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| Grieving Westlife Bare Their Soul |
29 November 2009: WESTLIFE say recent tragedies including the death of Stephen Gately have forced them to re-evaluate their lives.
Just seven weeks after Boyzone star Gately (33) died in Mallorca the showbiz world will hold an extravaganza in his memory at the Palace Theatre in London's West End tomorrow.
Comedians Graham Norton, Matt Lucas, Alan Carr and Paul O'Grady are expected to attend, though it's believed Boyzone will not perform.
Meanwhile, Westlife singer Nicky Byrne has revealed how he desperately misses his father, Nikki Byrne snr (60), who died so suddenly just three weeks ago.
"The finality of it is just incomprehensible," he said.
Fellow band-mate Kian Egan (29) lost his father, Kevin, after a long battle with cancer in July of this year.
"When I lost my dad the idea of it was just heartbreaking and I said to the boys to make sure and take care of your dads," Kian said.
"And here we are and another of the band's dad is gone as well. It's obviously a very, very difficult thing.
"I don't think you ever get over it. You just accept it a little bit more as time goes on, rather than getting over it," he added.
Dad-of-two Nikki (31) said he doesn't fear death and was grateful that his dad wasn't in pain before he passed away.
"I'm not afraid to die. I'm too young to die," he said. "My dad always said he never wanted to be sick.
"At any funeral we were at he would say to enjoy life because as quick as you are here, you are gone. The fans have been so good with the letters and the cards," Nicky added.
The group revealed that the song I'll See You Again, which appears on their new album Where We Are, has a special significance to them.
"It's a really moving track but uplifting," Nicky said. "Even though it is about death and someone going, it's about seeing them again and them always walking beside you. It is a message of hope."
| Source: herald.ie
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| Late Late Toy Show |
28 November 2009: To watch Westlife on the Late Late Toy Show then click here.
| Source: RTE.ie
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| Westlife Confirm Croke Park |
27 November 2009: Westlife have announced on the Late Late Toy show they are playing Croke Park next year on the 5th June. Exciting news.
| Source: official forum. Credits: Lorrin
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| Westlife are 'hopeful' of Sligo concert next summer |
27 November 2009: As they roar back into action following a year long break, Westlife have confirmed that they're hopeful of staging a concert in Sligo next summer.
In an exclusive interview with THE SLIGO CHAMPION, Shane Filan confirmed that talks have already opened with their agents about the possibility of including Sligo in their touring itinerary for 2010, and while "nothing is yet set in stone", he was hopeful that the hometown concert could become a reality.
"It's six years since we did our only Sligo concert, so we'd love to get back on stage on home territory next year. We have told our agents to do all they can to make it happen, and while nothing is set in stone, I would be hopeful that it will happen next summer," Shane said.
A Westlife concert would provide a massive badly needed boost for the local economy. When the band played here in 2003, in the final performance of a sellout world tour, more than 20,000 people flocked to Markievicz Park, many of whom had travelled from all over Europe for the event.
The success of that show effectively removed any doubts about Sligo's capability to host a major concert which should make it easier to surmount any obstacles which might emerge in the planning of a return visit.
The band members themselves were extremely happy with both the way the concert was organised and the reaction from the Sligo public, regarding it as one of the highlights of their career.
”Certainly for the Sligo lads it would be right up there with the top h i g h l i g h t s, " Shane said. "It went very well, and Markievicz P a rk proved to be an ideal venue. Hopefully, the success of that event will make it easier to put things in place for another concert."
He stressed, however, that the planning for next summer's tour, which will more than likely include concerts at some of the world's biggest stadia, is still at a preliminary stage.
”Absolutely no dates have been set yet. But we are definitely going out on the road, and we've made it clear we would like to include Sligo. There has been no talk of dates or venues as of yet, but our agents are aware of our desire to play in our home town, and they will work towards that," Shane added.
Westlife's comeback album, 'Where We Are', is released today, with Shane describing it as "the best ever".
" We want to sell this album on its quality, rather than merely on our reputation. We deliberately set out to make a top quality record, and I honestly believe we've achieved that. I would definitely say it's our best ever album, and I'm confident when people hear it they'll agree with that assessment," Shane says.
| Source: sligochampion.ie. Credits: Jim Gray
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| Paul O’Grady Show |
27 November 2009: Westlife are set to record an appearance on the Paul O’Grady Show on Wednesday 2nd December (the show will be on TV on Friday 4th December) and you could be there...
We wanted to make sure that YOU were the first to know about this special appearance and just how you can apply for tickets to the recording of the show!The boys will be joining Paul on the sofa for a chat about the new single and the exciting release of the album next Monday. Kian, Nicky, Mark and Shane will also be treating everyone to a performance of the new single What About Now!
The filming of the show will take place at 12.30pm and there are 15 pairs of tickets up for grabs, set aside especially for Westlife fans. To apply for tickets send an email to rcalabelgroup@sonymusic.com with the subject heading Westlife and you will be contacted if chosen.
Please note that you must be aged 16+ and the recording will take place at The London Studios in Waterloo.
| Source: Westlife HQ
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| Shane Phone Interview |
26 November 2009: Westlife are back after two years away from the limelight, 2 December release of the Irish boyband his tenth album "Where We Are". First single "What About Now" was released last month and a second place in the British charts give promise of a welcome comeback. Today're guys Stockholm To promote the new album. Yesterday was iCITY a chat on the phone with Shane Filan, one of the band members
Hey Shane! I saw your performance at X-Factor the other week, how does it feel to be back on stage?
It feels really good and we are very pleased to be back on track again after a hard year. It's fun to be back with a good track and our album is really strong, we are very proud!
