Could this be magic? YOU BET!
THEY were Britain’s biggest boy band in the 1990s, but Take That could easily have fallen by the wayside after founding members Robbie Williams and Jason Orange flew the coop ten years ago (Robbie for the second time).
Instead, they started afresh, and this spectacular arena concert — billed as This Life On Tour — was a colourful vindication of their decision to relight the fire as a slimmed-down three-piece.
In front of a sold-out crowd of 12,000 in South Yorkshire, it was everything that a great pop show should be. The opening night of a 44-date trek across the UK and Ireland, it contained hits galore, cascading waterfalls, and plumes of fire that shot upwards from a giant staircase.
Their voices dovetailing beautifully, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald made energetic use of a 100ftlong stage that spanned one entire end of the arena.
As he praised the group’s predominantly female audience for their ongoing dedication, Barlow made a tongue-in-cheek reference to a smartphone video about his visit to a South African vineyard that has gone viral. ‘I have to say, this is my idea of a very nice day out,’ he grinned, mimicking the TikTok meme.
And it was, amid all the pyrotechnics, a night of chummy good humour. ‘Another tour comes around… and you’re all still here!’ he marvelled.
The centrepiece of the night was a time-travelling journey through the band’s career. Presented as a spoof ‘This Is Your Life’ TV show, it traced Take That’ s progress from their formation in Manchester in 1990, through the fan hysteria and solo releases that followed, to a lucrative 2005 reunion. Bringing everything up to date, it concluded with tracks from last year’s ninth studio album, This Life.
The concept could become the group’s own pocket-sized version of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. A more likely precedent, though, lies closer to home in the excellent one-man show, A Different Stage, that Barlow took around the UK in 2022. There were certainly echoes of that theatrical production in the self- effacing way this big-budget affair was presented.
The historical segment wasn’t an unqualified success. There was a bizarre video montage that attempted to place the group — a mainstream song-and-dance act, let’s not forget — in the context of Manchester’s cutting- edge independent music scene of the 1980s and 1990s. Another spot, in which Barlow, Owen and Donald revisited their solo careers, led to something of a mid-set lull.
That, happily, didn’t apply to the cast-iron hits that took us back to the bubblegum era of the 1990s and the more mature ‘man band’ period that arrived after the group’s 2005 reunion.
Donald, an underrated and surprisingly soulful singer, delivered some of the lines originally sung by Robbie Williams, while all three members also played instruments: Barlow on piano, Owen on guitar and Donald on drums.
And it wasn’t just about the glory days. Songs from This Life have yet to attain the crowdpleasing status of older hits, but their inclusion showcased a trio, all now in their 50s, who continue to move forwards.
Windows was all Crosby, Stills & Nash harmonies, with Barlow hitting the high notes with confidence. The Champion had lovely a cappella harmonies. New single You And Me didn’t feel out of place.
Towards the end of the night, the band moved to a smaller ‘B’ stage. They donned glistening silver capes to sing Greatest Day (with fans watching through 3-D glasses) before returning to the main podium for a finale that included Back For Good, Never Forget and Rule The World.
Global domination may be beyond them these days, but Take That are growing older with their talent (and humour) intact.
■ The tour continues tonight (April 19) at First Direct Arena, Leeds (gigsandtours.com).
Read Adrian Thrills’s review of Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, from 5am on Mail Online — and in tomorrow’s newspaper