Ellie's Review From Liverpool - 29 June 2008
06 Jul 2008 by Villy • DISCUSS ON FORUM
Thanks Ellie for sharing your review from Liverpool with us smile

'OMG what a truly amazing and fitting end to 10 years of WESTLIFE! They well and truly raised the roof in Lverpool and boy did the crowd love it!

Throughout the show they where on form with everything they did, during the thankyou's I think they all had a tear in their eye!

Every song was sang with all their hearts and they continuosly impressed me from start to finish!

Without fail the best show of the tour alongside CROKE PARK!

Well done LIVERPOOL for giving the lads an amazing send off and hopefully a night they will remember forever!

I am also a very happy lady as i got to complete my tshirt collection! Lol!

THANKYOU for the most amazing and truly memorable 10 years of my life, may there be many more to come from 2010 onwards!

Ellie x'

Credit/Source: Ellie


Review: Westlife, Summer Pops, ECHO Arena
30 Jun 2008 by Villy • DISCUSS ON FORUM
by Janet Tansley, Liverpool Echo

THEY say flattery gets you everywhere . . .

Well, it certainly got Westlife a thunderous round of applause as they told Liverpool’s excited audience: “You have to be one of the best crowds we have ever played to . . . and definitely the loudest in Liverpool.”

It was the first night of the Summer Pops and the last night of Westlife’s Back Home tour.

The boys made it clear they were there to “party” – and they did.

They opened on stage on a set resembling the Starship Enterprise – all sci-fi and bright neon lights.

And from the minute they were beamed up on stage in their black zipped jumpsuits and aviator shades it was obvious they were there to have fun and entertain.

They opened with The Real Thing before launching into a back catalogue impossible not to sing along to.

The guys whipped off their jumpsuits to reveal slick suits and ties before thrilling the dancing audience with favourites like What Makes A Man, If I Let You Go and Swear It Again.

Another quick change into All American Boys for a set of covers like the Jacksons’ Blame It On The Boogie, Kool & The Gang’s Get Down and Robbie Williams’ fitting hit Let Me Entertain You which came complete with fireworks. But there were newer ones too like Catch My Breath.

The Arena was throbbing so much I’m surprised there wasn’t a tidal wave on the Mersey.

The dancing was slick, the choreography was polished but – dare I compare them to another famous boy band? – it couldn’t quite match up to the spectacle which was recently Take That.

That said it was a fantastic show which blasted out as much energy as the band, who have clearly kissed the blarney stone and oozed charm.

The partners were all in there last night so it would have been rude not to say thanks to them.

But Kian Egan went one further by revealing he would hopefully be calling our own lovely Jodi Albert “my wife” some time in May next year. Ah!

A marriage made in Heaven – just like the Summer Pops and Westlife.

Credit/Source: www.liverpoolecho.co.uk


After ten years, still best at what they do
30 Jun 2008 by Villy • DISCUSS ON FORUM
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.

Credit/Source: www.thisisplymouth.co.uk


Westlife at Home Park, Plymouth
29 Jun 2008 by Villy • DISCUSS ON FORUM
HOME Park was again rocked Saturday night when Westlife performed to a packed stadium as part of the Plymouth Summer Festival.

Thousands of fans of all ages flocked through the turnstiles of Plymouth Argyle to catch the boys from Ireland in action.

Warming up the crowd for the boys were The Acutones from Glasgow who were finalists of AYRPLAY 2008, Scotland's Burn's Showcase for New Bands Competition.

Also in support was Simon Webbe, ex-member of boyband Blue, who I was lucky enough to meet. His set included some of his more well-known hits such as Lay Your Hands, No Worries and Coming Around Again. Fans were also treated to a performance of Simon's latest number Public, which he doesn't know if it is going to released.

And then just after 9pm Shane, Mark, Nicky and Kian were revealed from behind a screen of lights, much the the crowds delight.

Dressed in black with black gloves and sporting Maverick style sunglasses, the boys opened their show with Hit You With The Real Thing from their seventh album Face to Face. World of Our Own followed and the black outfits were ripped off to reveal black suits and black ties.

Fans lapped up all the boys had to offer and the hits just kept on coming.
It was a mixture of their old material and their new which worked brilliantly together.

What Makes a Man, the classic and upbeat Uptown Girl, If I Let You Go and a rendition of Mandy, originally a hit for Barry Manilow in 1974, were the next tunes to be belted out.

After another outfit change, Nicky came on stage wearing a Plymouth Argyle home shirt with the number '12' and 'Green Army' printed on it, to perform a mix of Justine Timberlake's Sexy Back, The Jackson Five's Blame it on The Boogie, Blue’s Get Down on it and Wham's I'm Your Man.

