Mark Feehily says he'd make a great replacement for Brian McFadden

Wayne Rooney could have a career in music when he retires from football.

He got up on stage with Westlife when they sang at his wedding Coleen McLoughlin.

And now the boys – Kian Egan, 28, Shane Filan, 28, Mark Feehily, 28, and Nicky Bryne, 29 – say 22-year-old Wayne would be the perfect addition to their group.

‘I think he could replace Brian McFadden,’ Mark jokes.

Brian quit the boyband 4 years ago to launch a solo career.

Coleen, 22, says she was thrilled Westlife agreed to play at the reception.

‘Their songs are perfect for a wedding,’ she tells OK! ‘I’ve seen them in concert a few times and there’s always so much energy.’

Credit/Source: www.nowmagazine.co.uk / westlife.gr

TODAY the Culture Diary launches a daily competition to give away 100 tickets to the Summer Pops. Courtesy of United Utilities, each weekday and in Box Office on Fridays, we will be giving away pairs of tickets for each concert in the Pops, which begins on Sunday.

Irish crooners Westlife will be getting the annual music festival under way with a show at Echo Arena Liverpool, the new home for the Pops, and we have FIVE pairs of tickets to give away.

United Utilities – the official community partner for Capital of Culture year – is offering the tickets to promote its Tap Into Water campaign, supported by the Daily Post.

Liverpool 2008 sponsorship manager Sue Woodhouse said: “Our sponsorship will help realise one of the primary aims of the organisers – to make this the best European Capital of Culture ever.”

To win one of five pairs of tickets to see Westlife, just tell us: Which X Factor judge managed the band?

Send your answer and contact details including home address to: features@dailypost.co.uk by 5pm on Wednesday (June 25). Usual rules apply. Tickets will be posted out with a reusable bottle to promote the campaign.

Credit/Source: liverpooldailypost.co.uk

Exciting news alert - we've just launched an online store featuring a whole host of amazing Westlife goodies!

Here's just some of the fab stuff on offer:

- A cool Andy Warhol-style T-shirt featuring the boys' faces

- A super-cute Kian & Mark & Nicky & Shane babygrow for your little one

- A lip-smacking Westlife lip gloss

- A brilliant Back Home apron - A gorgeously scented air freshener - Some sexy white hotpants

- A funky spotlight keyring

...plus loads more.

Head to the Store area at the top of the page or go straight to westlife.officialmerchshop.com to start treating yourself. With prices starting from just £5, there's bound to be something that takes your fancy.

And if you're feeling in a generous mood, there's lots of stuff on there that would make the perfect pressie for a Westlife-mad mate or family member!

The Sunday Times Bestsellers list for June 22, 2008
---------------------

1 Purple Ronnie’s Little Book for a Smashing Grandad by Giles Andreae
Last week 1 Weeks on list 3
Sales last week 8,885 To date (16,400)
(Boxtree £4.99)
Loveable rogue’s homage to grandads

2 Purple Ronnie’s Little Book for a Smashing Dad by Giles Andreae
Last week 2 Weeks on list 8
Sales last week 7,980 To date (42,500)
(Boxtree £4.99)
Funny observations for Father’s Day

3 The Dads’ Book
Last week 6 Weeks on list 6
Sales last week 6,930 To date (60,720)
(Michael O’Mara £9.99)
Latest miscellany of facts to help men master fatherhood

4 The Pocket Dangerous Book for Boys: Things to Know by Conn & Hal Iggulden
Last week 8 Weeks on list 2
Sales last week 4,200 To date (6,735)
(HarperCollins £10)
Fascinating facts and trivia

5 Westlife: Our Story by Westlife
New entry
Sales last week 3,665 To date (3,665)
(HarperCollins £18.99)
Kian, Nicky, Mark and Shane celebrate ten years at the top
Buy the book

6 Top Gear’s Midlife Crisis Cars by Matt Master
Last week 12 Weeks on list 1
Sales last week 3,280 To date (6,100)
(BBC £9.99)
A celebration of a middle-aged man’s quest for eternal youth

