to have to create.”

Of course, Westlife are not the first boyband to split up, and the road ahead can be tough for members flying solo.

Having witnessed the hardships endured by members of East 17 and 5ive, after failing to relight the fires of success, Mark is determined that he and each of his bandmates are not headed for oblivion.

He asserted: “We’re all very driven people. If anything, we are more now that we have to push ourselves individually.

“Some people run off to the distance and you never see them again.

“They have a big stint at the top and then you see some random picture of them with a two-foot beard living in obscurity.

“We are more driven than ever. We are all just over the age of 30 now. A lot of people speak to us as though we are already dead but we are just moving on from Westlife.

“Each of us, hopefully, will have beautiful, flowery careers ahead.”

Most of his bandmates are champing at the bit to try their hand at new adventures but Mark admits Kian may take more time than others to readjust.

He explained: “The only person who wants to go off and completely get away and relax is Kian.

“He’s already a coach on The Voice in Ireland and he has just had a kid. Part of him wants to completely get away, step away from the business and enjoy his child.

“We took a year off three years ago and it was horrible for Kian because he suffered a terrible misfortune during that time.

“His dad passed away, which put a dark cloud over the year for him.

“He wasn’t able to relax and do a bit of soul searching like the rest of us.

“I think he’ll definitely relax and go away for a while, but Kian is also very driven.”

Making the final decision to split was not easy for anyone but it came after months of rumours about the band.

Mark is keen to reassure Westlife fans that there was never any animosity among them.

He said: “That is something we are stressing a lot.

“There was no incident or episode where someone said: ‘That’s it. I’m f***ing out of here’.

“There was no sensational moment. It’s something that manifested over years. It was more an idea of calling it a day and moving on to new adventures for all of us.

“Everyone’s mind was eventually on the same page.

“We’ve had an amazing 14 years but it’s time for something new. We didn’t want it to dwindle away and for the magic to have gone from it.

“The tour we are about to do, our farewell tour, is the biggest tour we’ll have ever done in our career.

“We are going out on top, not staying around like an unwanted guest at the end of the party.”

As Mark insisted that the boys’ plans to split are not a publicity stunt, quashing hopes that they have secret plans for a big reunion three years down the line, he revealed a new string to his bow.

Though his secret new project is still in its infancy, the excitement in his voice was clear.

He enthused: “I’ve been asked to write a musical by an amazing person in London.

“It’s somebody I really admire and it’s to do something like Boy George’s Taboo musical, which he wrote about 20 years ago. It’s an updated newer version and it’s not completely commercial mainstream – a jazz hands musical like Grease – but a bit more off the centre with a mixture of indie, pop music and Broadway.

“That’s always been something I’ve been interested in and I’m flattered that I’ve been asked to be involved with some people I really admire. But nothing exists yet.

“It’s all just talk but it’s very exciting to even be talking about it.”

Before anything can be done, however, the boys will lay to rest their collective status, their career together culminating in a farewell tour that will see them play 90 dates in the UK and Ireland.

Mark’s eyes twinkled, partly in sadness, part in excitement, as he added: “It’s going to be a sad day, but it’s also a celebration of 14 years together and 14 years of touring.

“It’s not all doom and gloom.

“We want to have fun and Scotland has an absolutely electric crowd who always scream very well.”

.......

On 3 March one of the world’s most successful boy bands, Westlife, will come to AsiaWorld-Expo for Westlife The Farewell Tour Live In Hong Kong 2012. After a phenomenal career that has spanned 14 years and numerous chart-topping hits, this is the final concert tour before the band splits up. Westlife’s farewell tour has been so well received that all tickets are now sold-out
............

Football’s Next Star, which is due to air this autumn, according to Celtic FC.

Nicky, who was signed by Leeds United when he was 16, is a fanatical Celtic supporter, and he played for the Hoops in the Legends match at Celtic Park against Manchester United back in August.

So he’s the ideal host for Football’s Next Star, which will be produced by Tyrone Productions for RTE Young Peoples Programmes, and it will feature 10 young footballers who will battle it out for one coveted place at Celtic’s prestigious Youth Academy. It’s every Bhoy’s dream!
..............

Westlife have added even more shows in June to their farewell tour next year and will be performing at Metro Radio Arena for a second date on Friday 15th June 2012.
‘The Greatest Hits Tour’ will see Kian, Shane, Mark and Nicky perform their 14 number one singles and hits in one spectacular live show for the very last time. Having sold over 44 million records worldwide, the aforementioned 14 number one singles and 7 number one albums, Irish super-group Westlife are celebrating over 14 years of success by also releasing their brand new single ‘Lighthouse’ on 13th November (physically 14th) with the release of their ‘Greatest Hits’ on 21st November. The single written by Gary Barlow and John Shanks is an instantly recognisable Westlife classic complete with soaring melodies, rousing lyrics and is one of four brand new tracks to feature on their album. The band said: “It’s almost hard to believe that we’ve been doing this for as long as we have. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and are looking forward to releasing our Greatest Hits album and performing them live on the tour as a special thank you to our fans who have supported us throughout our career.” 'After 14 years, 26 top ten hits including 14 number one singles, 11 top 5 albums, 7 of which hit the top spot and have collectively sold over 44 million copies around the world, 10 sell out tours and countless memories that we will forever cherish, we today announce our plan to go our separate ways after a greatest hits collection this Christmas and a farewell tour next year. The decision is entirely amicable and after spending all of our adult life together so far, we want to have a well-earned break and look at new ventures. We see the greatest hits collection and the farewell tour as the perfect way to celebrate our incredible career along with our fans. We are really looking forward to getting out on the tour and seeing our fans one last time.' Over the years Westlife has become so much more to us than just a band. Westlife are a family. We would like to thank our fans who have been with us on this amazing journey and are part of our family too. 'We never imagined when we started out in 1998 that 14 years later we would still be recording, touring and having hits together. It has been a dream come true for all of us.' Kian, Mark, Nicky and Shane

............