The crowd were treated to some simple, but none the less effective, pyrotechnics when they did their version of Robbie Williams' Let Me Entertain You. Then they did an accoustic medley of Unbreakable, Tonight and Fool Again, which was stunning.

Catch My Breath and their latest single Home from their new album were next. It was at this point that Shane instructed the fans to get out their mobiles and "light 'em up". Looking out over the floor area you could see a sea of LED screens being held in the air.

The lads were happy playing the crowd and had them chanting "Who r ya" and "Green Army' before they told the lighting technicians to dim the lights so fans could get a photo which they posed for.

Swear it Again, their first number one back in 1998, was well received and the crowd were swaying and singing along with the boys.

The show lasted over an hour-and-a-half and was brought to a close with Flying Without Wings. The boys said their goodnights, the stage darkened and they were gone. Crowds started to disperse and that was that. Wrong. "More" was asked for and "more" was what they got.

Dressed in white dinner suits and black shirts the boys returned to the stage and performed two more hits; When You’re Looking Like That and You Raise Me Up, which brought the show to an end - and what a show it was.

Pop, rock, RnB and classic ballads were the order of the night. And then there was the superb, but slightly cheesy, choreography apparent in their dance routines.

This tour, titled '10 Years', is their eighth tour and they are on album number nine, and even though they have a combined age of 113, they are still very much a boyband who have a dedicated and loyal following.

They ended their tour in Liverpool Sundaylast night and are now on a much needed break, a year break in fact. But the boys assure us they are not breaking up and will be back on tour in two years. Will Plymouth be on that bill? Who knows, but after Saturday's performance they will be very welcome.

Credit/Source: www.thisisplymouth.co.uk


REVIEW: WESTLIFE, TRENT FM ARENA
25 Jun 2008 by Villy • DISCUSS ON FORUM
IN just over a week's time, the four members of Westlife will be celebrating their tenth anniversary as a working outfit. In just under a week's time, the last date on their Back Home tour completed, they will be disappearing from public view for a year-long break.

Looking at the band's extraordinary track record over the last decade -- nine hit albums, twenty-three Top Ten singles and no less than fourteen UK chart- toppers -- the break is clearly well deserved. Whereas most boybands have been lucky to make it past the three year mark, Westlife's enduring success, and their transition from teen scream idols to adult contemporary artists, has seen them tearing up the rule books, and taking their place in the record books. It's an astonishing fact, and one which their detractors would rather not face, but only Elvis Presley and The Beatles have had more Number One singles in this country. Clearly, Westlife must be doing something right.

On record, the band's stock in trade is the romantic ballad. Songs typically start quietly, building up to a sturdy, memorable chorus, and ending with a dramatic flourish. To some, the music sticks to a tiresomely unadventurous formula, which has been stretched way too thin. To others, they simply make for pleasant, undemanding easy listening. But to their loyal fanbase, several thousand of whom packed into the Trent FM Arena last night, singing and waving along to almost every word, they are lapped up with the sort of buoyant, infectious enthusiasm that cannot easily be argued with.

Smart enough to realise that an evening of wall-to-wall ballads would soon start to drag, the boys displayed a versatility on stage that could have surprised some of their critics. The show started in an uptempo mood, and never sunk into smoochiness for too long. The trademark stools were almost entirely absent, only appearing during a three-song acoustic section, and the customary dark suits were soon swapped for more casual gear. Time and effort had been spent on the choreography and the staging, with well conceived visual backdrops and some cracking pyrotechnic effects.

Shane's lead vocals sounded weightier and more authoritative then on record, where they sometimes suffer from a certain weediness. A smiling Kian and a more subdued Mark provided solid backing throughout, while Nicky shamelessly milked the crowd for screams, his enjoyment plain for all to see.

Having built the crowd up to fever pitch with a medley of classic pop covers (The Jacksons, Kool and the Gang, Wham, Robbie Williams), the show's only real wobble came during the stripped-down acoustic section, which couldn't help but expose the underlying weakness of some of the songs. A final run of Home, Us Against The World, Swear It Again and Flying Without Wings provided the necessary uplift, with proceedings being briefly halted for an unscheduled marriage proposal. A banner had been spotted in the crowd ("SHANE, ASK ALEX TO MARRY ME PLEASE!"), and the happy couple were duly hauled to the front of the stage, where Alex bashfully accepted her boyfriend's bold romantic gesture.

