hallo welkom op mijn westlifeforever blog deze blog is voor de westlife fans en iedereen die westlife wil leren kennen ik wens jullie veel kijk en luister plezier 14 jaar westlife 1998-2012
Westlife gave an unforgettable performance as they played their final homecoming concert at Dublin's Croke Park. Around 80,000 fans attended the Irish pop band's farewell show at the weekend, which was also screened in cinemas in Ireland, UK and across Europe, reported the BBC. The boyband - made up of Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne - belted out all their hits over a set lasting more than two hours. Kian told the crowd: "As this is the very last Westlife concert, the whole idea was to be able to get out here and see our fans one last time and celebrate 14 years. " His bandmate Mark added: "For 14 years, Westlife fans have made our dreams come true. This show is dedicated to each and every one of you. Our fans mean so much. You have never stopped supporting us. "Thanks so much.
You're not just our fans, you are our friends and have been with us each step of the way. " The group were introduced by their former manager Louis Walsh, who said: "I have never known a band like this in all my time in the business. "I didn't want them to break up yet - but they all wanted to go out on a high. Westlife announced the shock decision to split up last year after 14 years together.
mark feehily shane filan Kian Egan Nicky Byrne blijven volgen dat kan hier ook hier te volgen brain mcfadden
(What's this?)Westlife fans know the boys are hot, but even the most devoted were surprised to see the group's performance set the roof on fire.
As the popsters sang their new single Us Against The World at Newcastle Arena, a stray firework set the rigging alight and the boys had to flee for 10 minutes while firefighters tackled the blaze.
Ever the pros, the lads came back and sang off-the-cuff versions of Take That's "Relight My Fire" and Prodigy's "Firestarter".
Nicky told 3am: "It was a one in a million chance, but the fire service dealt with it and we got on with the show." Phew.
WESTLIFE celebrated the end of their successful UK tour with a big night out in Liverpool, but the lads proved they not all about the caviar lifestyle.
When the munchies struck, Insider hears the Irish lads had a special request for one of the bar staff at Kingdom for a Chinese takeaway!
Tony Mahoney duly obliged, nipping out to Victoria Street and returning laden down with cartons and carrier bags full of Chinese food for the hungry band, who rewarded him with a hefty tip.
The banquet rounded off a great night for Westlife who, together with their other halves, headed to the VIP area of Kingdom after their Summer Pops gig.
The boy band, who recently performed at the Rooney wedding, attracted large crowds as word got out the lads were out on the lash.
But it was nut just the fans who were pleased to see the boys in Liverpool the four-piece and their partners couldn have been happier to be back.
Former Hollyoaks actress and ex-girl band singer Jodi Albert, who is engaged to Westlife star Kian Egan, told Insider: We love coming back to Liverpool. The fans here are fantastic and the band always gets the biggest reception.
All the boys were really excited to be back. Kian and I spend a lot of time in the city and whenever we come back it makes me miss it.
CThis was the last show of the current tour before they take a year out, so we all planned to celebrate with a big night out.
Mat Cunningham from Kingdom says security was increased for the group visit.
We got a call from the band's manager to say Kingdom had been recommended and Westlife wanted to come here to celebrate 10 years together and announce they are having a break.
While most of the group sipped on our most expensive champagne, the ladies specifically asked for Cosmopolitans. At around 1am the ladies asked us to bring out the cake that they had made for Mark, Shane, Kian and Nicky, which was a chocolate sponge with a number 10 on the top. We put some sparklers on it and they presented to them as a surprise. It was a fantastic moment."
Westlife have slammed the Spice Girls for living in the past.
The Irish boy band - made up of Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Nicky Byrne and Kian Egan - have dismissed Mel C for boasting, "Seriously, who would you put your money on", when asked about the two group's upcoming chart battle, insisting past success counts for nothing.
Mark told BANG Showbiz: "No one could compete with the Spice Girls 10 years ago. But actually we competed with them eight years ago and we won! We are not living in the past."
Shane added: "Yeah, we put our album out at the same time and we beat them. When they were first around no one could compete with them. But that's not true now. Mel C obviously has some issues with us."
The last time both groups released albums simultaneously, Westlife's 'Coast To Coast' sold 160,000 copies more than the girl's 'Forever' LP.
Nicky has warned Mel C to stop attacking Westlife - before it gets too "personal".