Pop sensations Westlife are taking time out of their farewell tour of China to enjoy the top tourist sights.

The four pals posted a photo online as they posed in the famous Tiananmen Square in Beijing yesterday.

The band had performed before 15,000 fans in the MasterCard Centre in the city the night before. Band member Nicky Byrne tweeted: “Taking in the sights in China… Tiananmen square & the Forbidden City.’’

A spokesperson for the stars revealed Westlife are having the time of their lives in China. “They’ve really been bowled over by the country and the Chinese people — probably because they have more time to see the place this time.

“In terms of concerts, they said it’s the new America. There’s a massive population and a huge appetite for live music and they were amazed by the rapturous welcome they’ve received in China,” the spokesperson added. Westlife’s farewell tour of China is expected to earn them a whopping €5m.

The group will play in seven different cities for the final time in their 14-year history. The last Westlife tour is scheduled to visit the cities of Hangzhou, Chendu, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong during the tour, which continues until March 3.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Westlife join the team for Shay and Jane Given's Fashion Kicks charity extravaganza

March 06, 2012

Westlife will perform at the Fashion Kicks event organised by their friends, Aston Villa goalie Shay Given and wife Jane Westlife will perform at the Fashion Kicks event organised by their friends, Aston Villa goalie Shay Given and wife Jane

Footballer Shay Given and wife Jane have scored quite the exclusive as they gear up to host their huge charity event in Manchester – as
manband Westlife will perform just a week before their big farewell tour kicks off.

Republic of Ireland and Aston Villa goalie Shay and glamorous wife Jane have raised over £1mn with their Fashion Kicks events over the
past eight years.

And I can reveal they are planning their biggest event yet for this year – once again to be held at The Point at Lancashire County Cricket
Club on May 1.

The couple have long been friends with the Westlife guys, and the Irish band have agreed to perform at the finale of the event just a
week before they head out on their final tour before splitting after 14 years together and 26 top ten hits.

Jane says: “It will be the last charity event that Westlife will perform at together so we're just so thrilled they were able to support us and the charities.

“They want to go all out, so I know it's going to be a very special performance.”

The band's Nicky Byrne says: “This year will be a memorable one for us and it is gratifying to know as Westlife draws to a close that we have helped Shay and Jane in some small way over the years.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Westlife announce girl group Vanquish as 'Farewell Tour' support

The boyband, who will embark on their 'Farewell Tour' of the UK and Ireland in May, confirmed that girl group Vanquish will open their shows.

Speaking about their appointment, the group said: "To be supporting Westlife on their final UK arena tour is an amazing feeling!

"We feel honoured to be part of this. We are going to bring fun, excitement and some powerful Vanquish pop songs to the tour. Can't wait to get on stage!"

The four-piece have been working with producers Rob Davis and Jorgen Elofsson for their debut album.

Between them, the producers have previously worked with the likes of Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Lopez and Kylie Minogue.

Vanquish's debut single 'The Harder You Love' will be released in April.

lllllllllllllllllll

Filan eyes solo career as financial ruin looms
Westlife star faces ?23m debt, but Louis Walsh says he'll bounce back

FIGHTER: Shane Filan,
will be 'the next Michael Buble', says Louis Walsh
Sunday April 08 2012

WESTLIFE singer Shane Filan faces losing everything in the property crash and is now set to relaunch his pop career in an attempt to revive his fortunes.

Filan, one of Ireland's biggest pop stars, is believed to be in debt for up to ?23m, according to well-placed financial sources.

The singer is reportedly in the process of cutting a deal with creditors by entering an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) in Britain.

Sources say he has employed a leading firm of London accountants and is currently negotiating financial arrangements with his banks -- including Ulster Bank and Bank of Ireland -- as a way of avoiding bankruptcy.

An IVA is a way of having debt written off if existing assets are sold to raise money for creditors.

It is understood in financial circles that Filan is attempting to keep earnings from the impending Westlife farewell tour out of the current negotiations.

This weekend his manager Louis Walsh, although refusing to be drawn on a figure for the Sligo man's total losses in the property business, confirmed that the singer was about to start afresh.

"He's wiping the slate clean and starting over," said Walsh. "He is going to be fine.

"He has a massive solo deal in the pipeline and is going to be a massive, massive star.

"He is set to make millions from the Westlife farewell tour. They have sold out two dates at Croke Park -- that alone is huge -- and then he will make millions from the solo career too."

The manager also said that he would be standing by his number one pop star and helping to get him back on his feet:

"I am 100 per cent sticking by him through this. He is facing up to it and doing it [in] a very honourable and honest way. And you have to respect him for that."

He added: "Shane has something that you can't buy, that no one else in Ireland has. He has a million-dollar voice. He'll be okay.