The best loved hit was saved for last, as the boys re-appeared in matching white suits for You Raise Me Up, the anthemic final encore. Sure, Westlife's music might be conservative and unchallenging -- but the straightforward pleasure that it brought was a joy to behold. As one of their songs puts it: what's wrong with saying it the easy way?

MIKE ATKINSON

Set list: Hit You With The Real Thing, World Of Our Own, Something Right, What Makes A Man, Uptown Girl, The Easy Way/ABC, If I Let You Go, Mandy, Medley (Sexyback/Blame It On The Boogie/Get Down On It/I'm Your Man/Let Me Entertain You), I'm Already There, Unbreakable, Queen Of My Heart, Fool Again, Catch My Breath, Home, Us Against The World, Swear It Again, Flying Without Wings, When You're Looking Like That, You Raise Me Up.

Credit/Source: www.thisisnottingham.co.uk


Tessie's (TF's) review from westlife in belfast 28-05-2008
10 Jun 2008 by Villy • DISCUSS ON FORUM
Thank you very much Tessie for sharing your lovely review, videos and pictures with us all! smile

WATCH TESSIE'S VIDEOS HERE

SEE TESSIE'S PICTURES HERE


'Half past 4 in the morning, I got up with my parents. My father and we are going to westlife in belfast tonight, I was really exciting. But first we had to go to amsterdam to the airport shiphol. We got away 4 hours in the morning and we hade to drive 2 and half hours to get to shiphol, because we live in the north of holland a village close to groningen, and it was really quiet on the roads because it was so early.

When we came on schiphol, we couldn't find the parking garage. So we hade to ask lot of people but they did't know either. But after driving a couple of rounds we finaly found it is lucky, and we were at the airport shiphol which is so huge as it is looks like a whole city or something you can buy almost everything. Then we got to the gate where we had to wait again, and then we could go in the airplane from ear lingus which was a beautifull airplane. I got to sit by the window yahoo! and then we got up from the airplane, and then our adventure start of course westlife was the biggest adventure.
When we came on belfast international airport, we saw a bus which was going to the centre of belfast and we got into it. Then we was arrive to the bus station and city mall and get out from the bus, then we walked around in the station to the centre a bit we could't find the good streets on the map and we walk around a bit in the rain. It was rain all the time in belfast, we are still walk for a long time in the rain in the streets and saw some big billboards of westlife tonight 50th show, then we get back to the station and we were soaking wet and we get to sit there again. We were going to find the odyssey arena, we have been asked the guard of the station and explained the way to it and he said who is in the odyssey tonight? we said westlife and he just smile and said something more but we did't hear so good as what he is said because it was really irish.

But anyway we were walking to the odyssey in the rain again it was like 10 to 15 mins walk, we were try to get cross the road to get on the queen elizabeth bridge and we run over the street just on time or else we were hit by a car. When we came at the odyssey, we had to change some more money into pounts and I was take a photo of westlife billboard, and we went inside of the odyssey which is very big and beautiful. We had sitting there for a while and look at people and then in half past 6, there were coming more fans and more and more. They were playing the whole day of westlife music in the odyssey arena which we sing along with it even my father was sing too :S :P ,and we went outside for walk, and then we went back and go for a drink in the bar, and I see there were also a lots of westlife fans in the bar and they played westlife songs there too and everybody sang along with it.

In half past 8, the doors was open in the arena. I was buy some westlife stuff as 2 T shirts and a westlife neckless and a laser sword, and then we are going in a hurry to grab our seats which was in north lower seats 12 and 13, and I was getting more exiting every min as how closer was make me more exiting. We had to wait for westlife to come out and they were test and filming the fans in the crowd on the screen in the front of the stage which was really funny like they did that 3 years ago in holland too, and there was a men who got filmed and he had a laser sword on green light which he had on his nose and he did't even notice that he got filmed and it looked so funny hahahahah lol.

After it, they were show some celebrities to us on the screens and there were comming too. It is the support act, all the people were screaming when they came on the screen and then the light is turn out, it went into the dark and on the screens it is said "Are you ready for westlife?", and everybody sreamed again and then it is said "Are you ready for another 10 years of westlife?", and everybody screamed a lot more again, and then it was started. The lads were on the stage and I got a big shock to my body it was so cool, I was suddenly had an amazing feeling again from 2004 and 2005 at the concert in holland which I really missed. I was so exciting and thrilled, it was take me a while before I could make some pics. But sadly the pics are not so good, they are look very blury because I was too far away. But some are still a little bit good and I maked some clips too which was really surprise, because they were all so good a lot better then my pics. So I was made a lots of clips and the lads were so amezing, it was so cool!

