Westlife

The chart-topping Irish lads cast their minds back to reveal some of their travelling tales

MARK: The first time I went abroad was on a ferry to the Isle of Man. I was five and kicked up an absolute stink because I’d seen a stopwatch, you know the ones you wear round your neck? I cried, kicked and screamed until I got it.

SHANE: My first flight was to Manchester, on Ryanair from Knock airport. I would have been 10 or 11. The flight was an absolute novelty but I wanted a pair of Reebok pumps which were about £70. Back then, that was like buying a car for your child. I had to have them, I got them and I was cool for a week!

NICKY: I remember going to Spain on holiday. I dived into our hotel’s pool and my armbands fell off. I was only about six. Out of nowhere these arms lifted me up and it was my dad. He’d been keeping an eye on us.

KIAN: My first foreign holiday was to Mauritius after I joined the band. Now I’ve turned into a bit of a surfer so I go to places like Hawaii all the time.

NICKY: Back in the early days of the band we didn’t have time for holidays

SHANE: Yeah it was probably a couple of years before we could have more than a Christmas holiday.

MARK: Still we’ve travelled with the band

NICKY: When we tried to break America the first time around we’d do a few cities in a day.

MARK: We’d start off in one city, do our promotional stuff and a gig, then go straight to the airport, fly to another city, do the same and then get going on to another city.

SHANE: We recorded some of this latest album, Back Home, in Stockholm, which I think is the nicest city in the world, after Sydney.

NICKY: I think I prefer Sweden - its so fresh, the air, the water…

SHANE: It's like it has come out of an Evian bottle.

MARK: Vodka is very expensive.

SHANE: Yeah you wouldn’t go over there for a weekend with the lads, but if you want to find some good looking women there are handfuls of them on every street corner.

NICKY: Even the average looking women are absolutely amazing

SHANE: Even the men are - I’m not gay but Mark is obviously, but…

MARK: Obviously? (laughs)

SHANE:...But all the men are models. You know Freddie Ljungberg is from there. Honestly its embarrassing, those cheek bones

MARK: Freddie Lungberg’s cheek bones are so sharp they could be used as a weapon. You can’t take him on the plane.

SHANE: Hmm that’s kinda funny.

Interview: Alex Rayner

Back Home by Westlife is out now. Visit www.westlife.com for details

Credit/Source: Ryanair Magazine / Thanx Vix for typing it up

Pop fans were treated to one of the concerts of the year when Irish chart-toppers Westlife announced they were returning to Aberdeen to play a free, intimate gig.

The singers played to 1,500 adoring fans at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference at the Asda Be Live fundraising concert, which went round the country.

The heart-throbs had already wowed thousands with two dates in the Granite City on their Love Tour in April.

But the hysteria from their legion of fans was just as passionate during the autumn gig.

One of the high spots of the show was when Shane, Nicky, Kian and Mark serenaded the crowd with their new single, Home

Credit/Source: Thisisaberdeen / Thanx Joanne for finding

By Fiach Kelly

THEY have sold millions of albums and sold out concert venues worldwide, but the boys from Westlife had difficulty keeping two of their youngest fans entertained during the filming of their 'Late Late' special tribute show.

Nicky Byrne's children, Rocco and Jay, seemed oblivious to the commotion in RTE studio four and fell asleep in the arms of their grandmother, Miriam, instead of listening to their dad and his band mates talk about the group's success over the last 10 years.

The show, which was recorded last Friday but airs tonight, will see the pop supergroup perform a selection of their hits.

They follow in the footsteps of other Irish music giants like Christy Moore and the Dubliners, who also got 'The Late Late Show' tribute treatment in previous years.

Duet

Among the songs the boys from Dublin and Sligo will be performing is a duet with Irish singer Mary Black on the Christmas favourite, 'Walking in the Air'.

And Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, whose daughter Georgina is married to Nicky Byrne, also makes an appearance on the programme, which was recorded hours after his attendance at the Mahon Tribunal last Friday. He is pictured far right with Nicky Byrne.

Mr Ahern's interview with Pat Kenny also deals with the band's career.

"It is a tribute to the band to coincide with the tenth anniversary of their first appearance on the Late Late," an RTE spokesman said yesterday.

"It is one of the special seasonal Late Lates we have each Christmas, and we've had many."

Previous specials have featured Irish stars like Maureen Potter, The Chieftains, The Clancy Brothers and sporting icons like Paul McGrath.