"We're meeting with record companies and I'm going to make him the next Michael Buble.

"I have big plans for Shane, there is huge interest and you know me when I say to watch this space. Shane's future is very bright."

Both Filan and Walsh have been in talks with several record companies in London in recent days.

It is believed that at least four different labels are making a bid to sign the Sligo father of three and release his debut solo album at the end of next year.

As a source explained: "There's four, possibly five labels so far who have made it very clear that they want Shane.

"He already has loads of ideas about the kind of album he wants to make and the road he wants to go down.

"He and Louis have have had back-to-back meetings with the heads of the UK's biggest record companies and he has his pick of deals.

"It couldn't have come at a better time, just as he needs to start again. But Louis has taken him under his wing and will always look after him."

Sources say that the money-spinning Westlife farewell tour is set to net the band more than ?12m.

And Filan is thrashing out a deal so that this and all future earnings will remain untouched by his creditors.

The 32-year-old -- who has sold 43 million records worldwide with Westlife, one of the biggest boy bands of all time -- is currently being sued by Bank of Ireland for unpaid debts.

Filan auctioned off his James Bond-style Aston Martin for ?398,000 last September. He had bought it just two years earlier as a birthday present to himself.

A spokeswoman for the Westlife star said Filan would not be commenting.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

WE’RE more used to seeing them in smart suits but Westlife have donned the sweat pants to get in shape for their farewell tour.

The Mail can reveal that Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily have taken over a north Dublin dance studio in a bid to get festival fit.

The group have flown in a team of choreographers from London and are learning the gruelling routines that will make up the two-and-a-half hour show.

For the next five days they must watch what they eat and put in eight hours of intense rehearsals.

‘It’s the worst part of touring for them,’ said an insider. ‘They only have the week to get the steps and set list down completely. After that they will go their separate ways until the tour starts in May.’

Yesterday was also the first time that all four members have come together since it emerged that Shane Filan was in serious financial trouble. Shane’s property company Shafin Developments Ltd is believed to be in debt for up to [euro]23m and the singer is reportedly in the process of cutting a deal with creditors.

This was the firsttime he has been pictured on Irish soil since news broke three weeks ago. And Mark, Nicky and Kian all rallied around the singer.

A source said: ‘A couple of smart comments were made that were taken in good spirit by Shane because that’s the way the Westlife lads are.

‘But, to be honest, Shane is just happy to be back at work.’

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

’M KIAN ON BEING A ROCKER AGAIN; Star wants to form new band.

Byline: MAEVE QUIGLEY

KIAN Egan has revealed he wants to form a rock band when Westlife split.

The star has always said he would rather move into band management after the group hang up their microphones.

But after being a coach on The Voice, Kian revealed he wants to launch his own group.

He said of a singing career after Westlife: “Coming into the show as a singer myself but in the background with Westlife, I always had a thing in my mind that no, I wouldn’t.

“But being around these people I kind of have a different attitude towards it.”

Kian, 31, plays a number of instruments including guitar and piano and was a former member of Sligo punk rock group Skrod.

He said being around singers such as Shane Filan and Mark Feehily made him doubt his own abilities as a vocalist.

But the other coaches on The Voice – Sharon Corr, Bressie and Brian Kennedy – have helped him get his musical mojo back.

He added: “I suppose when you are in one world and you are in a band like Westlife and are in a band with people like Shane and Mark who are amazing singers, your confidence gets put down.

“But then when you get around more musical people like Brian, for me as a musical person Brian has put a lot of confidence in me.”

After Westlife part ways, Nicky Byrne looks set to pursue a career in television while both Shane and Mark are going to record solo albums.

But Kian said: “I don’t think I would do a solo album, I think I would be in a rock band.”

And insiders said there’s a possibility he might ask one of his team to join him in his guitarladen endeavours.

One added: “It could be that Kian might have his eye on Graham [Dowling] as a member of his band in the future.”

Credit/Source: Irish Daily Mirror – Published on 18.04.2012

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Music guru Cowell offers Filan solo deal after Westlife split.

Byline: SAM HAMILTON

X FACTOR supremo Simon Cowell is hoping to tempt Westlife’s Shane Filan to sign with his label.

The music mogul, 52, has offered the band’s lead singer a big-money offer with Syco Records.

But Shane, 32, also has two other labels battling it out to release his debut solo album after the Us Against The World band go their separate ways this summer.

If he did decide to sign with Simon, it would be a thawing in the band’s frosty relationship with the pop guru after the group walked away from his label. A source said: “Shane was always the best singer in the band and it seems Simon realises that.

“It would turn a lot of heads if these two ended up working together. After Westlife go their separate ways, the only member of the band that Louis Walsh is going to be managing is Shane – and he has a great relationship with Simon.

“And while Simon can be a hard person to work with at times, he knows what he is talking about.

“With the X Factor it’s only when artists stop listening to him that they flop.

“So you’d be sure if Shane went with Simon, he’d definitely get a No1 album.”

Dad-of-three Shane will be heading straight to the studio after saying goodbye at Westlife’s final Croke Park gig with bandmates Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne in June.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[

WESTLIFE star Mark Feehily claimed The Voice coach Kian Egan isn’t mean in real life.

The gay star revealed he doesn’t believe Kian is the Mr Nasty character people have made him out to be.