He fumed: "You get a lot of tired old has beens, and I am not referring to the Spice Girls now, saying, 'Oh it was different when I was in the business.' Nostalgia is a big thing and it will work for the Spice Girls.
"I don't have anything against them personally. But if Mel C wants to start opening her mouth and picking on us individually or our families then it is going to become personal. It should be a good chart battle."
Both acts were due to release their new albums on November 5, but the Spice Girls reportedly delayed their greatest hits collection by a week to avoid directly clashing with Westlife's new album 'Back Home'.
WHILE Brian McFadden promotes his lacklustre solo career, his former band Westlife told UK press the singer called wanting to be part of their reunion tour, but they did not sing his praises.
He left the group and you can't expect us to take him back. I told him: 'You're never going to be in Westlife again. Accept it'," Westlife member Kian Egan said.
The lads from Westlife celebrated their 10th Birthday with a rather large party at the weekend. With 82,000 guests and venue that you could land a Jumbo Jet in, the four piece have turned from boys to men. They have even ditched those damn white suits... Or have they?
Kian Egan
Yup. Love 'em or hate 'em Westlife aint going anywhere soon... The Sligonians & Dubliner combo played to the biggest crowd of their professional careers at the weekend when they stuffed 82,000 mad screaming female fans in plastic pink cowboy hats into Croke Park.
Shane Filan
With the empty space that was once filled by Brian McFadden no longer a looming issue, the remaining four - Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne - have upped their game and gone that extra step despite it looking like they might have called it a day when five became four.
Mark Feehily
For any band on the planet, even the likes of U2, to sell out Croker is no mean feat. And the boys did it in style with huge video screens, hot dancers and fireworks exploding all over the place... Their legion of dedicated fans wolfed-it-down and could be seen all over Dublin city earlier in the day...
Nicky Byrne
Hardcore Westlifers even flew in from as far a field as Australia, the Far East and the USA to see their idols now donned in black leather and shades... Although, by the end of the spectacle the cheeky bunch reverted back to their white suits and belted out 'You Raise Me Up'... They love those damn suits.
Belfast and Sheffield Gigs: Reviews
Nicky and Shane managed to shake off their illness in time for the Sheffield and Belfast gigs - and all the boys put on an amazing show. Here's what some of you have been saying about the concerts: had an AMAZING night! And I would like to thanks the lads for putting on the best tour EVER!! We LOVED it, the show DOES get better every year WELL DONE LADS!!!' kelly83
Defo the best tour ever. Don't know how it happened but they all started getting their tattoos out after the lady in the crowd showed them hers, well funny especially when Nicky had a bit of trouble doing up his belt and asked one of the lads to do it.' chez84
What an amazing show, totally out of this world!! From beginning to end they were fantastic, and woweee looking good!! Went to bed grinning and woke up grinning...with no voice!!' sophluvswestlife
The lads were amazing! Mark sounded well good! And Shane looked extra fit last night!' lea04
loved the extra bits. Sparkles in the medley (WOW! No wonder Nicky got one in his eye) Nicky reading banners out (I have a vid of that but missed the first few ones cos mum had the camera) Kian showing his boxers! But I wanted Nicky's!!! (well Shane's but Nicky got asked to do it from one of the banners lol!)'
Their homes and families keep the Westlife boys' feet on the ground Westlife have jetted all over the world during their music career, but the boys insist that their solid home lives keep their feet on the ground.
The Irish foursome, who are the new faces of the Post Office, credit their families with helping them deal with fame.
"I think home to all of us is very, very important," Mark Feehilly revealed.
"We've all got very solid families and we've all had very good upbringings back home.
"We're very lucky to be surrounded by a lot of love."
And for new dad Nicky Byrne, home has become even more important after the birth of his twin sons earlier this year.
"We haven't been getting a lot of sleep for the first part of it," he admitted. "But I think any new parent will tell you that it's all worthwhile in the end.
"They're starting to kind of giggle and smile and do a lot of things now."
Westlife undress on their Back Home tour in Belfast 27/02/2008 back home tour, westlife strip tour
(What's this?)The Westlife boys were suitably relaxed as they kicked off their Back Home tour - so much so they stripped off.
Their sexy suits were peeled off to whoops from the audience in Belfast.
Plus the boys were minimally dressed in one raunch-filled, S&M-themed number.
Hello, boys!
Westlife hit Irish bar to mark end of Glasgow gigs Mar 24 2008 Exclusive
WESTLIFE celebrated their four-night stint in Glasgow by going out to an Irish bar.