Joining band members Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne in studio will be guests who helped them through their career, including Louis Walsh and Ronan Keating.

Other friends, including Sharon Osbourne, the Sugababes, Shane Ward, the Backstreet Boys, Paul O'Grady, Michael Flatley and Simon Cowell, will send their best wishes to the boys in recorded video messages.

The show has been planned for months by the 'Late Late' team and boasts a live studio choir.

Credit/Source: www.independent.ie

Yay! 'Back Home' is at No.5 in the best selling albums of 2007 in the UK so far. It's only a few days left till 2007 is over so hopefully they will keep that spot. Well done Westlife! They deserve it so much and 'Back Home' is an absolutely great album.

Here is the Top5:

1. Back to Black - Amy Winehouse 1,535,557
2. Spirit - Leona Lewis 1,433,477
3. Life in Cartoon Motion - Mika 1,130,000
4. Beautiful World - Take That 1,018,768
5. Back Home - Westlife 781,739

In the Irish Best Selling Singles of the year 'Home' is at No.15.

Credit/Source: Haven

DISAPPOINTMENT for one fan at THE WESTLIFE SHOW-LIVE after she discovered the band had sneaked round her house while she was out.

For, despite posing for photos, using her bathroom, leaving gifts and giving her car a makeover... the lazy feckers failed to tarmac her drive.

Still, the boys didn't have it all their own way. 'Cos back in that studio, a mere knickers-throw from their most devoted/mental fans, rarely can they have sung the words "Let me go home!" with such feeling.

Plus, they had to face gurning, shrieking Holly "Can I just say?" Willoughby.

Who proved that, truly, nothing gets past her: "Welcome back to The Westlife Show and look who's here: It's Westlife!"

And introduced each song with the words "Everybody give it up for..." Which leaves me no option but to make this plea: Holly Willoughby, give it up for...feck's sake.

Credit/Source: The News of the World / Thanx Gitta

WESTLIFE are making ANOTHER comeback - by supporting the awards for the second year running.

The lads - Kian, Nicky, Shane and Mark - performed at last year's bash and couldn't wait to get involved this year by meeting up with kids of Barmado's supporters, Gemma Tizzard, 11, Phoebe, seven, and Chloe, from Upminster, London, said: "It's a dream come true."

Credit/Source: News Of The World Newspaper / Thanx Ceebs for the scan

'Back Home' is at No.4 for one more week in the Irish Albums Chart while 'Home' is down at No.7 from last week's No.5 in the Irish Singles Chart.

1. (5) Michael Buble - Call Me Irresponsible - 34 weeks
2. (1) Shayne Ward - Breathless - 4 weeks
3. (2) Leona Lewis - Spirit - 6 weeks
4. (4) Westlife - Back Home - 7 weeks
5. (3) Gareth Brooks - The Ultimate Hits - 6 weeks

In the UK album midweek sales update for Friday 'Back Home' is holding on at No.2.

1. Leona Lewis 168.400
2. Westlife 130.600
3. Michael Buble 96.400

Credit/Source: www.irma.ie / Haven

Check out the blog section now for a new update from rehearsals for the Late Late Show in Dublin.

"A Very Very Very Merry Xmas!

We’re recording the Late Late Show in Dublin today, which is our last day of work before Christmas. After this we’ll be all heading off home to spend Christmas and New Year with our friends and families.

Thank you so much to everyone who’s bought our music, seen us in concert, posted on our website and supported us in the many other ways that you do. It’s been an incredible year for us, most of which is down to having such brilliant fans.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and New Year – see you in 2008!

Love Nicky, Shane, Kian & Mark x"

Credit/Source: www.westlife.com

Life’s a dream, Mizz hooked up with Irish charmers Westlife to get the low-down on their plans for Christmas and which celeb lads they find good looking…

Hey guys, what’s the best thing about Christmas for you?
Shane: I think for the four of us, because of what we do, we’re all based out of Ireland, so Christmas is when we get to go back home. I haven’t been home with my friends and family for months.
Nicky: For me this year, Santa Claus is coming to our house for the first time, so that’s going to be pretty special.

What do you like to have with your turkey?
Shane: I have egg mayonnaise and vegetable soup.
Nicky: Soup as well, and smoked salmon.
Mark: Prawn cocktail...