7 Finding My Voice by Russell Watson
Last week 7 Weeks on list 2
Sales last week 3,020 To date (5,225)
(Ebury £18.99)
Emotional, rags-to-riches journey of the Salford boy-cum-classical singer

8 Sex and the City: The Movie
Last week 3 Weeks on list 3
Sales last week 2,945 To date (7,545)
(Headline £20)
Illustrations, interviews and insights into the blockbuster film

9 The Grandads’ Book by John Gribble
Last week 11 Weeks on list 1
Sales last week 2,725 To date (5,120)
(Michael O’Mara £9.99)
A celebratory miscellany of everything that makes grandads great


10 Dad Stuff by Steve Caplin and Simon Rose
Last week 16 Weeks on list 2
Sales last week 2,515 To date (55,875)
(Simon & Schuster £8.99)
Numerous ways to keep kids, and fathers, entertained

Credit/Source: entertainment.timesonline.co.uk

How did you manage to write a book between the four of you?
Nicky: Well, it was obviously difficult in more ways than one for the writer Martin Roach. He interviewed us separately and collectively. He also had to cater for four different personalities and four different people talking and telling the same story in different versions, but he did it effectively. I read the book and even though I know all the stories and I was in stitches laughing, it’s a milestone in our career 10 years on. Even if you’re not a Westlife fan, the book is a success story in the pop industry.
Kian: We’ve all opened up – Mark in particular opened up and said things he might not have said to members of his band. It’s sometimes easier to talk to someone outside the band about your story.

How did you feel when Brian McFadden announced he was leaving?
Nicky: My initial thought when he told us was that he was punking us. That was Brian’s personality. He was sitting beside me so I looked at him, smiled, laughed, and started checking him for wires because that would be a typical Brian thing to do. I respect him for doing it even though it was heart-breaking. I thought he was crazy. I offered him counselling, we were almost in relationships with each other in terms of how much time we were spending together so I thought maybe counselling might have helped us. But there were different things going on that we didn’t know about. Obviously there were things going on with his marriage that we didn’t have a clue about. But I think he made the right choice for him.
Shane: Brian leaving was a very big turning point within Westlife. I wonder whether we would be still be together if Brian hadn’t left, I don’t know. At the time it made us realise how lucky we were. It made us stronger as a group.

Three of you have known each other since school and Shane is married to Kian’s cousin. Is Westlife a family affair?
Shane: We’ve known each other since we were 12, for more than 15 years, so it has been kind of like they’re family to a certain degree. We picked each other as mates so that is the backbone to a strong relationship, and when the others came they gelled with us straight away.

Were you worried about how people would react to news that Mark was gay?
Mark: I really didn’t give a damn what anyone thought – that’s one of the key things that anyone that’s gay needs to realise before they come out. It’s getting to the point of not giving a s**t what anyone thinks that actually pushes you into it. Too many people care about what people will react like.

What will you do during your year off?
Shane: My wife is pregnant so I’m looking forward to having some time off. But I’m worried I’ll be bored after four or five months, not working. Even if you have a new baby it’s going to be a shock to the system after having a schedule for so long.

What do you think Westlife stands for today?
Kian: We’re not a political band, we’re not trying to make any big noise politically or in the music industry. We don’t try to sell ourselves as this credible, funky band that writes their own records and is making milestones in the music industry. We’re just four guys that sing great pop songs for pop fans.