But the 31-year-old admitted his friend isn’t as cruel in the recording studio with the rest of the band as he is on The Voice.

He added: “I actually think Kian isn’t that bad, and I think his comments are quite spot-on to be honest. But I do have to support him of course.”

And Mark, who recently split from fiance Kevin McDaid, feels the band’s split this summer is going to be “bittersweet”.

He said: “It’s quiet in terms of the Westlife stuff, but we’re always doing bits and pieces behind the scenes.

“We’ve got our final tour coming up which finishes in Croke Park. It’s bittersweet because it’s going to be the best gigs of our life, but after that we finish up for good.”

Credit/Source: Irish Daily Mirror – published on 31.03.2012

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Wives join Westlife on tour bus for Farewell gigs

Monday 2012

IT'S a case of 'all aboard' the Westlife bus this week as the chart-toppers are joined by all their partners on their last ever tour.

THE four crooners have kicked off their Farewell tour and will play a string of arenas all over Britain before bringing it to Ireland this summer.

But as proof that the boys have definitely grown up, this time around they'll be bringing all their partners with them on the tour bus.

Nicky Byrne's other half Georgina said being able to travel around with the band made it much easier for them as a family.

"I wasn't able to get over to Cardiff because I had to mind the boys," she explained.

"But we are all going to the London gig and going out on the road with them for the week. I don't know how rock and roll the lads will think it is but all the wives are going on tour.

Special

"We will be piling into the tour bus each night with them after the shows and heading on the road. It is the last time they will be doing this together, so it will be special," she said.

However, she won't be stuck for company either, given that Shane's other half Gillian will also be there, as will Kian's wife Jodi Albert.

Nicky, Kian Egan, Shane Byrne and Mark Feehily kicked off their tour last week at Cardiff Motorpoint arena, performing to almost 10,000 fans. They'll now spend the next few weeks taking to the stage in major venues all over the UK before building up to the grand finale of their Croke Park concerts.

Such was the demand to see them performing to their home crowd that promoters had to add an extra date to their Dublin gigs on June 22 and June 23.

Last November saw the chart-toppers confirming they were going their separate ways after more than 14 years together.

In that time, they have sold over 45 million records and clocked up some 12 number one singles in Ireland.

The group was recently voted the best ever boyband during a two-week poll of an MTV audience of some 12 million viewers.

They beat off a total of 32 groups to the coveted title including rivals like The Wanted and Disney stars The Jonas Brothers.

mfinn@herald.ie

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Westlife singer Shane Filan is set to make his first solo album with record company Universal, according to reports.

Shane Filan to sign to Universal The 32-year-old singer who is currently on Westlife's farewell tour due to end in Croke Park this June is believed to have signed a deal with Universal, despite the bands 14-year long career with Sony Music.

It is believed that Mark Feehily will also make a solo album, while other band mates, Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne are set to focus on television.

Kian Egan recently judged the Irish version of the hit US show, The Voice. While according to reports in the Daily Star, Nicky Byrne is in talks with US show, Dancing With The Stars.

In an interview earlier today with 98FM, Kian said: "I have been in talks with Sky amongst other people aswell about other TV projects. Nothing is in the bag, nothing is finalised. I haven't signed any contracts or anything like that - it's all talk at the minute. I signed up with a big agency in the UK. It's looking good. It's looking like I will probably be doing one or two more things in the UK in the coming months and the next year or so but to be honest, I'm not chasing anything. I don't want to be running after anything - if something comes up that feels natural, then I'll go for it"

Nicky Byrne, who will be playing tonight in Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena alongside the band as part of their farewell tour has tweeted a picture of two fans that got his autograph tattooed on their wrists hours after he signed them.

Byrne took to Twitter to say: "Signed two girls wrists in Cardiff earlier.. Came back out of the Arena two hrs later and they've had them Tattooed !!!"

.............

FANS couldn't get hold of tickets for Ireland's most successful boyband's farewell tour fast enough when they went on sale last October.

After tickets disappeared within a matter of minutes, Westlife decided to give a few more of their beloved Birmingham fans the chance to see them perform their greatest hits one last time and added an extra date to their current LG Arena visit.

Having decided to split after 14 years performing together, 26 top ten hits, 11 top five albums which have collectively sold 44 million copies, the additional concert next Friday, June 8, will see Kjan, Shane, Mark and Nicky perform their 14 number ones, among others, in Birmingham for the very last time.

The band, the only group in British and Irish pop history to reach number one with their first seven singles, also boast an impressive history of awards from Smash Hits to Top of the Pops and countless Brit Awards.

"It's almost hard to believe that we've been doing this for as long as we have," said the band.

"We're incredibly proud of what we've achieved and are looking forward to releasing our Greatest Hits album and performing them live on the tour as a special thank you to our fans who have supported us throughout our career."

''''''''''''''''

Kian on Westlife swansong

Swansong ... Westlife By JENNIFER O’BRIEN,
2012 WESTLIFE are getting emotional as they embark on their €5million farewell tour tonight — and prepare to say goodbye to their boyband days forever.
2 comments And singer Kian Egan reckons there will be plenty of tears between the foursome after 16 years on the road.

He revealed: “It’s hard to believe that after so long together this will be the end.

“I don’t doubt that there will be tears — and lots of them to be honest! We want to go out with a bang and make this the best tour we have ever had.”

Kian, Shane, Nicky and Mark will take to the stage at the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena tonight in front of nearly 10,000 fans.