I am really enjoy it! they are such a great singers and looked really beautiful and it was one of my favourite days, it was so amezing! it's even hard to explain as how amezing was it even my father are really loved and that is a big miracle, believe me lol. He does't like much but even he like and he was singing and screaming along too and we had some great fun for both of us, we were laughing and screaming lol, and my father even try to scream like a girl lol, and then Kian made a speech for mention as the 50th belfast show and mark's birthday and the stuff, and then they all sing happy birthday for Mark and the fans are singing too, and mark's mother marie came on the stage and then they sang songs again and I was trying to take some good pics of the lads. But they were so fast lol ,and their dance are so great and good. I am really loved, but damn they were fast, I have been to 2 concerts of westlife in the past, but this was so much different and I am really like it.

I think I was too young in 2004 and 2005 to understand and to have sense of it, but I had more sense because I grow older now. But the lads voices were so amezing and my father really liked the voices too, especially Mark's one he liked mark's one the most, and they looked so cute too especially Kian he is so cute :D, and Nicky said his speech to us. I was screaming and you can heard my father was screaming again lol, and the medley was so cool and amazing. It was great and also fanastic and also wonderful and lots of stuff more too,lol and they were even more faster and they are really had some fun on the stage and enjoy theirself. They were jumping around and the stuff and the fireworks was so cool too, and their dancing were so cool.
I was loved how they were dance especially Shane and Kian as how they were dancing and jumping lol and the others too of course, and shane made his speech and mark was showing his watch to us. They all get a watch because it was their 50th show in belfast and they saw it on the background while mark was talking, Shane and Kian was talking to each other and then they all sang again, and Shane had a speech again and Kian can't really remeber all what they said. But the band who was being with them it was really good too and Nicky was made up a speech again and said that georgina and rocco and jay were there too in the backstage, I think I did't saw them and mark said that kevin was there too, and also kian said that Jodi was there and he really loved her and also said that his 2 sisters were there too as mariel and vivian with their kids. He said and shane as his parents were there too, but he did't say Gillian or Nicole were there, and nicky was reading some banners.

The show was going really fast, they play all the songs. But it was too fast for me lol!, I wanna go again:P. But it was amazing and Nicky said that they are gonna take a year off and shane said boo! and all the crowd said boo too. But Nicky said kian will going to get marry lol, and then we had to take our camera ready for a group pic which my one is got really blury, and kian was saying next time I will play in belfast ,I am a marry men and the stuff. Then at the end they were having all the speech again first, Kian was thanked to everybody and the stuff and then Shane did the same and said as I see you all after 2009, and they mention as the 10 more years too, and Mark did his speech and then Nicky saw shane and kian at the background again siting together talking again for a while, and then my camera was run out. But luckly I could make some pics at the concert, and they all went to the front of the lads including the background dancers and the band and they bend for us. They said goodbye and everybody was screaming and shout we went more, and then they came again and sang the songs " You raise me up " again at the end. After it, they went gone and I did't went to leave bceause it is so amazing and I really want to see them again and more.

The atmosphere was really amazing and so good, my father found that too. When we got home, he was still talked about the concert that it was so amazing. But we both do lol! ,he tells everybody how amazing it was!

Westlife concert review from belfast 28-05-2008
from Tessie/TF
'

Credit/Source: Tessie


Westlife Play A Blinder at Croker...
04 Jun 2008 by Nat • DISCUSS ON FORUM


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?

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.

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.

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...

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.

Louis Walsh's other business interest, Shayne Ward, supported the Westlife lads and gave it socks in front of the 82,000 screaming girls. Although we are not quite sure where he was going with the metal face plate... Phantom of the Popera? Ahem. Sorry.

At the end of the show Nicky Byrne paid tribute to his wife Georgina and even his father in law, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. We spotted cheeky Bertie entering Croker earlier in the evening totally swamped by throngs of teenage girls... He still has it baby!

We didn't spot Georgina at the venue, but we did see her millionaire author sister Cecelia Ahern entering the gig with a few of her gal-pals. Although, CeCe wasn't wearing a pink cowboy hat, we're sure she got-down with the rest of the Westlife entourage...

Pop supremo Louis Walsh was of course at the concert, and as usual had some pretty ladies draped off each arm as he entered the stadium. Louis told us at the weekend that he's well aware of our hard work here at ShowBiz Ireland, "but I never go on" he said. Yeah right Louis. Pull the other one.

Credit/Source: www.showbizireland.com

Belfast and Sheffield Gigs: Your Reviews
04 Jun 2008 by Villy • DISCUSS ON FORUM
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:

‘I 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

‘I 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!)' monalisa62003

Check out more reviews in the forum .