What have you been for you during your free time? I have spent lots of time at home, my wife and I had our second child in September last year, so we have spent much time at home with the kids. In addition, I played much golf and started going to the gym to be fit, otherwise I have only been on leave and chillax, which was really nice because you almost constantly been on tour since 1999.
Tell us about your new album coming out next week
It's very good! It is better both musically and textually, it is a bit of a new sound of Westlife, I think it is more mature, has more tempo in the music and general way is this album more interesting and edgy than before. It is a great step forward for us!
Yes, you are definitely a new sound, how would you compare it with your previous expressions?
Yes there is a new sound, but it is still very Westlife. I think the style is different. There is a lot better and more interesting production than before. We have been working with new songwriters and producers. So it is quite new in the sense, we look forward to hearing feedback from fans when the album came out!
Have you used any of your Swedish songwriters for this album?
Yes there is always a piece of Sweden with a Westlife album, haha! Among other things, Savan Kotecha (previously typed Us Against The World and the Obvious Westlife ed. Note.) Been involved in a couple of songs and Carl Falk has been involved in writing Leaving.
You always say that your new album is the best so far.
Yes, of course, you always think that the new album is good, but this time get the album speak for itself. When our fans hear it, they will probably agree with everything I say. It is probably the best album we've done so far and we must listen to it to enjoy it. If you do not want to listen - do not buy it!
You have just toured the UK / Ireland during your last two tours. Are you going to Sweden next tours?
We want to tour in Europe, why we do not bust out of the continent is that our fan base has declined a bit, our music has not received much radio and tvexponering past two or three years. But I think the new album will be a major success throughout Europe and in this case, we will be more touring next summer. So simple it works.
What will you do during your visit Sweden?
We will give interviews, there will be a short visit but we will return to Sweden on 4 December - when we act on Idol!
That's right, it's actually the day of the BSB concert in Stockholm, boyband fans are facing a hard choice ... Well I did not know! Then they go to the Backstreet Boys concert and record our performance on Idol, haha!
You have spent lots of time here in all these years, what is your relationship to Sweden?
We have a good relationship with Sweden, it is the third country we visited the most next to Britain - and Ireland of course. We have spent much time in Sweden, mainly because of all the songs we recorded. We have a large fan base here, they have always been loyal and very supportive. They are always at the airport and the hotels - it's always fun to get there!
Speaking of fans, will you remember some of them in particular, what is the craziest fans in Sweden made?
I remember one girl who had a large outbreak every time she saw us. She began to shake the whole lot and cry uncontrollably, she literally freak out every time. We never knew if she was serious or if she just faking it. She must be the craziest fan we've seen in Sweden anyway!
Westlife released the album "What About Now", December 2, December 4 band appears at the semi-finals of Idol, which takes place in Gothenburg, Sweden, TV4 at 20.00
| Credits: Emma on the official forum
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| Westlife In Sweden |
26 November 2009: Westlife are in Sweden today for a jam-packed day of print, online, radio and TV interviews, including a special live interview on TV4 Förkväll at 6pm.
The boys will be taking part in a live webchat with the Swedish fans at Playahead later this evening between 7.40-8pm (Swedish time). You can post your questions over at www.playahead.se!
Fans in Sweden can pre-order their copies of the new album 'Where We Are' right here.
| Source: westlife.com
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| Westlife would have Brian back |
25 November 2009: Westlife - Kian Egan, Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne and Mark Feehily - claim they would let former member Brian McFadden rejoin the group but think it's unlikely it will happen.
Westlife will let Brian McFadden rejoin - if they get paid enough.
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Asked about the possibility of him returning to the band, singer Kian Egan told More magazine: 'We'd never allow him, I don't think. I mean, he left the band for a reason. But if we got paid enough, we'd do something with him.'
His bandmate Mark Feehily added: 'Brian is still a friend, we don't see him often but realistically he'll never be in the band again. But we'll not rule out singing with him. You can't rule out stuff like that because you never know.'
The group - who formed in 1998 - also admit they don't know how much longer they will continue.
Shane Filan - who is also joined in the band by Nicky Byrne - said: 'How long will we go on for? Ten years is a possibility, but 20 years - that's a f***ing long way away. We'll be 50!
| Credits: Bang Showbiz. Source: entertainment.za.msn.com
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| Mark Interview |
"I'm very safety conscious and all that..."
Westlife's Mark Feehily on comebacks, covers and cries for help...
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25 November 2009: Hello, Mark. This must be the end of a day of various interviews.Yeah, we’ve just been doing group interviews where everyone butts in front of everyone and all that kind of stuff, so it’s nice to have a quiet room by myself now. Everyone’s off doing solo interviews and I got stuck with Popjustice… Oh, I mean Popjustice got stuck with me. (Awkward laugh)
must be quite exciting to come back with a new album to talk about in interviews but there must also be a point, probably about two interviews into your first major day of press, when you think, ‘fucking hell, have I got to do this all over again?’
Um… Yeah. To be honest, I think I’ve got something exciting to talk about now, and that in the past hasn’t always been the case. Before that you knew it all already before you even got to the interview, but now it’s kind of, well, it really is a fresh sort of start for us. I mean I’m excited in these interviews more than I would have been because I’ve just got more to talk about.
That’s a very Noel Gallagher-esque approach to the ‘new album’ interview: “the last album was shit, the new one’s amazing though”. Hahaha, yeah. Our new album is genuinely a move in a certain direction. I mean, it’s definitely not the predictable same old thing, covers or whatever. You know, I’m talking to Popjustice, I might as well be real. You know I’m not here to kind of fluff the edges or whatever, you know.