Kian, Shane, Nicky and Mark played a blinding set at the city's SECC last week culminating with their final night on Saturday.
While Shane and Kian stayed at the exclusive Mar Hall Hotel, Mark and Nicky decided to stay in separate accommodation in the city centre, preferring the hustle and bustle.
But the boys hadn't really let their hair down until Friday night when they decided to hit the town.
Shane said: "Me and the boys are going out tonight to an Irish bar. We haven't really been out yet in Glasgow as we've been hanging out with family and friends, but we decided it was time to thank our crew by giving them a good night out."
The boys spent the majority of their time at Waxy O'Connor's bar in the city in a private area and left in the small hours of Saturday morning.
Shane also revealed he is delighted that he'll be a father for the second time.
He said: "I am thrilled at the news and I am looking forward to the birth of my new child.
"We'll be having a few drinks to celebrate that tonight as well."
WESTLIFE proudly posed with copies of their autobiography, Westlife: Our Story at Waterstone booksellers in Piccadilly, central London yesterday. The four lads Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily and Kian Egan will fly into Eason in O Connell Street, Dublin for the first Irish signing of their autobiography thisThursday at 12.30pm.
They will also take part in book signings at Eason in Donegall Place, Belfast and the bookseller branch in O Connell Street, Sligo.
Fans in the capital wishing to have their books signed will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis with tickets being allocated from early Thursday morning.
Martin Black, manager of the O Connell Street, Dublin Easons, said:
We are delighted to have Westlife coming to do their first Irish book signing here. However, in order to avoid disappointment, I would like to remind fans that the band s time in-store will be limited.
We will accommodate as many people as possible and would ask that fans adhere to orderly queues.
The band official autobiography charts their highs and lows since forming a decade ago.
The book chronicles the band s story from their grassroots in Sligo and Dublin to multi-platinum records, celebrity collaborations and chart achievements.
The boys in concert earlier this year
Published Date: 17 June 2008 By Staff reporter GETTING to meet your pop idol takes organisation as Westlife fans proved yesterday. Once news broke that the boyband was set for Belfast to sign copies of their new autobiography later this week, dedicated fans sprang into action to make sure they didn't miss out on getting to meet their heroes face-to-face.
Queue
Around 20 fans started queuing outside Eason's in Donegall Place at 4pm on Sunday tents in tow even though the group won't be appearing at the store until Thursday.
Manager Trevor Proctor told the News Letter that the fans mainly teenage girls had set about completing their mission by way of a 'shift basis', with only three or four girls queueing on behalf of both themselves and their pals at any one time.
Devout
Devout followers of the band Nicole Hendry, 21, Fiona Patton, 25, and Roisin McGuinness, 21, are part of a group of 10 friends camping out to see their idols.
They're well-used to braving the elements for the sake of their passion they queued for a week to get tickets to see Westlife at the Odyssey Arena and ended up camping out for three weeks because more tour dates were released.
But they say they enjoy it and pass the time playing songs, singing and dancing, recalling the concerts, and meeting up with fellow Westlife fans.
"It's actually good," they said. "Usually you get drunk people giving you abuse, but last night and this morning it's been very positive. People are making sure we're OK, just basically being really friendly."
Fan-atic
Nicole who has seen the band play in Belfast 40 times and even had a song dedicated to her by Shane said they all met through their mutual love of the boys.
"We're all from different parts of Belfast, and different religions too, and then I found out when I met her (Fiona] we are third cousins or something.
"It's nice to mix with other fans and get to know everybody's experiences and if they have met them before and share photos."
Mr Proctor said that the store was expecting more determined fans to become a familiar face outside over the next four days.
"Once one person starts that will be the beginning of it. We've been getting inquiries about the visit from people of all ages," he said.
Tour
The signing is part of the band's two-day book tour of Ireland, which will see fans in Dublin and Sligo delight in exchanging a few words with their heroes.
But many fans are expected to be disappointed due to limited time allocated to the boys. With tickets allocated on a first come first served basis, those at the head of the queues will be rewarded for their efforts.
Mr Proctor added: "In order to avoid disappointment however, I would like to remind fans that their time in-store will be limited. We will accommodate as many people as possible and would ask that fans adhere to orderly queues."
