WESTLIFE will celebrate their 10th anniversary by staging three spectacular gigs in Belfast early next year.

The pop hunks will kick off the trio of shows at the Odyssey Arena on February 25, taking their performance toll at the venue to more than 50 since it opened.

Singer Kian Egan, 27, said last night: "We can't wait to tour again and get up close and personal with the fans."

The Irish stars are set to chart at No1 when their new album Back Home hits the shops next month.

The Odyssey shows will form part of a huge tour that will include arena dates in London, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle and Birmingham.

The band are also planning a mammoth 70,000 capacity show at Croke Park in the summer - one of their biggest gigs ever - as a climax to their birthday celebrations.

Kian added: "We would never have guessed when we started out that we would be around this long.

"To be honest we would have been happy with five years at the top but this is all beyond our wildest dreams.

"We want to carry on for years to come. As a band we are all getting along better than ever and we are mates as well as band mates. We hang out together even when we are not working."

And he promised all the big hits for fans attending their Odyssey show. Kian said: "It's going to be a barrage of No1 hits and great anthems.

"The fans will get the best of the last 10 years of Westlife."

Credit/Source: The Mirror / Thanx Gitta

WE just can't get enough of Westlife. And it seems Louis Walsh's lads can't get enough of us either.

Yesterday they confirmed four gigs at Belfast's Odyssey Arena to celebrate their 10th anniversary.

It seems Northern Ireland and the boy band have an Unbreakable bond.

Credit/Source: Daily Mirror / Thanx Gitta

Westlife were on GMTV today. You can download their two performances of "Home" and chats with the presenters which Jo uploaded! Thanx Jo and enjoy everyone!!

Download The First Perormance & Chat Here

Download The Second Performance & Chat Here

Credit/Source: Joanne / ITV 1

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'.

Credit/Source: www.femalefirst.co.uk

Westlife have revealed that they can't wait to take on the Spice Girls in a chart battle.

It was reported that the comeback girl group moved the release of their greatest hits album back a week, so it didn't clash with the release of the Irish band's ninth outing, Back Home, on November 5.

Westlife's Nicky said: "I think it's good for pop music. Spice Girls were phenomenal when they were around and it's great to see bands like them and Take That coming back.

"The music today is very dancey - R &B and rap stuff. For Spice to come back and for us to have a chart music battle, if that's what is going to happen, it's brilliant for both bands. For Westlife to be competing against the biggest - if not one of the biggest - girl bands the world has ever seen against their greatest hits album, it will be great.

"We are well up for it," he continued. "It's Simon Fuller versus Simon Cowell. It's a win-win situation."

Credit/Source: www.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk

Aww Westlife gave a lovely live performance of 'Home' on Strictly Come Dancing and Jo managed to record and upload it!! Thanx sweety! Enjoy everyone

Video Download Of The Performance Here
MP3 Audio Download Of The Performance Here

Credit/Source: Joanne

POP kings Westlife yesterday got ready to rumble as Take That make a grab for their crown.

The Irish boys claim to have made their best album in years and Take That's return has made them more hungry for success.

Nicky Byrne told Email: "It's funny them being back - we got together because of acts like them.

"Last year we met them for the first time at the X Factor final and it was a bit surreal - like the current heavyweight champion of the world meeting the old former champ.

"Standing with them I knew I wouldn't be there at all if it wasn't for those boys. It's great to see them back but we don't want to lose our crown.

"Their return made us realise we had to try a bit harder."

Nicky reckons new album Back Home - ready for release on November 5 - contains the best song they have recorded in years.

He said: "It is called Us Against The World and I think it will be huge. It's our 10-year anniversary in July and this will set us up for another 10.

"The album has taken us back to great original pop songs. It's really boosted how we feel about the band long term."

Nicky admitted Westlife - who headline the ASDA Be Live show at the AECC, Aberdeen, on October 28 - could well have called it a day this year if they had listened to their record label.

He said: "The label wanted us to do another concept album - Westlife Go To The Movies but it would have killed us.

"You have to take away the business side of it - rather than just picking up our cheque we wanted to put life into it again.