Obviously the first single is a cover, which you’ve had a bit of flack for…
You know, it is a cover and… Would we have preferred a brand new original song to be our first single that Simon [Cowell] loved and thought he could launch an album off? Yes. Um… That wasn’t exactly the case you know. We love this single, we genuinely do, and if you heard some of the suggestions that were put to us before this, well, you’d kind of understand why we’ve done this and why this is kind of a relief. There were many songs which I would be even scared to mention, you know, that were suggested to us which we turned down. There were many cover versions and many original songs that were either terrible or we would’ve been sort of trying to do a cover version of one of the best songs of all time that you’d just never touch.
What was the worst cover idea that was put to you?
There was loads of stuff through the years, like ‘You Are Not Alone’ by Michael Jackson…
And now of course that’s the X Factor finalists’ single.
Yeah, so Simon’s basically convinced somebody to do it, and it wasn’t us! Put it this way: there’s been times over the years where they’ve suggested stuff and we literally have gone ‘right, okay, don’t even go there…’ But then there’s other times when we have to find a reason. With Simon we don’t want to just go ‘no’ or whatever, we try and give him a reason, and sometimes it is a bit harder to give a reason why not to do it. And sometimes there’s a song where there is no reason not to cover them, you know.
Of course in the time you’ve been around, cover versions have become very cool. Jo Whiley built a very credible radio feature around cover versions and now you can’t move for people covering each others’ tunes, usually quite badly. Westlife set the trend Mark.
(Laughs) I think it’s just become the thing to talk about with Westlife, you know, ‘cover, whatever, blah blah blah’. I think, hopefully, if anyone actually genuinely wants to have an opinion, they’ll just give us the benefit and listen to our album before they make their minds up on it. So people can just listen to it and then after that, then if they wanna say “oh boring old predictable Westlife,” fine, but I’d just ask them to listen to the album first, because we’re just starting fresh.
If you had infinite time, a different record label and a different sort of ‘machine’ around you , what would be the album that you’d ideally make? If you didn’t have a fanbase to please, what would you want to do?
Well right now, honestly, we’ve gone through the full circle of what we feel. Sometimes we’ve felt more rebellious and gone, you know, ‘fuck you, label, we’re not doing that, we’ll do whatever we want’. I think we’ve realised after ten or eleven years that the most important thing is that everybody in the equation is on the same page, because if that doesn’t happen, then one of the kind of triangle of ourselves, management and the label loses interest, and without three people behind it, it never kind of reaches its full potential, so this time around, it’s the first time ever apart from probably our first album that everybody has felt the exact same about the album. Simon texted me when I was driving my car through Central London, and of course I pulled over to read the text because I’m very safety conscious and all that. But I literally nearly died, because Simon texted me and said ‘oh my god, guys, I have to tell you – hats off, your album is amazing. Your instincts were right, you’ve followed your instincts and you’ve really come out on top and this is the best album that we’ve ever made together’. And I practically shed a tear I was so happy, because I already knew I was happy with it and the rest of the boys were, and Louis was – but to find out that Simon was happy with it was like the final piece of the jigsaw. And it meant that, you know what, if this album flops then we’ve given it our best shot and everyone’s been fully behind it, so we can’t use the excuse of ‘the label weren’t really behind it fully’ or whatever.
What’s on the album then?
There’s a song that I’m really proud of myself which I wrote with Shaznay Lewis and Chris Braide called ‘Reach Out’ that I’m very, very proud of because I’ve always strived to write but I’ve always been a bit scared because it can be quite frowned upon sometimes, especially in the past for us to even mention the word ‘write’. I kind of went off and did it in my own time and then once I had a good demo, I brought it to the label and they liked it… I did it that way instead of going in and meeting them and saying ‘do you mind if I write and could you put me in with someone?’.
What’s the song about?
Um…well it’s kind of… I wrote it about something personal actually and I don’t really want to say what it is. But it’s just that kind of thing when someone’s in trouble and they’re not really saying anything about it. It’s quite a straightforward sentiment really. There’s also a song called ‘Shadows’ that we’ve done with Ryan Tedder that was written by him and AJ from the Backstreet Boys which is quite R&B vocally…
Does the chorus go “shadows, shadows, shadows” in a Ryan Tedder-esque kind of way.
I’m actually trying to think what the chorus is like for a second. (Incomprehensible humming) Actually it’s only got ‘shadows’ once, it’s not like ‘Halo’ or anything like that. We have another song called ‘Where We Are’ that we’ve done with Ryan that is a bit more like that ‘Halo’ kind of beat and everything.
You said at the start of this interview that you’re more into this album than you’ve been with past albums.
Absolutely. Basically the kind of final piece of the jigsaw is when you’re on the stage, and it’s the whole thing about believing in what you’re singing – I don’t mean like you’ve written the lyrics and it’s about a personal experience, but I mean believing that it’s good and standing there being proud of it, like performing ‘What About Us’ on The X Factor in front of 15 million people I was proud of that song. I was able to sing properly because I was proud and happy with it.
When were you last proud of an album? Let’s not forget your masterpiece, the rat pack covers album ‘Allow Us To Be Frank’.
Let’s forget that actually. (Laughs) That was a weird time in our career, really. I’m not making excuses for it, but Brian had just left. We kind of didn’t know what to do… Even when Brian was still in the band, people didn’t know what to do with us! But Brian had just left, everyone was a bit like ‘well this can’t be some kind of mediocre pop album’, and you know Robbie [Williams] had just gone out with his and when we heard the idea first, we were just like ‘well Robbie’s just done this, why don’t we just come up with our own little twist instead of doing something like that?’ We eventually bought into it and I have to say as a singer I enjoyed the experience of recording the album, but obviously you have to promote for six months and then you tour and stuff, so by the end of the tour we were ready to put that one behind us.