Credit/Source: www.westlife.com


50 NOT OUT FOR WESTLIFE
29 May 2008 by Villy • DISCUSS ON FORUM
By Stacey Heaney

WESTLIFE made a welcome return to the Odyssey Arena last night, where they will be celebrating their 'Golden Anniversary' tonight (Wednesday) with a remarkable 50th show at the venue.

The band have thrilled over 400,000 fans at the arena during the past ten years with 50 spectacular shows; a feat unlikely to be matched by any other band. And, from the reaction of the fans last night it seems the Northern Irish public would be very happy with 50 more.

The Westlife boys were delighted to return to one of their favourite venues as their Back Home tour, which kicked off in Belfast in February, continues.

The crowd were already on their feet screaming as the lights went out and a giant screen on stage displayed a futuristic laser show before the guys appeared behind it and the party got started.

Turning up the heat for their opening number in Top Gun-esque clothing, the guys belted out the upbeat 'Hit You With The Real Thing' to kick-start a fantastic night.

Old favourites and new tracks from their 'Back Home' album were the order of the night for fans and the guys continued with the huge number one hit 'World Of Our Own' before launching into the new song 'Something Right', which went down a treat with the crowd.

The hits continued as the band, who have wracked up an impressive 14 number one hits, belted out 'What Makes A Man', 'Uptown Girl', 'If I let You Go' and 'Mandy', as well as new song 'The Easy Way'.

The party atmosphere continued as the familiar beat of Justin Timberlake's 'Sexy Back' blared out. JT, Westlife may not be, but these guys know how to have fun and their medley of 'Blame It On The Boogie', 'Get Down On It', Wham's 'I'm Your Man' and Robbie Williams 'Let Me Entertain You' went down a treat.

The boys took time out to talk to the crowd, telling fans that it is 'more than a dream come true' to have played 50 shows at the Odyssey.

With the fans singing every word back to them, Westlife continued with some of their biggest hits including 'Unbreakable', 'Queen Of My Heart', 'Fool Again' and another new song 'Catch My Breath', which is a sure-fire hit if it is ever released.

The scene on stage changed to that of an airport as the guys performed last year's smash hit 'Home', with the words being rearranged to say 'in Belfast and Rome' as the names of various cities flashed across the screen behind including those close to the group's hearts - Belfast, Dublin and Sligo.

The night continued with 'Us Against The World', before the guys performed the song which launched Westlife, their first single 'Swear It Again' and finishing with the beautiful 'Flying Without Wings'.

Returning for their encore the party continued with 'When You're Looking Like That', which had all of the crowd on their feet.

As the arena plunged into darkness once more, strains of Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' played, a copy of the guys first gig in Belfast when they supported Boyzone in 1998 as the guys returned for one final song with the wonderful 'You Raise Me Up' to complete a brilliant night.

Westlife may have been going for the past ten years but after this show they are sure to be around, as the chant from the crowd before the show began stated, for 'ten more years'.

stacey.heaney@jpress.co.uk

Credit/Source: www.lisburntoday.co.uk


Belfast fans are still screaming for Westlife
28 May 2008 by Villy • DISCUSS ON FORUM
By Michael Bashford

Just a few days after Boyzone made their long awaited comeback at the Odyssey Arena, Westlife showed Belfast that they weren’t going to be upstaged by their Irish predecessors with a thrilling show last night.

With more than 40 million records sold worldwide, Nicky, Kian, Mark and Shane are even bigger than ever and refuse to go down the boyband route - taken by the likes of Boyzone, Take That and the Backstreet Boys - of breaking up after just a few years to make way for the next teen music success story.

For ten years a range of bands have come and gone and come back again. S Club 7, Blue, Atomic Kitten and Busted have all attempted to take the teen music crown, yet Westlife continue to do the impossible and grow with their audience while retaining their massive popularity.

Last night’s show at the Odyssey Arena, their record breaking 50th in Belfast and part of their Back Home tour, was a feast for the eyes and ears with all the hits rolled into one big blanket of ballads, including What Makes A Man and Uptown Girl.

With a mainly female audience you can see why the four Irish lads have such a following, as they play to the crowd with their good looks, whiter than white smiles and numerous inoffensive pop ballads.

While perhaps not on a par with the king of boy bands, Take That, there is no denying their ability to captivate an audience.

And there is no sign that they plan to give it all up just yet. When Boyzone finish their comeback tour what’s the betting Westlife will be preparing for their next big album and tour? Here’s to another ten years boys!

Credit/Source: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk


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