Another record like that would limit us too much.

"We want to appeal to people who don't like us with our new album.

"We knew we were better than the stuff we were doing. We just had to find the right producers."

Nicky said the band were on the verge of splitting two years ago when they took a break after their swing album - which followed Bryan McFadden's exit.

It was with this in mind that Nicky took an acting course in New York.

He said: "We regrouped but had not re-established ourselves properly.

"I was preparing myself for the beginning of the end by doing that course.

"Then we came back with You Raise Me Up and suddenly we were bigger than ever."

Credit/Source: Sunday Mail / Thanx Gitta

EXCLUSIVE KIAN: WE ARE NOT SPLITTING..WE'RE GOING ON WORLD TOUR INSTEAD

WESTLIFE last night slammed reports they were splitting up and promised: "We'll still be around for years to come."

The singers and their manager Louis Walsh were fuming at claims they were breaking up next year.

Today they exclusively reveal news of their biggest world tour to Irish Daily Mirror readers.

Singer Shane Filan, 28, blasted: "We are never going to split up. We're going to spend a year recording our next album to make it the best ever."

And 27-year-old Kian Egan slammed: "It's complete nonsense and there is no truth in it at all.

"It's a joke for people to insinuate we are splitting because we have never been busier. I said I was going to take a holiday next summer and suddenly it's, 'Westlife to split up.' It is completely misleading to our fans.

"We always take a break between albums and this time it is no different. But after a couple of months we'll be in the studios again.

"It's just another of those crazy stories that are exaggerated. I'm pleased to announce we are not splitting - and I want Irish Mirror readers to be the first to know about our big world tour.

"We're going to perform over 60 dates around the globe and will put on our most spectacular show ever.

"We're also heading to the Far East and Australia for a series of big shows.

"It's going to be one of our biggest tours ever and we can't wait to get out and perform for the fans again."

And their manager Louis Walsh echoed Kian's protests. He told us: "Westlife will be around for a long time to come. I've heard about this split story and it is completely untrue. It gives fans the wrong impression about the band's future.

"The lads are very busy and looking forward to their new album and touring again.

"They are really busy and working harder than ever. Why would Westlife want to give up when they are still enjoying No1 hits and sell out tours?"

During their nine-year pop reign, Shane, Kian, Nicky Byrne and Mark Feehily have each made EUR15million.

They scored 14 UK No1 hits since their debut single Swear It Again topped the charts in 1999.

The band are certain to score another charttopper with their latest single, Home.

Their new album, released on November 5, is expected to be one of their biggest sellers ever.

Credit/Source: The Mirror / Thanx Gitta

Join us for our live Westlife webcast on Monday at 9.30am
Chart-topping boyband Westlife are back with a new single and they'll be with us straight after their chat on the sofa for a live webcast on Monday.

Email the band your questions using the form below. (click here and scroll down the page for the forl)

New single

Westlife's new single is titled "Home" and the band have a new album - their 9thto date! The album will be released on 12th November, and "Home" will hit the shelves in just two weeks time (29th October).

The new single is a cover of the Michael Buble classic, who coincidentally joined us on the sofa only last week! It's been almost a year since the release of their last album, and the boys are visiting to tell us what they've been up to; and they'll also be giving a performance of their new single...

Credit/Source: www.gm.tv

As The X Factor live finals kick off next week, boyband Westlife reveal what they think of the show - and this year's contestants.

Last Saturday, viewers saw band member Kian Egan help judge Louis Walsh choose the final three contestants in the Over 25 category: Beverley Trottman, Daniel de Bourg and Niki Evans.

"Daniel is very good," said Kian, "But there were two people there who shouldn't have been in the final six."

And the band had plenty to say about hopeful Icaro...

Westlife are one of the big-name acts set to appear on this series of The X Factor over the coming weeks.

The band appeared on last year's series, which was won by Leona Lewis.

But before that, Westlife will be performing their new single, Home, on Strictly Come Dancing this Saturday night.

VIDEO: Click here to watch an interview with Westlife

Credit/Source: www.whatsontv.co.uk

Content Management Powered by CuteNews