And the rest of their farewell tour will see them take in dates all across the UK in May.

But the highlight will be their final gigs in Croke Park in June.

Kian, 32, said: “I think for a lot of the nights they are going to be kicking us off the stage. Especially the ones at Croke Park — we are not going to want to leave.

“They fine you a serious amount of money there if you go over time — something like ?10,000 a minute, but I know we are not going to want to get off that stage. It’s going to be so emotional.”

Kian showed fans another side of him when he appeared on RTE’s The Voice as a coach.

And despite being thrown into rehearsals for the tour straight after the show, he loves being back with Westlife.

Kian, who recently became dad to baby Koa with wife Jodi Albert, said: “Coming out of The Voice and straight into rehearsals is probably what bridged the gap for me.

“It’s exciting — we are bringing in a lot of songs that we haven’t done in a long time like I Have a Dream. There will also be a medley as fans seem to love that.

“The whole thing will be very high octane. We are going to try and bring in every element of Westlife’s career and make it a Greatest Hits to remember.”

The tour will be the last time the boyband perform as a four-piece after selling more than 45million records and 12 Irish No1 singles.

It has been eight years since Brian McFadden left the group and he now lives in Australia with his model fiancée Vogue Williams.

And despite rumours that Brian might come back, Kian insists it isn’t going to happen.

He said: “No. We love Brian, but he hasn’t been a part of the band for such a long time.

“For us it would be very weird to stand on the stage with him again, especially on our final tour.

“For us it’s kind of like, he left us, we didn’t leave him and for us, it just wouldn’t feel right. I just don’t think it would work.”

Boyzone and Take That have reunited after years apart and are among the biggest bands in the world again. But Kian can’t see Westlife reforming.

He said: “I would find it difficult to think that we would never step on a stage together again but to make an album and go back on tour... I find it difficult to think that we would get back together.”

Westlife were formed by Louis Walsh in 1998 when he took Sligo lads Kian, Mark and Shane from boyband IOU and put them with Dubliners Nicky and Brian.

Their first single Swear It Again shot in at No1 in April 1999. Looking back over their successes, Kian is glad he and the lads — who have six kids between them — made their families a priority.

He said: “I think we all have a lifestyle that’s very normal in a sense, we are only in the band six months of the year really anyway.

“Nicky is in Malahide bringing his kids to school every day and Shane is over in London bringing his kids to school every day.”

As for the future, Kian believes he and the other lads have made the right decision to go their separate ways. He said: “Shane has solo plans, Mark probably will end up doing a solo album, Nicky is making TV shows and I’m doing one or two things.

“It’s already kind of moving on. I do think that I have made the right decision.

“As people we need to feel what life is like without Westlife because we have never experienced it. We don’t know what the world is without Westlife

''''''''''''''''

Only a few weeks left now until Westlife are no more….they play Cardiff tonight and they only have about 2 or 3 days where they won’t be doing a show before the final concerts on the 22nd and 23rd of June at Croke Park.

So the next thing for the lads is figuring out what to do next – we know that Shane Filan will be focusing on a solo career as will Mark Feehily and it seems after his stint on The Voice of Ireland, Kian Egan has been getting some TV presenting offers over in the UK so are the rumours true?

Kian told 98FM “I have been in talks with Sky amongst other people aswell about other TV projects. Nothing is in the bag, nothing is finalised. I haven’t signed any contracts or anything like that – it’s all talk at the minute. I signed up with a big agency in the UK. It’s looking good. It’s looking like I will probably be doing one or two more things in the UK in the coming months and the next year or so but to be honest, I’m not chasing anything. I don’t want to be running after anything – if something comes up that feels natural, then I’ll go for it”.

';;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

The Irish version of ‘Football’s Next Star’ has wrapped filming and is currently in post-production at Screen Scene in Dublin.
Produced by Tyrone Productions for RTÉ, the show finished filming last weekend with scenes shot in locations including Dublin, Limerick and Glasgow. The show follows 10 talented young soccer hopefuls who battle it out to win a place at Celtic’s Youth Academy in Glasgow.

Westlife singer Nicky Byrne is the show’s presenter, with the format originally developed by Sky TV. The Irish version for Tyrone has been directed by Paul Golding (Strictly Come Dancing). Noleen Golding (OMG! Jedward’s Dream Factory) is the producer, while Patricia Carroll is the executive producer for Tyrone.

Eight 25-minute episodes of the series are scheduled to broadcast on RTE Two in September.

''''''''''''''''''

SHANE Filan is to make his first solo album with Universal, despite Westlife enjoying a 14-year career with rival label Sony.

The 32-year-old is on the manband’s farewell tour but is already plotting a debut disc away from the group.

Mark Feehily, 32, is also expected to make an album, while bandmates Nicky Byrne, 33, and Kian Egan, 32, focus on television.

I’ve already revealed how Nicky is in talks with US show Dancing With The Stars.

';;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Westlife, Motorpoint Arena
Tuesday 15th May 2012 in Entertainments By Chris Sharpe

What a fantastic night of entertainment!

The show opened with Glenn Cal, an Irish male singer who is very talented and performed really well.

An all-girl band, Vanquish, performed a variety of songs, and from their act it is possible they are the next Girls Aloud/SaturdaysŠ. perhaps!

Also on stage were the popular Lilygreen & Maguire.

