nu westlife is gestopt - wie van WL blijf jij volgen
westlife forever
22-11-2013
1 Westlife 2011
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
THOSE boys of
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.”
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.