Westlife Our Story charts the highs and lows of the group's career and a friendship that has seen them endure 10 years. The book chronicles the band's story from their grassroots to multi-platinum records, celebrity collaborations and chart achievements.
The full article contains 545 words and appears in News Letter newspaper.
Meeting their fans - Westlife at Lakeside shopping centre
CHART-TOPPING boy band Westlife were met by hundreds of screaming girls at Lakeside Shopping Centre.
The Irish four-piece set the girls' hearts aflutter as they signed copies of their book Westlife: Our Story. The autobiography charts the rise of Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan, four boys who all grew up in Sligo and dreamed of stardom.
The group formed in 1998 and had rapid success, notching up 14 No 1 singles in the UK and touring all over the world.
sneaky peek at part of Westlife: Our Story!
Signing the actual record contract was amazing, recounts Nicky. It was in the first week of November 1998, while we were still on tour with Boyzone. A lot of the lads hadn't even been to London before; I was a little more experienced in that I'd been to America, Canada and much of Europe with family holidays and football tournaments.
Louis was travelling to the record label separately, so it was literally the five of us travelling over on a plane to meet him there. We made our way from the airport to this big office block where the record company was based. I remember that standing there, ready to go in, we were just giddy kids. Looking back, as soon as we entered that doorway, all of our lives changed beyond recognition.
We went into a big meeting room that is now Simon Cowell's private office but back then was just a huge conference room. Sonny Takhar was also there, Simon's right-hand man who has also been instrumental in our career.We knew it was a big record deal - we signed for five albums on a contract worth several million pounds, so, understandably at that age, we all thought that once we'd signed this piece of paper, we'd be millionaires. Of course that money is split over the albums and it has to go towards paying for some incredibly expensive stuff like accommodation, clothes, cars, video shoots, recording costs and so on. It's funny, looking back, because we'd all been looking at what cars we could afford. Rather than get proper carried away, I was thinking of buying maybe a Toyota MR2, you know, for 15 grand, say - nothing too ridiculous. That's how you think at that age.
Signing that record deal was all my dreams come true, says Kian. It really was a lifelong dream and here we were, signing the contract, about to record an album, put singles out, travel the world in a band and make music. It was just amazing.
It was the stuff of dreams, absolutely, recalls Shane. All my life I'd been looking forward to this moment. It was one of my major goals in life, but I never thought it would happen. I knew I wanted to get married and I hoped I'd be a father, but I never thought I'd get a massive record deal. It's such a prized achievement for a band. I can't really ever forget that excitement, that moment sitting in that office, all the thoughts buzzing around my head: We are going to be pop stars! We might have a hit single! Then the teenage thoughts kick in, like Maybe I'm going to be a millionaire! Then, most importantly of all, I can go and buy a new car!
13.06.2008 Autobiography
Read part two of our fantastic preview of Westlife: Our Story!
Signing the record deal was a huge decision for me, says Mark. I can clearly remember actually putting the pen on the page where I was supposed to sign. I can see it now, the pen moving in slow motion as I signed my name. At that precise second, a thousand thoughts were buzzing through my brain. I was excited about the deal, naturally, but I was very nervous about what it meant for my life back in Sligo. I was really scared that it might change things. Of course it changed everything beyond recognition.
Subconsciously, I must have known this and that is why signing that piece of paper was such a big deal for me. There I was, an 18- year-old country boy, flying into this big corporate office in the middle of London, being surrounded by all these big names in the business, working for this worldwide company, sitting by accountants, lawyers, managers - it felt insane. I think in the back of my mind I'd been preparing to go to college, like a lot of kids do from around Sligo, then suddenly here I was signing a multi-million pound record deal with all the heavy responsibility that comes with that. Maybe for a kid brought up in Camden, it would have been an easy day out, but for me the contrast was so severe. Exciting, thrilling, scary, daunting, all at once. I'm just trying to be really honest here.
As I signed, the noise of the city outside was as far from my idyllic country childhood as you can imagine. I could feel that distance sitting there in that room, writing my name on that sheet of paper. Right there and then, I put a barrier up. This is not going to change me, this is not going to change my life, I kept saying to myself. It was important at that point to have that feeling. It reassured me. I hadn't travelled like Nicky, I didn't have the confidence of Shane, Kian and Brian. But, ultimately, the draw to sing was greater than the desire for my life not to change, so I signed the contract. But I just kept telling myself it wouldn't really change anything. How wrong can you be?
