Post by Suze on Mar 7, 2008 5:26:36 GMT -5
I was at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle this week, for both nights of the tour, and it's no exaggeration to say it was an unforgettable experience!
The setlist, of course, promised a great show, and it certainly delivered that. The songs were well chosen, there were new arrangements, courtesy of their new music director, and the set design was dynamic and visually stunning. I had expected the new backing singers to be a bit intrusive, but they weren't. Quite the opposite. Their backing vocals added to the singing, making it a rounder and fuller sound. I wasn't that keen on them singing while the lads changed backstage, and I have to admit I did switch my brain off at that point.
The new band were very good, giving a new and different sound to many of the familiar tour favourites. The boys' outfits were interesting, though I did think there was rather too much black. For anyone sitting at the back, an artist on the stage is not easy to see when wearing black - white makes them stand out a lot better - so I would have preferred a little more colour, but that's just my preference. The other slight doubt I had was concerning Mark and Kian's unusual check trousers. I didn't think they did them any favours. But that's a minor point.
I loved the medley. It was as usual the best part of the show, a nd I was thinking that perhaps the pyrotechnics (fireworks) were a little bit over the top this year. I hadn't realised quite how much!
Wednesday's medley proceeded as planned, brilliant songs and lots of action, and when the lads left the stage to change, the smoke from the fiireworks filled the air, along with the unmistakable smell of cordite, which you always get after fireworks. At that point, nobody realised what was happening above our heads.
The boys returned to the stage, and began their stunning rendition of I'm Already There. Just a little way into the song, I became aware that all was not well. I looked up and to my right, and I was shocked to see that there was a fire up in the rafters! This was initially quite a small blaze, but there were real flames, and I could see it getting bigger all the time. More and more people were becoming aware of it, looking up and pointing nervously. The fire burned on. Nobody seemed to be doing anything about it.
The song finished, and Shane came to the front of the stage to introduce the next section. At that point, he saw that we were pointing upwards and looking concerned, and he looked up and saw the fire. He blinked, and then shrugged, and said, "That's what happens sometimes with fireworks."
He was about to continue, but then he noticed that sparks were actually falling down on to the edge of the stage. He looked up again, and I saw just a fleeting expression of worry cross his face. He walked over and looked up again. He said, "That's a real fire now, isn't it? I can smell burning rubber now."
He was concerned for the people in the first few rows, who were beginning to panic a little. He said, "Is anyone going to go up there? It's getting bigger now." We could all hear the underlying tone of fear in his voice at that moment. The boys could have left the stage at that point, and left it to the safety stewards to sort out, but to their credit, they stayed where they were. They made light of it, trying their best to keep everyone calm. Any sort of panic in an arena of that size could have been disastrous, and I have no doubt that the lads prevented that. They joked, they laughed, they interacted with the crowd. Shane said, "This is the first time we've ever had a fire." Kian said, "We're burning the house down!" and Nicky began an impromptu performance of Relight my Fire. Two women near the front threw underwear at the lads, which they thought very funny. Only Mark's anxious glances towards his family, sitting in one of the tiers close to the stage, showed how they must really have been feeling.
While this was going on, safety people were up in the rafters, trying to put out the fire. The first attempt seemed to do the trick, only for it all to flare up again. the second attempt broke up the burning material and sent burning fragments raining down on to the stage. Crew members jumped on them, stamping them out. Some people in the audience were reaching for coats, bags, children, ready to leave, convinced, as I was, that the show would be abandoned at any second. Fortunately, the third attempt worked, and the fire was out. The crowd cheered. The show went on.
The next song was Unbreakable. Little wonder that Shane and Mark were in fits of laughter at the line, "through fire and flame".
I have never been glad to get to the end of a Westlife show, but in a strange way, I was that night. I was glad that we had actually made it right to the end. An hour earlier, it had looked decidedly unlikely!
I have always admired the lads for their professionalism, but I was even more impressed by the way in which they handled that situation. Things could have been very different. We could only have been moments away from the show being abandoned and a mass evacuation happening, with all the panic and distress that would have brought. Their calm attitude helped everyone that night, and I am full of admiration for what they did. As impressive as the show was, I found that to be the most impressive moment of any Westlife show I have ever seen.