Alright, so that one was shit. ‘Back Home’, was that quite a good one? I’ve lost track.
I think ‘Back Home’ was kind of the beginning of this new album in a way. We’d been quite wary because Simon was starting to have huge success in America and we didn’t want Simon to turn around and go ‘they’re crazy, I don’t really know what they’re doing, they’re all mad in the head. They’re trying to be something they’re not.’ So it was a case of gradually, slowly but surely… It was the first time in a while that we’d done something that wasn’t predictable.
And how do you move forward from this, because even if this has given you a bit of renewed energy and excitement and you enjoy promoting it, you must be a bit bored of this now. But it is too late to do anything else? Are you stuck in Westlife forever?
Well I’ll always be a member of Westlife. Something that I learned in the time off was that I really do love Westlife and I need it in my life to be happy because it’s very much part of who I am and ten years later, it’s like… You know, as you said, you’re so far into it that it’s always going to be a part of me. And I am very proud of it. But part of the motivation to make the best pop album ever was: if we’re going to do this, if we’re going to do even one more album, let’s do it right, let’s not just wheel them out every year. We’re moving forwards, hopefully the next album will be even better, do you know what I mean? It’s just step by step, you can’t get there straight away, you have to take things one step at a time. I don’t believe in black and white like you have to be solo or you have to be in the band. On the year off, I’d done a lot of writing… I’d done a song with a guy called Steve Anderson who works with Kylie a lot - I’m quite good friends with him because he MD’d our live tour a few times and stuff like that. I did a song with him literally for the laugh, we said ‘let’s try it for the laugh,’ it’s called ‘Talk Me Down’ and I just put a vocal on it – and it ended up on the album. My point is… Well actually, I can’t remember what my point was now. (Laughs)
What’s the worst song on the new album?
The worst song? Um… I’m just trying to think of what I think would be the worst song… (Extended silence) It would be a lot easier for me to answer this from previous albums. Um, I think the song that would be least likely to be a single would be a song called ‘Sound Of A Broken Heart’ but that’s just because I think the other ones are just better than it. When you’re this connected to something it’s hard – you’d need a stranger to say, ‘alright, that’s shit, that’s shit, and that’s shit’…
You need to be at a distance, don’t you, sometimes, to see how shit something actually is.
Yeah, I don’t believe anything on the album is shit, but I’ve just put all my heart and soul into it. But I don’t know. Maybe that’s for someone else to decide. I’m not going to say it’s the best album of all time, I’m just saying that we’ve tried to make the best album we could, and we haven’t done a lot of covers and it’s not all predictable, so if this doesn’t make people happy then maybe we just never will.
You know what you should say to the haters? Just say to them, ‘hey, whatever.’
(Laughs) Well maybe not, Simon Cowell wouldn’t say that. He wouldn’t like us to say that. We’re supposed to say ‘Mandy’.
Let’s be fair, he did have a point - ‘Hey, Whatever’ was something of a low point.
Yeah, it was us trying to um, sort of, we didn’t know how to fight back and we just kind of went ‘bleaaaagh’. Now we’re kind of a bit more mature about things and we’ve learnt a bit more, but back then it was almost like a cry for help.
It seems Westlife have now got to a point where it’s not really worth people using their energy disliking you, in the same way that it’s not really worth your energy trying to please them. After over a decade you’re not going to suddenly become Vampire Weekend just because people complain about you doing nice ballads quite a lot, and nor do you really want to.
I know, it’s strange! Twelve years later and people still have a problem, and I’m like, well, you’re never going to like us. You know, you’re a fucking electronica fan or a house fan. You know what I mean? It’s like, you’re never going to like Westlife, you know, so…
So fuck off.
Yeah, so whatever! Stop annoying me about it, go and tell someone who gives a shit.
| Source: Pop Justice
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| Westlife’s Steve Plea |
25 November 2009: WESTLIFE are urging fellow Irish manband Boyzone to carry on in the wake of Stephen Gately’s death.
Both are managed by Louis Walsh, 57, and fans of Boyzone are hoping for a tribute event to remember the much-loved singer.
Westlife’s Nicky Byrne said: “If something were to happen for Stephen then we would love to be involved. “I really hope the lads continue.
They had come back, made an album and it’s an absolute tragedy that Stephen isn’t around now. He was a lovely guy.
“We all individually get on with the Boyzone lads. I live seven doors away from Ronan in Dublin and see him all the time.
“I’m sure they will do something for Stephen but it’s about timing and doing the right thing for Stephen’s family. We were at the funeral and they gave him a great send-off
Despite releasing a new album later this month and single What About Now hitting No 2, it’s been a tough year for Westlife. Shane Filan, 30, said:
“In one respect we will be glad to see the back of 2009. There have been so many deaths close to the band, especially recently with Nicky’s father.
“Being back at work helps and I feel that we are sitting on an absolute beaut of an album. Next year is going to be a good one.”
And part of that means a tour to remember. Nicky, 31, added: “We are planning a big tour.
“We always said with this album we wanted to make something we can carry around the world.
“This album can take us back to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and all the places in the globe that we love to visit.”
| Source: Daily Star
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| Westlife TV Appearances |
25 November 2009: Over the next few weeks you'll be able to catch Westlife on your TV, so make sure you tune in on the following dates...