The business side of it hit us instantly, says Nicky. We had to set up a company, we hired an accountant, Alan McEvoy, and we got lawyers and tour managers lined up, all sorts. It was explained to us that the company, Blue Net, should own the band name because if any member were to leave then the band could continue
Oprichting (1998) Voor de oprichting van Westlife maakten Egan, Feehily en Filan samen met de in Sligo geboren Derrick Lacey, Graham Keighron en Michael "Miggles" Garrett deel uit van de zeskoppige zanggroep "IOYOU" (soms afgekort tot "IOU"). Choreograaf Mark McDonagh was met twee anderen de manager van de groep en hun eerste single heette Together Girl Forever. Louis Walsh, de manager van de in 1990 ontstane boyband Boyzone, werd door Filans moeder op de hoogte gebracht van de band. Omdat IOYOU van Simon Corwell geen goedkeuring kreeg voor een platencontract met BMG, was het duidelijk dat er veranderingen moesten worden doorgevoerd. Twee leden van IOYOU konden vertrekken en in Dublin werden audities gehouden, waarbij Byrne en McFadden werden gekozen. Ook Michael Garrett, een van de oorspronkelijke bandleden moest de groep verlaten. De nieuwe groep, die op 3 juli 1998 werd opgericht, kreeg de nieuwe naam "Westside", maar omdat deze naam al door een andere band werd gebruikt, veranderde het naar Westlife. Boyzone-zanger Ronan Keating nam samen met Walsh het co-managementschap op zich.
Vertrek Brian McFadden (2004) Op 9 maart 2004, de groep heeft inmiddels vijf albums uitgebracht en zal drie weken later aan hun vierde wereldtour beginnen, verlaat Brian McFadden de groep om meer tijd met zijn gezin door te kunnen brengen en te werken aan een solocarrière. Op die dag werd een persconferentie gehouden waarin alle bandleden een persoonlijke toespraak hielden. McFadden's laatste optreden met Westlife vond plaats op 27 februari 2004 in de nachtclub "Newcastle Upon Tyne's Powerhouse". Samen met tekstschrijver Guy Chambers (bekend van Robbie Williams' succesalbum Escapology) zet hij vervolgens een solocarrière op poten onder zijn oorspronkelijke naam Brian; met Westlife trad hij altijd op als "Bryan". Zijn eerste single, Real To Me werd een nummer één hit in het Verenigd Koninkrijk, en stond zeven weken in de Nederlandse Top 40, waarbij het piekte op de 16e positie. Kort daarna bracht hij zijn eerste solo-album uit, Irish Son, dat tevens de titel was van een van zijn singles. Later kwamen meerdere singles uit, maar deze werden geen groot succes. Het leidde zelfs tot een contractbreuk met Sony BMG, die McFadden ontsloeg vanwege slechte verkoopresultaten van zijn albums.
In maart 2007 werd bekend dat McFadden terug wilde keren bij Westlife, omdat zijn solocarrière was geflopt en hij was ontslagen door zijn platenmaatschappij. Shane, Mark, Kian en Nicky lieten echter weten zo te zijn ingespeeld op elkaar, dat Brian niet meer terug hoeft te komen. Ze verklaarden aan New! Magazine direct na zijn vertrek "veranderingen doorgevoerd te hebben, waardoor ze een andere band met andere muziekstijlen zijn geworden. Daarbij is geen plaats meer voor Brian".
Nieuwe tijdperk (2005-heden) Het eerst album dat daarna uitkomt, Allow us to be Frank, is een ode aan de Rat Pack, maar wordt in Nederland geen succes. In oktober 2005 het nieuwe album Face to Face uit, met de singles "You Raise Me Up", "When You Tell Me That You Love Me", een duet met Diana Ross, en "Amazing", die geen van allen de Nederlandse Top 40 halen. You Raise Me Up was echter een grote hit in Ierland en het Verenigd Koninkrijk, waar het 2 weken op 1 stond
In november 2006 kwam The Love Album uit, waarop ook een duet met Delta Goodrem. Zij heeft een relatie met ex-band lid Brian McFadden. De single The Rose, beroemd gemaakt door Bette Midler, werd een nummer 1-hit in het Verenigd Koninkrijk.
In 2007 verscheen er ook een nieuw album, namelijk Back home, met onder andere daarop het nummer Home.
Awards they won Westlife are 10 years bizzy now and they have won a lot of awards here you find what awards they have won.