This is the second time I have had the pleasure of seeing this duo (first time when they supported Olly Murs) and they have a great vibe, stage presence and are charming and charismatic. They gave a great show and if you get the chance I would highly recommend you catch them when the opportunity arises. Great young Welsh talent.

But the act everyone was waiting for was, of course, Westlife.

And despite technical problems which meant a break in the show for around 20 minutes or so the band are just WOW! They were amazing and performed all their best-known songs.

I love this band so much I can¹t wait to see them again next month in Sheffield, while Welsh fans have the chance to see the band at the Motorpoint with a couple of dates lined up next month.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given took to twitter to thank his celebrity pals who supported his Fashion Kicks fundraiser in Manchester.

Warnock bid £10,000 to appear on stage on the night with Wesltife. And the 30-year-old Aston Villa defender even managed to upstage singer Shane Filan with his rendition of Mack The Knife.

..............

The evening - hosted by Shay and Jane Given, and said to offer a night of 'fashion, football, food and entertainment' - also attracted the attention of the recently-parted Westlife.
Kian Egan's wife Jodi Albert looked fantastic having just given birth last December, while Shane Filan's partner and mother of his three children Gillian looked like a Sixites bombshell in yellow.

..................

Nicky Byrne attended with wife Georgina

;;;;;;;;;;;;;

REVIEW: Westlife all fired up on final tour at Sheffield Motorpoint Arena
Westlife performing at Sheffield Arena on their farewell tour.

Published on Tuesday 15 May 2012

FLAMING ’eck! Chart kings Westlife really were fired-up for the first of three goodbye concerts in Sheffield - when figures of Ireland’s fab four went up in flames to signal the end, writes Graham Walker

And that was just the start of this spectacular last production at the Motorpoint Arena.

After 14 years of pop domination, Kian Egan, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne finally emerged for real, opening with What Makes A Man and then took fans on a trip down a memory lane of hits, complete with synchronised dance moves.

The sing-a-long included highlights Uptown Girl, Queen of My Heart, When You’re Looking Like That, Mandy, You Raise Me Up, World Of Our Own and fitting finale, Flying Without Wings.

At one stage the band ended up soaring across the Arena floor on a makeshift spaceship, as they jetted in to party.

This was never going to be a sombre farewell.

Let’s face it, they had a lot to celebrate in an hour and 45 minutes, what with 26 top ten hits, including 14 number one singles, 11 top five albums, seven of which hit the top spot and over 44 million record sales, with 10 sell out tours.

It’s difficult to image Westlife getting booed, especially by their own fans. But booed they were at any mention that this was the end.

In truth it’s probably a well-earned break and when Shane insisted ‘this isn’t goodbye’, the roar of approval from fans almost raised the roof.

Westlife will be back in Sheffield for two final shows, on Saturday, May 19 and Tuesday, June 12.

Tickets priced £41.50 are limited. See www.motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk or call 0114 256 56 56 to book.

Set list: What About Now; What Makes A Man; My Love; Safe; Uptown Girl; If I Let You Go; Ain’t That a Kick in the Head; Queen Of My Heart; Unbreakable; (Medley) I Gotta Feeling, Sex On Fire, Don’t Cha, Let Me Entertain You, Bohemian Rhapsody; When You’re Looking Like That; Mandy; Seasons in the Sun; Swear It Again; Home; Encore: You Raise Me Up; World Of Our Own; Flying Without Wings.

Related Articles
Star treatment as Westlife fan Katie goes backstage in Sheffield

WESTLIFE fan Katie Taylor did not just get front row seats - she also went backstage to meet the band, thanks to The Star.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

WESTLIFE are gearing up for rehearsals for their final ever tour. Entertainment Editor Gordon Barr previews their two Newcastle shows.

WHEN Westlife take to the stage of the Metro Radio Arena on May 14 it will mark their 31st appearance there.

They hold the record for most shows at the venue but are not content with just 31 – come June they will make their 32nd trip there as part of their farewell Greatest Hits tour.

;;;;;;;;;;;

FAREWELLS don’t always have to be sad. Richard Neale saw Westlife prove they can be entertaining, energetic and – most of all – fun.

THE fact the band known by some as “them boys who sit on chairs and sing covers” have lasted for 14 years probably says enough about their popularity and talent as any other statistic.

But for those who love a stat, the band have had 26 top ten-hits including 14 number one singles, 11 top five albums, seven of which hit the top spot and have collectively sold over 44 million copies around the world, not to mention 10 sell-out tours.

Westlife wow fans at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena

And while other boy bands from 14 years ago are consigned to grubby fading posters in former fans’ garages, the boys from Ireland have managed to keep their huge fanbase more than happy – while picking up a few others along the way.

And that is why, having already having performed at the Metro Radio Arena more than 30 times, the group have had to add an extra date to the city for their farewell tour.

And if it’s anything as good as the first date last night, fans will be in for a treat – as all those years of experience performing concerts were put to great use.

It’s a sad time for the boys and their fans but, after such a long time they wanted – and deserved – to go out on a high.

And that they did.

Shane has previously told “we know we can sing”. And for any who doubted that (nobody in last night’s audience obviously), Nicky, Mark and Kian proved his point, with favourites such as Uptown Girl and Flying Without Wings.

Not that they needed to of course. Their adoring fans were happy to take the lead and fill in the word, verse or chorus of any and all songs when requested.