Wednesday 25th November - BBC Breakfast News interview with Mark and Kian
Thursday 26th November - Interview on Alan Carr, Chatty Man
Friday 27th November - Late Late Toy Show performance
Friday 4th December - Interview and performance on the Paul O'Grady show
Tuesday 15th December - Performance on the Alan Titchmarsh Show
Friday 18th December - Westlife's GMTV takeover
Enjoy and remember to tune in bright and early tomorrow morning to watch an interview with Mark and Kian on the BBC Breakfast news!
| Source: westlife.com
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| Family grief as Bertie Ahern's nephew found dead |
23 November 2009: Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's extended family have suffered a second blow in just a month after the death of his nephew.
The death over the weekend of Dylan Ahern, son of former Lord Mayor of Dublin Maurice Ahern, came just weeks after Mr Ahern's son-in-law, Westlife pop star Nicky Byrne, lost his father.
Dylan (37) was an avid runner, like his father, and was one of six children. He died in his apartment on Dublin's northside on Saturday morning and was found by his flatmate.
Maurice Ahern is Bertie Ahern's eldest brother and was the Fianna Fail candidate in this year's Dublin Central by-election. Condolences were expressed to the family by the well-known Clonliffe Harriers athletics club in Dublin.
"It is with profound shock that we learned of the tragic loss of a member of the Clonliffe family, Dylan Ahern, who died suddenly this morning. Our prayers and thoughts are with Maurice and his family at this very sad time," the club said.
As a mark of respect, the club cancelled a prize-giving dinner and deferred its AGM, due to be held tomorrow night.
| Source: Independent
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| Westlife Added To Line Up For Jingle Bell Ball |
23 November 2009: Taken from Pop Prince’s twitter page. Westlife and Backstreet Boys added to the Capital Jingle Bell Ball line up! The new Westlife album is out next week..their srongest yet, IMO.
| Source: Twitter/Pop Prince
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| Louis says twins won't be touring with Westlife |
23 November 2009: THE Grimes twins will not be supporting Westlife on their world tour.
The twins' mentor and Westlife manager, Louis Walsh, last night said there was "no truth" in reports that the boys had been offered a support slot on the tour.
The twins will still have plenty of time on-stage over the coming year as part of 'The X Factor' live tour, which will play around 30 dates in the Britain and Ireland.
| Source: Independent
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| Westlife Performance |
22 November 2009: To watch Westlife’s performance of Shadows at the Childline concert then click here.
| Source: Youtube. Credits: ByrneFilan.
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| Mariah Joins Westlife |
22 November 2009: MEGASTAR Mariah Carey is teaming up with WESTLIFE again for an exclusive single.
She told me the secret after I was the only journalist to be given an XS All Areas pass when the world's biggest selling female singer arrived in town this week.
In our eXSclusive chat she revealed she can't wait to work with KIAN, NICKY, MARK and SHANE again. Mariah said: "They're very exciting artists and I love them."
She last worked with the lads in 2000, and Against All Odds topped the charts.
But this time the record will ONLY be released in Britain. "I want it to be the next single here and different to the rest of the world," she said. "I can't wait to do it."
Mariah, 39, was in London to switch on the Christmas lights at the Westfield Shopping Centre.
| Source: News Of The World
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| Emeralds And Ivy Ball |
22 November 2009: Shane and Gillian attended the Emeralds and Ivy Ball yesterday.
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| Source: Wire Image. Credits for the picture: Alfee
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| Swedish Instore Signing |
21 November 2009: The guys will soon be heading to Sweden, and will be signing instore in Gothenburg!
They'll be appearing on December 4th at Nordstan, Gφtgatan 10 from 5pm to 6pm.
| Source: westlife.com
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| Children In Need |
21 November 2009: For those of you who did not get a chance to watch Westlife on Children In Need. The performance has now been uploaded to youtube. Click here to watch.
| Source: Youtube. Credits: ByrneFilan for uploading.
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| Childine Pictures |
20 November 2009: Two pictures added to the gallery from Wednesday’s Childline performance.
| Source: Mr Paparazzi/Getty. Credits: Alfee
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| Blog From Shane |
18 November 2009: Hi guys... Album release is so close now..we're so excited about it! We're in Dublin right now, turned on the Christmas lights last night, can't believe it's nearly Christmas already! Tonight we are headlining at the Childline gig at Dublin's o2..our first proper gig since Croke Park, can't wait!
Hope you are all well..and hope Ireland beat France tonight..!
See you all soon...
Love Shane xxx
| Source: Westlife.com
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| Westlife Turning On Christmas Lights |
18 November 2009: Westlife turned on the Christmas lights in Dublin yesterday. Click here to watch the video.
| Source: RTE. Credits: ByrneFilan for uploading to youtube.
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| Jedward shocked as Westlife ask for their autographs |
18 November 2009: X Factor stars Jedward realised just how famous they are when they met Westlife – and had to give THEM autographs.
The 18-year-old twins were flying from London to Dublin for a surprise visit home when they ran into the Irish pop heart-throbs.
But it was the boyband who couldn’t believe their luck.
An X Factor source said: “John and Edward were shell-shocked when the Westlife boys asked for their autographs on the plane. Talk about a role reversal – they were absolutely gobsmacked.”
| Source: Mirror
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| Tribute For Nicky Senior |
18 November 2009: WESTLIFE are to record a special tribute to the late father of member Nicky Byrne on the B-side of their next single.
Bands members have decided that a song called "Please Stay" made famous by The Drifters, Elvis Costello and the Bay City Rollers is to be on the band's next single Talk Me Down.
During the funeral of his father Nikki Byrne in Baldoyle a week ago, Nicky explained in an emotional tribute to his dad.
"The one thing I'm sad about is that dad had been asking me to sing this song that he thought would suit Westlife.