1998 Smash Hits : Best New Tour Act
1999 MTV Europe Music Awards : Best UK and Ireland Act
TMF Awards : Best Breakthrough Artist/Newcomer
Top Of The Pops Awards : Best Band Of The Year
: Best Love Song (Swear It Again)
Heineken/Hot Press : Best New Act
TV Hits Awards : Best New Act
ITV's Record of the Year : Record of the Year (Flying Without Wings) 2000 ITV's Record of the Year : Record of the Year (My Love)
2004 Smash Hits T4's : Favorite Download (Flying Without Wings) Pollwinner Party
Digital Awards : People's Choice Award for Best Officiele Website (www.westlife.com)
Meteor Awards : Best Irish Pop Act
World Music Awards : World Best-Selling UK/Ireland Act
NRJ Awards : Best Pop Band
Nordic Music Awards : Best International Pop Act
: Gold of Top Band/Group
: Top 10 International Gold Songs
2005 TV's Record of the : Record of the Year (You Raise Me Up) Year
Meteor Awards : Best Irish Pop Act
2006 Meteor Awards : Best Irish Pop Act
2007 Meteor Awards : Best Irish Pop Act
Variety Club Showbiz : Best Recording Artist Awards
2008 Meteor Awards : Best Irish Pop Act
In the last few years of their success, Westlife have refused to follow the toe-path of the regulation boyband. Are we even a boyband anymore? I have absolutely no idea, says Nicky Byrne, with disarming candour. Tradition has it that after the first five years, absolute maximum, the boyband must by default implode to make way for the new model. With Westlife, there simply hasnt been a new model to outshine them. On the straight up British pop roster, Westlife have existed since before SClub7, B*Witched, Blue, Girls Aloud, Atomic Kitten, Busted, Misteeq, McFly, Liberty X and all the countless other record company follies that have disappeared without trace. Of those that they havent already outlived, you could put a pretty safe fiver on the rest bowing out before they. As a functioning, multi-purpose, thoroughbred pop operation, they are now twice as old as Take That were when they split for the first time and three times as old as Wham! were when they went forever
One of the reasons for this is their unnerving agility and ability in rendering music that cuts straight to the primary core of a largely forgotten pop audience. Tuneful, melodic, simply structured music that doesnt stray from the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-middle eight-chorus recipe of timeless tunes. But the other is because they are four distinct individuals who come together and make something that is whole.
Another reason is that the four boys cannot help but be themselves. People like that. Sometimes talking with Westlife is like talking to four kindred spirits who have bungled their through becoming the third biggest selling act in the British Isles, ever (pipped only by The Beatles and U2). Sometimes it is like talking with four squaddies on a night off down the boozer. Sometimes it is like talking to a naughty classroom, particularly when Mark Feehily gets onto the subject of one particular Spice Girl. Always it is like talking to a bunch of best friends. And just occasionally that memory comes back to you, amidst their tireless Irish banter, that even after almost a decade at it, these boys are four of the most popular pop stars Britain,s ever seen. Now take that.
So who are Westlife? Their success is not in question. Despite a rampaging media campaign against their favour at Christmastime last year, they managed to trounce the competition in a four way battle of album releases between themselves, U2, The Beatles and Oasis. Three of these bands were presenting bullet-proof, failsafe, platinum plated greatest hits packages. Westlife were the only ones that weren ut, with their sweetly rendered covers set, The Love Album. They couldve waited until the more appropriately Valentines Day release, but after their enormous tenure at the top of the business, they have a formidable lack of fear of playing with the big game. Theyre not cocky, like. But they are a force of British musical nature. And, frankly, they won.
In some ways the Westlife tale is one of simple, old fashioned camaraderie. Allow Nicky to take up the story:
Even though we looked at other bands that are similar to us, we looked at bands like the Rolling Stones and U2, bands of men that have stood by one another over a long period of time. Those boys have been in dressing rooms and on tour with one another for so long that they know each other inside out and upside down. If there was a hidden agenda with anyone in Westlife then we all know about it. Nobody us after the solo deal. Everyone has the bands interest at heart first. We always said that we wanted to be the ones to change and break the mould. We had our rocky times, don get me wrong, when it might happened, particularly when Bryan went, but we regrouped, stuck together and made a great album that got us out of the shit, effectively. Amongst ourselves and with a band like ours it s always from the inside out. Internally these things can break easily and as soon as the cracks show on the inside inevitably they show on the outside. You can never really say you havent had a fight if you have because your audience will spot that your lying.