Not that they always did what the lads wanted. “Welcome to the farewell tour” was greeted with a chorus of boos from a public who want more years.

But the night wasn’t about saying goodbye in a sad way.

“We want this to be fun” the full to bursting arena was told.

And it was.

................

FAREWELLS don’t always have to be sad. Richard Neale saw Westlife prove they can be entertaining, energetic and – most of all – fun.

From the start the night was all fun.

A simple silhouette of the lads behind the curtain whipped the crowd into a frenzy – only for the curtain to reveal four burning effigies instead of the expected foursome.

During one break Nicky took time to read the banners – fully knowing they “always find a new level of depravity in the North East” but enjoying every saucy comment. And when one woman asked them to fit into a pair of huge over-sized bloomers the boys duly obliged. This group are still great friends – one of the reasons they want to give up now while they’re on top and happy. And they’re happy to have a laugh at themselves – surely the dance moves were a nod to those who have had a go at this aspect of their performing.

But who needs to dance when they can entertain so well – even covering huge modern hits like Black Eyed Peas’ Tonight’s Going To Be a Good Night and Bohemian Rhapsody (with obligatory horrible dance moves).

And for those fans sitting at the back, the “circle” was brought back – with the lads flying across the Arena, making sure the back row became the front row and everyone got a good look at them performing... now there are no health and safety considerations to worry about.

In 2002 Westlife stood on this stage on their first tour. It was called dreams come true – and they certainly did.

Nobody was sitting in their chair last night, and the tears were flowing as the famous four said their own personal farewells.

And fans will certainly be on the edge of their seats hoping one of the most successful boy bands of the last decade turn out again on the almost obligatory reunion tour sometime soon.

.............

Westlife have a devoted following whose admiration for the boys appears to the more casual observer to be somewhat out of proportion to their musical impact. True, the boys all have good voices, with Shane and Mark clearly some way ahead of the other two, as well as a decent line in banter and a sense of fun which goes down well with the enthusiastic crowd. What's not to like about Nicky reading out the rudest banners in the crowd? There's plenty of fire and fireworks, an obligatory journey above the heads of the crowd to visit the punters at the back of the Arena, and the excellent backing musicians are tighter than the buttons on Mark's jacket.

And yet - should a band which has been going 14 years really have to puff out the middle of a concert with a medley of other people's hits? Especially when a significant proportion of their own hits are already covers. It did up the tempo bit, but in that case why not play some of the bands' own livelier material?

Obviously none of this matters to 99% to those who were at the Arena, a venue which Westlife have already played 15 times. They came to hear the greatest hits, they got exactly that, and they went away happy.

And so, too, off went Westlife, into the night; with wistful looks over their shoulders, and a sadness borne of the knowledge that they will never perform in this fair city again. Oh, except for their added date in a couple of weeks' time.

Westlife will be back at the Capital FM Arena on June 5 as part of their Farewell Tour.

...............

Shane, Nicky, Kian and Mark announced last year that they will go their separate ways, after 14 years together.

But before they go they will play five dates at Belfast's Odyssey Arena, a city where they have performed 60 times previously.

It is the final tour for the band, which has sold more than 44 million records worldwide, and Westlife will play their last concert at Dublin's Croke Park next month.

Their closing gig will be screened at cinemas across the globe in countries including South Africa, Finland and the Netherlands.

The boys, who were originally signed by Simon Cowell and managed by Louis Walsh, have topped the UK charts 14 times.

Westlife started on the road to pop success in 1998 with five members, but in 2004 Brian McFadden left the group to focus on solo projects.

.................

There were a few tears flowing at the Odyssey Arena when Westlife took to the stage for very last time in Belfast last night

Twelve years, ten albums and 44million sales into their career, Westlife came to a crossroads earlier this year.

The group's original line-up was Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was part of the group until 2004. Westlife have sold over 45 million records worldwide which includes studio albums, singles, video release, and compilation albums. Despite the group's worldwide success, they only have one hit single in the United States, "Swear It Again", which peaked in 2000 on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 20.

The band were originally signed by Simon Cowell and are managed by Louis Walsh. The group have accumulated 14 number-one singles in the United Kingdom, the third-highest in UK history, tying with Cliff Richard. The group had also broken a few records, including "Music artist with most consecutive number 1's in the UK", which consists of their first seven singles and only behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. The band have 14 UK number ones and 25 top ten singles, consisting of 20.2 million records and videos in the UK across their 14-year career - 6.8 million singles, 11.9 million albums and 1.5 million videos.

On 1 June 2008, Westlife marked their tenth anniversary with a concert in Croke Park, Dublin which had more than 83,000 fans attending the special occasion. Music Week revealed on their website that Westlife are the official third top touring act within the years 2005?2008, while they were seventh top touring act of 2008.

Also in 2008, they were declared Ireland's ninth-richest celebrities under 30 years old and thirteenth in general with 36 million euros as a group. In 2009, they dropped as sixteenth richest Irish with estimated 8 million euros each. They were named as the fourth most hard-working music artist in UK by PRS in 2010.[5] In August 2011, it was reported in the Irish Examiner that the profits of the band's firm grew five-fold in 2010.

On 19 October 2011, Westlife announced they were to split after their Greatest Hits was released on 21 November 2011 it debuted in Ireland at number1 for 1 week and debuted and peaked at number 4 in the UK and a farewell tour in Spring 2012.