Their book Westlife – Our Story is out now

Credit/Source: walesonline.co.uk

BY KEith LYNCH and DECLAN VARLEY


A number of Westlife fans had to be treated for hypothermia during the supergroup’s gig on Saturday night as torrential rains rocked the city.
Emergency services throughout the city endured a busy night as the rainfall flooded parts of the city on the night the Sligo stars arrived in Galway for their long awaited summer gig.
Concert promoters were even forced to bring forward by one hour the gig at Pearse Stadium.
And initially there were fears that the concert would not proceed, as the massive stage was vulnerable to the electrical storm. At around 6pm the heavens opened waterlogging the pitch and leaving up to 30,000 screaming fans exposed to the heavy rain.
Reports on-site suggest that the emergency services removed up to two dozen people who were taken to UHG where they were treated for hypothermia.
Throughout the city there were reports of flash flooding, with the docks almost impassable for a period on Saturday night.
A HSE spokesperson confirmed there were no injuries from the flooding as the city council, fire department and gardaí implemented their emergency plan to deal with the rising water.
However there were a number of reports of minor damage to buildings near the docks and outside the city centre, including some of Galway’s largest shopping outlets.
The flooding caused traffic chaos, with gardaí enduring a particularly busy night as parts of the city were cut off by the rising waters.
Many businesses were forced to close and the Galway Fire Service dealt with a steady number of calls from 6pm until around midnight.
The call centre for the Westdoc out-of-hours GP service on the Tuam Road in Galway was also flooded. Staff were evacuated and calls from patients could not be answered. The HSE has said that those trying to contact the service are advised to go directly to their nearest Westdoc centre at Glenamaddy, Ballina, Knock, Craughwell, Tuam or Westport or to their nearest Accident and Emergency department.
But weather aside, music fans enjoyed the night at Pearse Stadium with Shayne Ward in particular thrilling the crowds.
With a number of his extended family from the west of Ireland present The X-Factor star wowed fans with his version of ‘The Fields of Athenry’, before Westlife took the stage with their dazzling display of hits.

Credit/Source: galwayfirst.ie

Literally hundreds of you entered our competition to win signed a signed copy of Westlife: Our Story and a poster.

We asked you to tell us about your favourite Westlife moment - and you didn't disappoint. We really enjoyed reading through all your entries - if you haven't checked them out yet, take a look in the forum now.

However, we could only pick five winners - and here they are. If you see your username below, please PM Admin on the forum with your full name and address.

Enjoy!

JOHOE

My most treasured memory has to be when a friend agreed on going to the Greatest Hits tour with me. A day later she sent me an e-mail, I cry whenever I read it.

At that time I was feeling rather down and in the e-mail she wrote that she had noticed. She told me to enjoy life because life is beautiful and that it's worth it to enjoy. We'd have lots of fun at the concert, she wrote with conviction. The thing however that stands out is the following sentence, she wrote: I'm still enjoying the look in your eyes that you had when I said that I was going to the Westlive concert with you. She didn't even know how to spell Westlife but she would go, just for me. I then knew that I had a very special friend. She still is A VERY SPECIAL FRIEND!!

Josien

sparky07

Westlife have had a special song for every moment of my life in the last 10 years. When I had my daughter who needed surgery over 2yrs, they were there for me on the CD player in hospital, when I had surgery, they were in my walkman, when my dad got ill, they brought me comfort and helped me through sleepless nights on the MP3 player. When my son was born, he was humming their tunes by a year old! Now he's 3, he adores them. He knows all the words, even to old albums. Out shopping he hears them and shouts "MUMMY WESTLIFE ARE SINGING FOR YOU"! He cannot wait for his first concert! The boys have helped me through so much, they are always a great support through their wonderful music. Thanks lads, your amazing xxxx

Jo x

AngelByrneFeehily

Hard to pick one memory, as I've got 10 years filled with them. Highlight being meeting them, the show I've seen and of course Croke Park, but a very personal memory is listening to 'You Light Up My Life' with my best friend from Brazil when I first met her in Italy, we just sat on the bed eating chocolate, me filling her in about the latest Westlife news like we'd been together like that for years. Without Westlife we never would have met, and now whenever I hear that song I'm back there with her, even when we're on different continents. The friends I met through Westlife are the best friends in the world, and along with all the Westlife memories brought me something for life!