Kian puts it more simply: think that the success is very different to the reason that we still here today. I think that we been very lucky to have people around us to pick out great pop songs when there seems to be none around. The reason we are still around is a very simple reason: communication. We have no holds barred honesty. There no bullshit. In Westlife you say what you feel and you don,t hold back.
In their enduring tenure at the top of the pop tree, Westlife have earned themselves the right to a few months off every year. It,s a sort of payback time, if you like, for the years they put in at the beginning when they would get a week per annum off and squeeze in things like hernia operations into it.
Mark is circumspect about the reasons for this. bought a house a couple of years ago and I was doing a lot of renovating. In Sligo. I live out in the countryside. I like getting away from the madness and the pace of when youre in the band. I think that every time I go home for a long time I remember how easy it is to get caught up in the madness and the lifestyle that is being in Westlife. Its important to step back from it and let it go for a while. The greed of the business can constantly pull you down. It,s nice to get home and to remind yourself of the things that are very important in life. That,s something that I go through every time we have a big break. It doesn,t hurt anyone to take a bit of time out. You come back a stronger person.
And it would seem, a stronger band. The four counterpoints of Westlife have had their varying shares of thrills and spills in the time that they had apart from one another this year. Nicky has had twins the most breathtaking experience a man can go through. Shane has watched his two year old daughter turning into a little person and lowered his golf handicap . Kian has bought a new house near his girlfriend Jodi,s family just outside London, opened a Juice Bar called the Monkey Tree in his surfing paradise hometown of Sligo, Cand generally acted like a bit of a bum down the pub. Mark has renovated the house he shares with partner, Kevin, in County Sligo. All things considered, it is no wonder they have opted for the title Back Home for their new collection of songs.
They are righteously proud of the new set. The record label now as famous as the boys itself given the phenomenal success of MD Simon Cowell on X Factor and American Idol, and Louis Walsh on the former (they do a mean impression of him on telly, too, and offer him belated wardrobe advice on a weekly basis) wanted another covers set. But the boys stood strong. They all think it,s their best yet. very Westlife, says Shane, righteously and unapologetically, but Westlife needed to step into 2007.To this end, and under the boys own instruction, new producers have been brought in, the sound reconfigured and the suits and stools gone for the time being. But it,s pop music. It,s not pop electro or pop rock,adds Mark, we know what Westlife is and we love that thing.
There,s no arguing with that really, is there?
After ten years, still best at what they do 07:12 - 30-June-2008
WITH Home Park Stadium filled with girls, boys, mums, dads, grannies, grandads and couples, many with cowboy hats and bunny ears, you couldn't help wonder how Westlife would manage to keep the attention of such a diverse age range. After Simon Webb's great support act, Westlife stormed the stage dressed in black leather, and it was soon clear that the white-suited barstool routine so long associated with the band was clearly a thing of the past. Reeling off numbers like 'Uptown Girl', 'Mandy', 'Queen of my Heart', 'If I let you go', and 'What makes a Man', you remembered just how many hits the boys have had in fact they've notched up 14 number ones. The party continued in an electric atmosphere with the crowd jumping around wildly to 'Let Me Entertain You', 'I'm Your Man' and 'Don't Blame It On The Sunshine'. When the boys donned Argyle shirts, fans responded by shouting the soccer chant 'Who are ya?!' As fireworks flew off the stage and the stage lights flashed across the stadium, the fans danced on into the night, foot perfect with all their moves and word perfect with the lyrics... even the dutiful husbands couldn't help but get into the swing of it. When the band finally said their goodbyes and thanked the audience for such a great 10 years, they saved the best till last. A heartfelt rendition of 'Flying Without Wings' sent shivers down the spine and brought a tear to the eye of many adoring fans. After a stadium-wide singalong and more screams to get the band back on stage there just had to be an encore, and the boys didn't disappoint. 'When You're Looking Like That' soon had thousands of middle-aged women and teenage girls screaming, followed by the power ballad 'You Raise Me Up'. Well, if Home Park Stadium had a roof it would certainly have been raised. With endless lashings of cheeky grins and slick dance moves, this show was pure gold. Well done, boys...here's to 10 more years.