"Our manager Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell are hard to convince at the best of times and I don't think I even approached Westlife about it.
"But this week I finally told them about it and it turns out, typical dad, he had gone behind my back, and told them about the song himself and they actually liked the idea."
Louis Walsh, who attended the service, was so impressed with Westlife's cover he backed the idea of releasing it and it will be the B-side of the band's next single.
A source close to the band said: "Nicky was really, really close to his dad so this is a fantastic way of him paying public tribute to him. He was right all along about the song, here's the proof of it."
| Source: Irish Sunday Mirror. Credits: Sheyy Anandita for article.
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| Nicky Set To Make A Return To The Limelight |
16 November 2009: Westlife star Nicky Byrne is set to make a return to the limelight this week, following the death of his father, Nikki Sr (60).
The star, who is married to Georgina Ahern, daughter of former Taoiseach, Bertie, hopes to ease himself back into work slowly following the devastating loss of his dad.
Sligo native Mark said: "He's coping very well and is as good as you can be so soon after your best friend in the world passes away."
The popular foursome will make a return to the stage on Wednesday night when they perform at this year's Cheerio's Childline Concert at the O2.
| Credits: Heidi for finding. Source: Herald
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| Mark and Kevin attend party |
15 November 2009: Mark Feehily and Kevin McDaid attend party at Kanaloa hosted by Beyonce on November 13, 2009 in London, England.
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| Source: Getty. Credits: Alfee
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| Win Signed Copies Of Album |
13 November 2009: Westlife have teamed up with music video site MUZU.TV to offer 10 signed CDs of their new album Where We Are.
To be in with a chance of winning one, just watch the video for 'What About Now' on their official Westlife MUZU TV Channel and follow the simple instructions. Click here to enter.
| Source: westlife.com
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| TV Dates |
12 November 2009: Here are some upcoming Westlife TV dates for your diary:
Friday 20th November - Children In Need performance
Saturday 21st November - National Lottery performance
Wednesday 25th November - BBC Breakfast News
Thursday 26th November - Alan Carr Chatty Man interview and video (recording Wednesday 25th November)
Friday 27th November - The Late Late Show performance, Dublin
Friday 4th December - The Friday Show, Northern Ireland (recording Sunday 22nd November)
Friday 4th December - Paul O'Grady (recording Wednesday 2nd December)
| Source: westlife.com
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| MTV Staying Alive Foundation |
11 November 2009: Mark Feehily (L) of Westlife and Kevin McDaid attend the MTV Staying Alive Foundation launch party for Travis McCoy's documentary 'The Unbeaten Track' and single 'One At A Time' at Westbury Hotel on November 9, 2009 in London, England.
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| Credits: Getty. Source: Zimbio
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| Westlife In Demand |
11 November 2009: The Irish heart-throbs are back as they talk to us ahead of their album launch.
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They're planning 70 tour dates next year and album Where Are We Now is due on 30th November.
You can listen to our massive Westlife interview, where in part one we talk about getting their acts sorted, to cover or not to cover and the whole recording process.
Then in part two we cover noticeable album changes, mixing it up, X-Factor faves, a possible future appearance and... Louis Walsh's oxygen chamber?
Finally part three offers up the delight of practical jokes, video talk, Simon house and toilet roll...
To listen to the interview then click here.
| Source: In Demand
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| Where We Are |
09 November 2009: Listen to Where We Are played on Magic yesterday. Click here to listen.
| Source: Youtube. Credits: Silvia84IT
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| West Of Their Life Together |
08 November 2009: Prepare for a Westlife wedding. ‘Cause Mark Feehily wants to get hitched to his boyfriend of five years, Kevin McDaid.
Mark told me: “Ever since I started going out with Kevin, I’ve known that marriage is a natural progression. “I can see myself tying the knot.”
| Source: News Of The World. Credits: Dan Wootton
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| Westlife: 'X Factor is hard to predict' |
07 November 2009: Westlife have suggested that there will be a close race to victory on The X Factor this year.
The boyband, who are managed by show judge Louis Walsh, admitted that they are currently finding it difficult to tip any particular act as the next winner.
Speaking to Magic 105.4, bandmember Mark Feehily explained: "This year, I don't think anyone stands out as such an obvious winner. There's a few good voices in there, but I think we still have yet to see who's kind of gonna shine above the rest."
He continued: "I think this year is actually one of the most difficult years in terms of guessing who's going to win in, because in previous years, I think for instance the year Leona Lewis was in it, it was quite easy to sort of tell who was going to win that year."
The star's fellow singer Kian Egan agreed, saying: "You know, a few weeks ago, I thought Danyl was going to win, now I think Olly's going to win. I think Olly was very, very good in the last few weeks, so it'll be interesting."
| Source: Digital Spy
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| Exciting News About Westlife’s New Album |
06 November 2009: This week we’ve got everything you need to know about the new album!
Another chart success for Westlife: The boys shot straight into the charts at number two at the weekend with their new single What About Now. Thanks to all of you who bought it and helped put them there!
And keep an eye on www.westlife.com for the beautiful new video, coming your way very soon.
The Lowdown On Where We Are: It’s only a matter of weeks now until Westlife release their first album in two years. 'Where We Are' hits stores on 30th November, and we think you’ll agree it’s been worth the wait!
Head over to www.westlife.com to find out some interesting info on the album, including which former girlband member collaborated on a track with Mark, which song features a contemporary twist on the classic Westlife sound and the track that explores the band’s rockier side.