jodieluvzshane

I've never seen them in concert or been lucky enough to meet them. But the moment that sticks in my mind most is being sat in my lounge room watching Greatest Hits DVD. My hip hop loving brother had his hip hop loving friends over (who were giving me absolute hell). Written In The Stars was playing, I was trying my hardest not to cry while watching it. My brother told me in front of his mates that I should be proud of supporting a band that meant so much and could bring out that emotion, gave me a hug and turned it up louder. That was it - the tears were falling.

mfeehilyfan

There are so many Westlife memories for me... EVERY time I meet them, seeing Mark on his Birthday this year, all the TV shows and concerts I've been to... but the one that really stands out has to be Croke. From the build up while standing in the queue with friends, to the concert itself. And what made it even better was that I was stood right in the centre of the front row, so I could see all the joy and emotion in their faces as they performed. They looked so proud on that stage, putting on the best show ever.

And I'm sure if you asked the lads what THEIR most significant memory was, I'm sure they would say Croke, so with over 80,000 people standing behind me, I feel so lucky to have been there to celebrate with them... and those memories will stay with me forever!

Credit/Source: westlife.com

By Matthew McCreary

You would have been forgiven for thinking Concorde had touched down in Belfast city centre yesterday — such were the noise levels which greeted rush hour commuters heading home for the day.

Hundreds of young Westlife fans lined the pavements of Donegall Place — some since the weekend — to meet their heroes as they arrived at the Eason's store to sign their new book, 'Our Story'.

The famous four were in the city for the latest leg of a two-day book signing tour at a number of Eason's stores across Ireland.

Among the excited teens awaiting the chance to meet their idols were Belfast friends Lindsay Kelly and Nicole Hendry, who had camped outside the store since Sunday afternoon.

"It's been mad; the first night there was heavy rain," said Lindsay.

"It was really bad but we had a tent. We've been trying to keep ourselves dry — the shops have made a fortune out of us buying umbrellas. "

Meanwhile, Nicole said they and their friends had been working in shifts during their wait to meet the Westlife lads.

"We all met through Westlife. We were camped out about seven years ago and started talking about them. We've become good friends now. We each like a member of Westlife, we'll get them all to sign the one book."

A-Level student Emma Reynolds from Downpatrick said her 22-hour wait had been very cold.

"We just had chairs and an umbrella, we haven't had any sleep," she said. "It was worth it to see them though."

Eason's deputy store manager Trevor Proctor said the response to the signing had been excellent.

"It has been just fantastic, a very busy fortnight," he said.

"The planning for this has been going on for about two weeks. It's all been organised well in advance.

"Sales of the book have been fantastic, they have surpassed anything we thought.

The Westlife boys — Shane, Mark, Kian and Nicky — arrived bang on time through a rear door at the store to an ecstatic crowd who almost brought the house down with their screams.

There was tight security at the signing desk, where fans were rushed through as quickly as possible to allow the hundreds waiting outside their chance to meet the group.

But the band members took the opportunity for a quick chat with some fans, even posing for pictures to be taken with a lucky few and their newly-signed books.

Tearful fans Alex Burns and Carolyn McKenna said they were delighted to meet the boys after waiting since midday on Wednesday.

"It was freezing, but it was well worth it," said Carolyn.

"Shane just told us to keep on smiling."

For Nicole Hendry and Lindsay Kelly the wait was also worthwhile as they were among the first to meet the band.

"It was a bit rushed but we did get to meet them in the end," said Nicole.

"They called us crazy for waiting out so long. They're really nice guys, they chat away."

Westlife have sold more than 40 million records worldwide since they formed 10 years ago.

Among their achievements are 14 number one singles in the UK, the third-highest in history, tying with Cliff Richard and just short of Elvis Presley and The Beatles.

The book chronicles the band's story from Sligo to a life of multi-platinum records, celebrity collaborations and achievements.

See more photographs of fans meeting Westlife on our website www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Credit/Source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk

By LYNNE KELLEHER

THERE are fans -- and then there are the real fans.