XL Video Celebrates 10 Years of Westlife Louise Stickland April 18th, 2008
XL Video supplied video equipment and crew for Westlife Back Hometour, celebrating 10 years as a pop phenomenon.
The live show one of the most dynamic and visually exciting of their careers so far has been designed and directed by William Baker.
Westlife shows have always had a strong video element, and this one was no exception, with 7 Stealth Mk2 LED screens being instrumental in the look and feel of the show, bringing, texture, depth, movement and colour to every area of the stage.
Custom video playback ran throughout the show, all of it commissioned by Baker and produced by Blink TV. The tour was produced by Production North and production managed by Karen Ringland, with XL Video Phil Mercer project managing.
Mercer comments, Westlife have toured prolifically for the last 10 years, and it is always a good challenge keeping the look of the show fresh and varied from one year to the next.
Downstage there was a curved section of Stealth measuring 27 modules wide by 8 high, which flew in and out and was used for an innovative video reveal at the top of the show. This sequence was carefully crafted in collaboration with LD Baz Halpin, so the video content and lighting worked seamlessly in a gradually reveal of the band standing behind the screen.
Upstage, near the back of the shaped stage set, were 2 portrait formatted Stealth surfaces measuring 13 modules high by 7 wide, angled in a 45 degree V. To each side of these were a total of 4 landscape Stealth panels, all measuring 9 x 7 modules and in 3:2 aspect ratio, which flew in and out through the performance.
The Stealth was used almost exclusively for showing VT playback material. IMAG appeared on the central curved screen just once, during the unplugged section of the show. This was in black and white to contrast with the generally very rich colouration throughout the rest of the performance and the screen was divided into 4 sections, each showing a tight head shot of Nicky, Shane, Kian and Mark.
The live camera mix was directed by Billy Robinson. XL supplied four Sony D50 cameras, which were positioned one at FOH, one in the pit on track & dolly and two off in the wings of the audience. Robinson cut the mix using a GV Kayak switcher, and this was beamed up onto two side 14 x 10 ft screens each fed by a Barco SLM12 projector from XL.
All the playback footage was stored on 2 Doremi hard drives and triggered by MIDI timecode from the backline, controlled via Barco Events Manager. This was programmed and formatted for all the screens by Richard Turner during production rehearsals at Lite Structures in Wakefield.
XL supplied 7 crew for the tour, under the direction of crew chief Stuart Heaney - systems engineer Graham Hollwil, Stealth tech,s Andy Tonks and Patrick Vansteelant and camera operators Luke Levitt, Thomas Levitt and Mark Cruickshank.
Playback footage was created by Blink TV Marcus Viner, Tom Colbourne and Helen Stringer. They worked on the project at Blink,s studios for about 2 months, including a 2 day video shoot with the band at Centre Stage Studios in Islington, London.
Working with cinematographer Angus Hudson, this produced material that was used in the beauty shots for Swear It Again along with footage for other songs, and they also filmed a dancer and a pole dancer. The dancer was shot with a series of different brass instruments, the footage was then composited and layered to create the eye-catching multi-coloured pop art style brass band for Easy Way.
The pole dancer was treated with chrome and gold effects and appeared in spectacular James Bond style fashion in I Let You Go.
Westlife tour again throughout May, culminating in a massive show at Croke Park stadium, Dublin, after which they will take a year break.
Westlife are still the kings of pop
THE biggest pop band in the land, Westlife have defied the odds of the genre's life expectancy, simply because no new upstarts have been able to come along and topple them from their throne. While they may have fun poked at them for their cheesy dance routines, those clichéd ballad stool sessions and their lack of cool in an indie-dominated world, the fact is that 10 years after Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh first got their signatures on the dotted line Nicky Byrne, Kain Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan are collectively still the biggest and the best at what they do. Their 10th anniversary celebration concert earlier this month saw them pack out the fourth biggest arena in Europe, the 83,300 capacity Croke Park; their autobiography, Westlife Our Story, released a week later, will shift copies by the lorryload, and who knows how many fans will be wearing their perfume, X (Get it? The Roman numeral) to mark the their decade milestone. The boys are at Home Park tomorrow night. Simply to have survived where others have fallen by the wayside Blue, Busted, SClub7 and B*Witched, to name but a few is remarkable. They're twice as old as Take That were when they called it a day first time around, and three times as old as Wham! when George and Andrew went their separate ways. With a cool 40 million record sales worldwide under their collective belts, they've also scored 14 number one UK singles
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