Take That recently kicked off their new UK live arena tour – their first tour since becoming a trio.
JASON Orange followed Robbie Williams in September last year and left the band, leaving Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald to go it alone.
The show at the 3 Arena in Dublin on May 8 began with support from X Factor contestant and ‘Ghost’ singer Ella Henderson, who wowed the crowd with her powerful vocals. Ella gave an impressive performance, and didn’t seem phased even when the crowd went quiet during some of the unknown songs from her debut album.
Performing together may be second nature for Gary, Mark and Howard, but performing as three-fifths of the band is definitely something new.
“We are what’s left of Take That!” they joked as they took to the stage, and yet their consistently strong performance gave no sign of anything being missing.
The stage production was complex and elaborate, with a huge cast of performers on stage throughout the show. Actors, dancers and aerial performers came together to give an intricate theatrical display, adding another element to the performance. Roaring flames, confetti canons, pyrotechnics and indoor rain went alongside the extravagant visual staging, transforming the venue into an ever-changing scene seemingly from another world.
During one song the arena was turned into a giant shadow puppet theatre, prompting the entire audience to stare up in awe.
The fantastic visual display did nothing to take away from the vocals, which were on point despite it being more than twenty years since the remaining members of Take That first embarked upon their musical careers.
Their high-energy performance throughout the two-hour set proved that despite their age, they are not struggling to keep up. Howard and Mark took a break from vocals during one song, leaving Gary to sing whilst they performed a contemporary dance piece, which saw the baffled audience treading a fine line between confusion and amusement.
With such an extensive back-catalogue of hits, it is hard to imagine how a satisfactory selection could be incorporated into just one concert, however the set list consisted of a well thought out balance between iconic classics, and their newer singles.
After a whole host of costume changes and many camp dance moves, Take That aptly concluded the set with Never Forget – and their impressive performance is something that the audience are not likely to forget any time soon.
Take That are bringing their tour to the London O2 from June 4-9.
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