Westlife admirer Viki Jones (left) turned up at Easons bookshop on Dublin's O'Connell Street yesterday to meet her heroes armed with a copy of their book -- and revealing huge tattoos of the fab four on her back.

Band members Kian Egan, Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne and Mark Feehily (inset) gallantly autographed the tattoos for a delighted Viki, who was just one of hundreds of fans there to meet the band, as they promoted their new book, 'Our Story'.

Meanwhile, Nicky has spoken of his dismay in finding out his voice was deleted on one of the boyband's recordings.

Byrne has revealed for the first time that his warblings were deleted after his colleagues had crooned their last at a recording session.

He said: "When we were recording one of the albums, I discovered that none of my vocals had been used.

"I said to the boys, 'I'm not going home until this changes'. I wasn't going to stand there and make up the numbers."

As he prepares to take a 12-month break from Westlife, Byrne said he insisted his voice be used on the band's recordings. The star, who is married to Bertie Ahern's daughter Georgina, is planning to spend more time with his wife and two children.

He told OK! magazine: "Being away for too long is never healthy and we were always conscious of that fact and invited the girls out with us."

He said the fuss over the wedding of footballer Wayne Rooney and Coleen McLoughlin last week reminded him of his own nuptials. Westlife played at the Rooney reception.

Sadly, for those who are not fans of Westlife, lead singer Shane Filan said he doesn't think the band will ever split up.

He said: "Splitting up has never been on the radar . . . I don't think we'll ever split up."

Credit/Source: independent.ie

by Jamie McLoughlin, Ormskirk Advertiser


IT’S almost time for the Echo Arena Liverpool to welcome some of the biggest names in pop and rock as the Summer Pops juggernaut rolls back to the city for 2008.

The 10,000-plus capacity venue stages its first Pops season between Sunday, June 29, and Saturday, July 26, and this week we launch the first of four competitions to win tickets for the biggest shows of the summer.

Those evergreen Irish lads, Westlife, open the Pops on June 29.

With 14 number one hits to their name, the boys won’t be struggling to fill the setlist - and with previous Pops appearances under their belt, it seems Liverpool is one city the ‘Lifers have a real affection for.

On Tuesday, July 1, is Mick Hucknall – now performing outside the Simply Red name – with a show revolving around solo debut Tribute to Bobby.

Based on the music of Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, who mixed gospel, blues and R&B to great success in the 1950s, this is a continuation of the soulful sounds Hucknall is renowned for.


The rafters of the multi-million arena come in for their first real test on Wednesday, July 2, when they will be shook by the rumbling vocals of stadium heavyweight Meat Loaf.


The Loaf still packs out venues thanks to the continuing success of his 1977 album Bat Out of Hell and the massive 1993 number one hit I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That).


He also acts (remember SpiceWorld: The Movie?), including a role as Jack Black’s dad in Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny.


It’s pop all the way on Thursday, July 3, when ABBA tribute band Bjorn Again join force with the Sugababes (pictured below) for an evening of infectious melody.


The first of two visits from The Australian Pink Floyd Show (the second is on Saturday, July 26) takes place on Friday, July 4, with music from the albums Wish You Were Here, The Best of The Wall and a selection of fan requests.


The night after the Floyd tribute brings an attack of the ‘80s as Duran Duran burst on to the Pops stage for some well-crafted tunes as part of their Red Carpet Massacre World Tour.


It promises some brand new arrangements of hits such as Rio, Girls on Film, The Reflex, Wild Boys and Ordinary World.


An honour and a coup for the city of Liverpool takes place on Sunday, July 6, when singer/songwriter Paul Simon returns to the Pops after six years away - a concert where he had the time of his life.


A man with a hand in some of the greatest entries in the American Songbook, this looks set to be one of the biggest nights of the Pops - and you could win a pair of tickets to be there.


For ticket information on all this year’s Summer Pops shows, call 0844 847 1616.

Credit/Source: icnetwork.co.uk /

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