Well done, boys. You gave us a great show, but much more than that. You showed that night what really makes a man.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptPXjF09zBQ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRp06czqKH8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FIaq8jkKVs
The setlist, of course, promised a great show, and it certainly delivered that. The songs were well chosen, there were new arrangements, courtesy of their new music director, and the set design was dynamic and visually stunning. I had expected the new backing singers to be a bit intrusive, but they weren't. Quite the opposite. Their backing vocals added to the singing, making it a rounder and fuller sound. I wasn't that keen on them singing while the lads changed backstage, and I have to admit I did switch my brain off at that point.
The new band were very good, giving a new and different sound to many of the familiar tour favourites. The boys' outfits were interesting, though I did think there was rather too much black. For anyone sitting at the back, an artist on the stage is not easy to see when wearing black - white makes them stand out a lot better - so I would have preferred a little more colour, but that's just my preference. The other slight doubt I had was concerning Mark and Kian's unusual check trousers. I didn't think they did them any favours. But that's a minor point.
I loved the medley. It was as usual the best part of the show, a nd I was thinking that perhaps the pyrotechnics (fireworks) were a little bit over the top this year. I hadn't realised quite how much!
Wednesday's medley proceeded as planned, brilliant songs and lots of action, and when the lads left the stage to change, the smoke from the fiireworks filled the air, along with the unmistakable smell of cordite, which you always get after fireworks. At that point, nobody realised what was happening above our heads.
The boys returned to the stage, and began their stunning rendition of I'm Already There. Just a little way into the song, I became aware that all was not well. I looked up and to my right, and I was shocked to see that there was a fire up in the rafters! This was initially quite a small blaze, but there were real flames, and I could see it getting bigger all the time. More and more people were becoming aware of it, looking up and pointing nervously. The fire burned on. Nobody seemed to be doing anything about it.
The song finished, and Shane came to the front of the stage to introduce the next section. At that point, he saw that we were pointing upwards and looking concerned, and he looked up and saw the fire. He blinked, and then shrugged, and said, "That's what happens sometimes with fireworks."
He was about to continue, but then he noticed that sparks were actually falling down on to the edge of the stage. He looked up again, and I saw just a fleeting expression of worry cross his face. He walked over and looked up again. He said, "That's a real fire now, isn't it? I can smell burning rubber now."
He was concerned for the people in the first few rows, who were beginning to panic a little. He said, "Is anyone going to go up there? It's getting bigger now." We could all hear the underlying tone of fear in his voice at that moment. The boys could have left the stage at that point, and left it to the safety stewards to sort out, but to their credit, they stayed where they were. They made light of it, trying their best to keep everyone calm. Any sort of panic in an arena of that size could have been disastrous, and I have no doubt that the lads prevented that. They joked, they laughed, they interacted with the crowd. Shane said, "This is the first time we've ever had a fire." Kian said, "We're burning the house down!" and Nicky began an impromptu performance of Relight my Fire. Two women near the front threw underwear at the lads, which they thought very funny. Only Mark's anxious glances towards his family, sitting in one of the tiers close to the stage, showed how they must really have been feeling.
While this was going on, safety people were up in the rafters, trying to put out the fire. The first attempt seemed to do the trick, only for it all to flare up again. the second attempt broke up the burning material and sent burning fragments raining down on to the stage. Crew members jumped on them, stamping them out. Some people in the audience were reaching for coats, bags, children, ready to leave, convinced, as I was, that the show would be abandoned at any second. Fortunately, the third attempt worked, and the fire was out. The crowd cheered. The show went on.
The next song was Unbreakable. Little wonder that Shane and Mark were in fits of laughter at the line, "through fire and flame".
I have never been glad to get to the end of a Westlife show, but in a strange way, I was that night. I was glad that we had actually made it right to the end. An hour earlier, it had looked decidedly unlikely!
I have always admired the lads for their professionalism, but I was even more impressed by the way in which they handled that situation. Things could have been very different. We could only have been moments away from the show being abandoned and a mass evacuation happening, with all the panic and distress that would have brought. Their calm attitude helped everyone that night, and I am full of admiration for what they did. As impressive as the show was, I found that to be the most impressive moment of any Westlife show I have ever seen.
Well done, boys. You gave us a great show, but much more than that. You showed that night what really makes a man.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptPXjF09zBQ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRp06czqKH8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FIaq8jkKVs
It sounds like the boys handled it well. I can't watch the clip cos I'm at work but will tonight.
Shane Twins Against The World! 