Magic Presents...Westlife: Yes, you heard us right. Westlife are taking over the airwaves on Sunday between 2pm-4pm. The guys will be playing 2 hours worth of their favourite Magic music and answering all your questions. Mark and Kian are presenting the show which will also feature an exclusive album track so make sure you tune in!
| Source: Westlife HQ
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| X-Factor Guest Stars Had To Pay Thousands To Perform On Show |
06 November 2009: Desperate for a No1 or a career comeback? Then get a spot on the X Factor - if you can afford it.
Big name stars have to shell out tens of thousands of pounds to appear on the show.
But the money's well worth it, with guest appearances ensuring maximum exposure to recordbreaking audiences.
An X Factor insider revealed: "The performers have to pay their own production costs and it can be a small fortune. "The money is spent on hiring dancers, costumes, extra lighting, lasers and any other special effects they require."
Westlife's performance of What About Now? - accompanied by an extravagant laser show - racked up a bill of around £57,000 and a No2 hit while JLS splashed out £55,000 for special risers to lift the front of the stage.
Low-key performances from Robbie Williams and Michael Buble cost between £30,000 and £40,000.
The insider said: "JLS had to bring in special risers while Cheryl and Alexandra had lots of dancers and Westlife had an amazing light show.
| Source: mirror.co.uk
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| The Inside Track On Where We Are |
05 November 2009: With Westlife's first new album in two years - the incredible Where We Are - hitting stores on 30th November, we wanted to give you some extra information on what's shaping up to be one of the most exciting releases of their career...
- Where We Are features work from some of the most admired behind-the-scenes names in pop, including Grammy-nominated Ryan Tedder (Leona Lewis, Beyonce), Steve Robson (James Morrison, Take That), Steve Booker (Duffy), Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters (Whitney Houston, Anastacia)
- Mark co-wrote the amazing ‘Reach Out' with Shaznay Lewis
- ‘Shadows' was co-written by Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean. It's a classic Westlife anthem with a twist - it features a futuristic military drum roll
- Westlife explore their rockier side on singalong number ‘The Difference'
- ‘Another World' is set to be a favourite for Mark fans, as it sees his amazing vocals soar into gospel territory
- ‘I'll See You Again' is a beautifully poignant song about the loss of a loved one, set to a backdrop of piano, synths and acoustic guitar.
Shane says: "We've been experimenting with a fresh vibe on this record, working with new producers and writing songs for the album ourselves. After eleven years we see this as phase two of the Westlife story."
| Source: westlife.com
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| New Album For Westlife |
05 November 2009: Pop's most enduring group, Westlife, have finally emerged from the studio after a year-long break to present their brand new album, 'Where We Are'.
Spending much of 2009 hidden away in studios across Europe and the US, Westlife have been quietly creating their most exciting album to date. 'Where We Are' features work from pop's finest craftsmen, including grammy nominated Ryan Tedder (Leona Lewis, Beyonce) Steve Robson (James Morrison, Take That) Steve Booker (Duffy) Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters (Whitney Houston, Anastacia.) and Shaznay Lewis, who co-writes a track with band member Mark Feehily.
These stellar production teams have helped the boys create a new and contemporary sound, whilst retaining those classic Westlife soaring melodies and rousing lyrics. Featuring the already massive hit single 'What About Now' it's a collection bound to excite fans and pop enthusiasts alike.
Perhaps best showcasing this new sound is 'Shadows', co-written by Backstreet Boy A. J. Mclean. A classic Westlife choral anthem, peppered with a futuristic military drum roll fashioned by urban-pop maestro Ryan Tedder. The song sets the benchmark for the sound which brings Westlife bang up-to-date on the eve of the new decade.
Elsewhere 'The Difference' visits rockier terrain, while 'Another World' allows Mark Feehily's exquisite vocal to escalate to gospel territory, a moment sure to thrill live. 'I'll See You Again' laments the passing of a loved one, set to a haunting landscape of piano, synths and acoustic guitar, a moment surely relatable.
Shane Filan of the band says "We've been experimenting with a fresh vibe on this record, working with new producers and writing songs for the album ourselves. After eleven years we see this as phase two of the Westlife story."
Westlife's new material is the first since 2007's 'Back Home', which became the band's seventh number one album, spending two months in the Top Ten and selling over 1 million copies in the UK alone.
No pop band can compare to Westlife's extraordinary success. During their 11 years at the top of pop's hierarchy, the band has sold over 40 million records globally. In the UK alone they have scored nine multi-platinum albums and a record breaking 14 No.1 hits (behind only Elvis and The Beatles). They have also picked up innumerable awards and appeared on hundreds of magazine covers around the world. They are the only recording artists to win the prestigious 'Record Of The Year' an incredible four times (other top awards include two BRITS and an MTV Europe Award). Westlife are also the biggest selling Arena act ever, holding the record for the most concerts held at Wembley Arena, an incredible 23.
| Source: entertainment.iafrica.com
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| Nicky’s Dad |
05 November 2009: Out of respect for Nicky and his family, I will not be uploading any further articles.
Thanks,
| Shazzy x
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| Where We Are Snippets |
05 November 2009 – To listen to snippets of Westlife’s new album then click here.
| Source: Amazon
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| Westlife's tribute to singer Beverley killed in car crash |
04 November 2009: A Dublin popstar has died in a tragic car crash in India.
Beverley O'Sullivan (28) who was a former star with Irish group Fifth Avenue is being mourned by the Irish music industry today.
Westlife's Nicky Byrne and Mark Feehily have both spoken with shock about her untimely death.
Beverley toured with the Irish pop group for three years, supported 'Shaggy' and performed alongside international acts such as Shakira.
The 28-year-old died after a car accident, five hour outside New Delhi. It is understood that she was travelling with her boyfriend when the tragedy struck.
