Kelly McFarland
Westlife is celebrating Twenty years together and has embarked on their aptly named Twenty Tour. We went along to one of their three sold-out shows at the O2 arena in London.
Up first supporting Westlife was 15-year old Keelie Walker, a consummate professional who performed a set list of 7 songs. Highlights included her upcoming single Not You, which is released in July and a cover of Charlie Puth’s Attention, which got the crowd singing along. Keelie knows how to work a crowd and by the end of the set, had the whole of the arena, clapping and dancing.
Next up came family band The Rua, made up of Alanna, Roseanna and Jonathan. The band have quite a following and their current single Gasoline is in the top 30 in the US charts. They are relatively in the UK. They have just released their album, and if their set was anything to go by it’s definitely one to listen to. Easy listening and heartfelt, relatable lyrics some up The Rua.
Westlife took to the stage around 21:00, opening with their comeback single Hello My Love.
They quickly followed it with their classic hits. This was after all a celebration of twenty years of them being a band, in which they had 14 number ones. Despite them taking a seven-year hiatus it was if they had never left. The setlist was pure nostalgia, packed with hit after hit, including, When Your Looking like That, and Flying Without Wings.
Westlife tours have always been known for their medleys and the lads did not disappoint with a classic Queen medley.
One of the highlights of the show was the banter between the lads. It included an impromptu sing along to Spice Up Your Life by The Spice Girls.
Another really nice moment between the lads was when they showed Mark his blinged up stool, something he’d apparently been moaning about all tour, how the stools were boring, so Shane and Nicky with the help of their kids blinged out of his stool for him.
Without a doubt, “Westlife 2.0” as the band is calling it, is going to be as epic as the first time around. the band are back, they are all clearly loving being back together just as much as the fans are enjoying them being back.
You can tell by the way the band interact they have a genuine love for each other, the way they celebrate Mark’s news that later this year he and his fiance will be adding to the Westlife family, and the way they smile and look so proud when Mark announces how happy he is. They are not just four bandmates but four brothers who are truly cherishing being able to sing together again and it’s lovely to see. It creates a connection with the fans that make even a big arena gig a very intimate experience.
Have you seen Westlife on their Twenty Tour? Let us know at @CelebMix!