Egg mayo - random - Ever found anything strange in your stocking?
Shane: A toenail, I never hang a stocking up - our presents just go under the tree.
Mark: We put stocking up as decoration on our fireplace.
Shane: I think Christmas stockings might be more of a UK thing. In Ireland, I don’t know anyone who has one…

Interesting. Do you have any unusual traditions in your families?
Nicky: My sisters and I always used to go to over to my nana’s place, and our cousins would come too. Then one of us would be picked to hand out all the presents that year.
Shane: The toy show - that’s what the UK missed out on big time...

The toy Show...
Shane: It was on three weeks before Christmas and it would show you the newest toys coming out, the biggest thing ever when you’re young.
Mark: Parents stopped grounding you. Instead they’d say, you’re not allowed to watch the toy show. This lad pushed someone into the mud and he wasn’t allowed to watch it.

Did it ruin Christmas?
Mark: It ruined his life…
Shane: Yeah he’s in jail now cause he wasn’t allowed to watch it.

Yeah right, which band member would most like to be your secret Santa?
Nicky: I’d want Kian because has very thoughtful when it comes to presents.
Kian: Really??
Nicky: No hahahaha

And if your spending limit was just a pound?
Mark: I had a contest with my friend recently we stopped in a 24 hour supermarket to see who could get the most for a pound. I won by miles.

What did you buy then…?
Mark: Toothpicks, music a plug, honestly...

But who on earth would want a plug as a secret Santa present?
Shane: True but I still want Mark to be my secret Santa. Cause he gets the most for his money.

If you were off to a Christmas fancy dress party, what would you go as…
Shane: A Christmas tree, with my hands out on either side and my head sticking through the top.
Nicky: I guess it’s inventive, I was going to say an elf, but a tree is better by far.

Would you rather be a reindeer or one of Santa’s elves...
Mark: A reindeer, cause they can fly.
Shane: I’d rather be an elf.
Mark: An elf’s a slave a reindeer gets to fly all over the world.
Shane: A reindeer is a slave too, it has to go wherever it’s told.
Mark: You’d be stuck inside all day making toys.
Shane: Why don’t I just get in an aeroplane.

Boys... changing the subject, are you still in touch with Brian McFadden, and will you be getting him a present?
Mark: No present but we still talk to him.
Nicky: We don’t even get each other presents at mass time…
Kian: I was embarrassed one year, just giving them cards. I thought they’d all laugh at me.
Shane: And we did lol.

Meanies. If you were single, which celeb would you most want to kiss under the mistletoe?
Shane: The best looking woman in the world. In my opinion, Charlize Theron - very classy and elegant.
Nicky: I think Scarlet Johansson is nice.
Kian: I disagree, I think she’s got a funny nose. I like Gisele Bundchen, the supermodel.
Mark: Delta Goodrem, haha. Not that I’m going kiss Delta. For many reasons.

Lets hope Brian doesn’t read this... With you talking about his girlfriend like that.
Nicky: Who would you kiss then?

Josh Hartnert.
Shane: Yeah he’s a good looking guy.
Kian: I think he’s a bit weird looking though.
Nicky: Ryan Phillips is good looking. He looks like Justin.
Shane: Yeah he’s a decent looking lad, he’s just cool.
Kian: He’s got a funny nose too.

What is it you and noses Kian…OK Its quiz time now... In the 12 days of Christmas. What was sent on the eight day?
Shane: I haven’t got a clue. Lots of turtle doves and a pear tress.

Wrong it was 8 maids a milking, (They all start singing the song) Name all eight of Santa’s reindeers…
Rudolph, Prancer, Dancer, Blitzen, Dasher, that’s all I know.

Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitsen. Right, next question, complete the verse... He’s making a list and checking it twice…
Nicky: That’s too easy
Mark: he’s gonna find out who naughty or nice…
Shane: Santa clause is coming to town.

And finally. Who got last years Christmas number one…
Nicky: Shayne ward… No Leona Lewis.

Correct and a Merry Christmas to you all…

Credit/Source: Mizz Magazine / Thanx Joanne for typing it up and scanning the pictures

Second European Date Confirmed

Westlife have added a show in Germany to their 2008 Back Home tour. They will be playing the Oberhausen Arena on Wednesday 28th May, and tickets will be available on Wednesday 19th December at 9am (German time) from www.eventim.de

Credit/Source: www.westlife.com

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