The band recently won the coveted poll of MTV.com Battle of the Boybands. After five rounds and competing with 32 boybands, Westlife won over 74% at the final round.

//////////////////////

Westlife record song for Niamh Curry's funeralContinue reading the main story
Related Stories
Winehouse shirt sells for £3,000
Cancer treatment battle girl dies
About 300 people have paid tribute to five-year-old Niamh Curry, who died from a rare form of cancer.

Pop stars Westlife recorded a message of condolence and an acoustic version of their Number One hit Unbreakable for the funeral at Kettering Crematorium.

Niamh was well known in the county for her and her family's work campaigning for awareness and funding to treat her neuroblastoma.

Her charity, Niamh's Next Step, attracted support from Westlife.

'Amazing little girl'

When news of her death on 20 May was announced on social media networks, the group was so moved they recorded the song and a message that paid tribute to an "amazing little girl" who had been an inspiration.

They said they had been "very sad" to learn of her death.

Niamh was was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 2010 when she was three. She underwent several bouts of medication, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and an operation to remove a tumour, but the cancer returned at the end of 2011.

Her family were due to take her to Philadelphia to receive specialist care in September but she developed an infection which gave way to severe pneumonia.

.................

Mark Feehily Celebrates Birthday During Westlife Show

Westlife star Mark Feehily was given an early birthday treat on Sunday (27May12) when he was serenaded by the audience at the group's arena show in Scotland.

The Irish singer turns 32 on Monday (28May12), and he has been given a night off from the band's The Greatest Hits Tour to enjoy his big day.

However, the crowd at the band's Sunday show at the Glasgow Secc venue treated Feehily to a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday during the performance, much to the star's delight.

In a post on his Twitter.com page, he writes, "Glasgow u were great, thanks for singing Happy Birthday to me 'n' all."

............

Westlife singer Kian Egan admits that he's feeling nervous about the group's farewell gig in Croke Park.

Saturday Jun 2 2012

Singer Kian Egan confesses that he's already feeling nostalgic about the band's farewell gigs in Croke Park.

The 32-year-old, who became a father for the first time last year, says it?s not the singing that?s giving him butterflies, but the actual event itself.

?It?s just so huge ? it?s being broadcast in cinemas all over the world, with a live feed into all the cinemas in the UK, Ireland, Europe and Asia,? he says. ?It?s going to be in Australia and New Zealand. There?s even talk about showing it in America at the minute.?

The group will play two sell-out shows in Croke Park in three weeks time.

The ?Voice of Ireland? judge is also feeling emotional about the fact that this is the last time Westlife, who have been together for 14 years, will sing as a group.

?It does feel pretty sad knowing this going to be the last time ? we?re all sad about it,? he says. ?But I think at the moment we?re just trying to enjoy it and not dwell too much on it,? he told The Irish Daily Mirror.

But he is looking forward to spending more time with wife, Jodi Albert and son Koa.

?It?s going to be a bit of time for me to just spend with my family and not have work commitments pulling me away from them,? the singer says. ?It?ll be nice to be able to sit back and enjoy the memories as well and watch the DVDs of our gigs gone by and chill out with it all.?

''''''''''''''''

THE farewell concert by Irish pop band Westlife is to be screened live at the cinema in Galashiels.

The group, who announced last October they were splitting after 14 years, are set to bow out with a final concert at Dublin's Croke Park on Saturday, June 23.

The event will be beamed at more than 200 cinemas in nine countries including Belgium, Denmark, Estonia and Norway.

The band, whose 14 UK number ones include 1999 hit Flying Without Wings, have sold more than 44 million records worldwide. Organisers said tickets for the concert sold out in minutes.

///////////////

Mark Feehily Celebrates Birthday During Westlife Show

Westlife star Mark Feehily was given an early birthday treat on Sunday (27May12) when he was serenaded by the audience at the group's arena show in Scotland.

The Irish singer turns 32 on Monday (28May12), and he has been given a night off from the band's The Greatest Hits Tour to enjoy his big day.

However, the crowd at the band's Sunday show at the Glasgow Secc venue treated Feehily to a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday during the performance, much to the star's delight.

In a post on his Twitter.com page, he writes, "Glasgow u were great, thanks for singing Happy Birthday to me 'n' all."

''''''''''''''''''''''

Westlife singer Kian Egan admits that he's feeling nervous about the group's farewell gig in Croke Park.

Saturday Jun 2 2012

Singer Kian Egan confesses that he's already feeling nostalgic about the band's farewell gigs in Croke Park.

The 32-year-old, who became a father for the first time last year, says it?s not the singing that?s giving him butterflies, but the actual event itself.

?It?s just so huge ? it?s being broadcast in cinemas all over the world, with a live feed into all the cinemas in the UK, Ireland, Europe and Asia,? he says. ?It?s going to be in Australia and New Zealand. There?s even talk about showing it in America at the minute.?

The group will play two sell-out shows in Croke Park in three weeks time.

The ?Voice of Ireland? judge is also feeling emotional about the fact that this is the last time Westlife, who have been together for 14 years, will sing as a group.

?It does feel pretty sad knowing this going to be the last time ? we?re all sad about it,? he says. ?But I think at the moment we?re just trying to enjoy it and not dwell too much on it,? he told The Irish Daily