The couple left Ireland on Sunday for a six week break and had hired a car and driver for the first four days of the tour. Her boyfriend is understood to have been taken off the critical list.
Tragic Beverley was involved in the music industry for 10 years and has received several awards including Gold and Platinum discs for her time with the Irish pop band Fifth Avenue.
She was a good friend of Westlife and today band member Mark Feehily said that she sung alongside him at his cousin's wedding during the summer.
"She was gorgeous and talented," he said.
Her grand-uncle Philip O'Sullivan told the Herald today: "It's tragic. I can't believe. We are all so shell shocked."
Beverley's devastated parents Eoin and Beverley live in Donaghmede and are preparing to fly out to India today. Meanwhile, her distraught brother Wayne is currently flying home from Buenos Aires.
Her Facebook page had to be temporarily taken offline so that he could be told before finding out online.
Dozens of tributes have since been posted on the site from friends, including ex-band mate Mark Walton who wrote: "Rest in peace Beverly.I love you and I will miss you forever... Thank you for the great memories we shared in Fifth Avenue.I may have lost a friend but I gained an angel... Love you always, Mark x."
Since the band split, Beverley has craved a successful career performing at private functions and church ceremonies.
Among the highlights of her short careers was a three year stint touring as support for Westlife. She also performed alongside stars such as Lenny Kravitz, Shakira, Tina Arena, Blue and the Sugababes at NRJ Concerts in France, Sweden & Denmark.
The young star appeared on TV shows in interviews with the band on Ireland AM, The Den, The Lyrics Board, The Disney Channel in France and the Bingo Lotto (the most popular show in Sweden). At one stage, she also presented a lunch radio show with Phil Cawley on Today FM.
According to her official website: "Beverley has just finished her first movie in the new Irish movie Happy Ever Afters, in which she plays a cabaret singer and also recorded and sang six songs for the soundtrack!"
The Department of Foreign Affairs has been offering consular assistance to her family.
| Source: herald.ie
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| Radio Tour Cancelled |
04 November 2009: I could not believe it when I heard the news yesterday about Nicky’s Dad. My thoughts are with Nicky and his family. xxx
This message is on the official site: We apologise that due to unforeseen circumstances the Westlife regional radio tour 4th – 6th November has been cancelled. We're very sorry for the disappointment that this will cause and will be bringing you further updates soon. Many thanks, Syco Music
| Source: westlife.com
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| Nicky’s Father Dies Suddenly |
04 November 2009: Westlife star Nicky Byrne is mourning the death of his beloved father yesterday.
The singer’s dad – called Nicky Sr – is believed to have passed away suddenly today. It was not immediately known the exact cause of death.
Pop star Mr Byrne, 31, had been in London when he found out the tragic news – but was jetting back to Ireland tonight.
A spokesman for Westlife confirmed Nicky’s dad had passed away.
The spokesman added: 'The boys in the band’s main priority is looking after Nicky at this tragic time.'
Mr Byrne was known to be particularly close to his father.
Nicky Sr was a well known musician and singer on the cabaret scene in Ireland.
He was the person who inspired the youngster to go into the music business in the first place by taking his son to karaoke nights he ran at the time.
Last December, Nicky threw a lavish bash at a top Dublin hotel for his Nicky Sr’s 60th birthday and presented his beloved father with a £16,000 Harley Davidson motorbike as a present.
Westlife were formed in July 1998 by X Factor judge Louis Walsh.
Since then they have gone to secure 14 chart-topping singles and seven No1 albums.
In all they have sold 40 million records, making them one of the most successful chart acts ever and one of Ireland’s most profitable showbusiness exports.
Mr Byrne is the oldest member of the band. Before finding fame in the pop business he was a goalkeeper.
He was signed by Leeds United as a schoolboy but was released two years later because he was not deemed tall enough.
News of his father's death comes weeks after Take That singer Gary Barlow's father died suddenly.
His 71-year-old father, Colin, suffered a suspected heart attack.
| Source: Daily Mail. Credits: Heidi for the article.
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| Westlife’s Radio Tour |
03 November 2009: This week the guys are hitting the road and dropping in on all the local radio stations around the country.
Check the dates below and make sure you find out when Westlife are heading to a town near you and when you can hear them on the airwaves!
Wednesday 4th November at 10:15 arrive at Radio Clyde: (Radio Clyde, Clydebank Business Park, Clydebank, Glasgow, G81 2RX). 10:45 Live ISDN with John Mellis for Northsound, Aberdeen. 2:20 Arrive at Real Radio. (Real Radio, Parkway Court, Glasgow Business Park, Glasgow, G69 6GA). 3:30 Arrive at STV(STV, Pacific Quay, Glasgow, G51 1PQ). 5:20 Live TV interview for The Hour Show with Michelle McManus and Stephen Jardine.
While the guys are out and about they will be recording interviews for the Forth Breakfast Show (Edinburgh), MFR (Inverness), West FM Breakfast (Ayr), Clyde 1, Real Radio, Smooth Radio and In Demand so make sure you keep an ear out for more info.
Thursday 5th November at 8:50 arrive at Key 103: (Castle Quay, Castlefield, Manchester M15 4PR). 12:20 Arrive at Real Radio (Laser House, Waterfront Quay, Salford Quays, Manchester, M50 3XW). 3:50 Arrive at Radio Aire (51 Burley Road, Leeds, Yorkshire, LS3 1LR). 5:30 Arrive at Real Radio (1 Stirling Court, Capitol Park East, Leeds, WF3 1EL).
On Thursday the guys will be recording interviews with Heat Radio, Radio City (Liverpool), Viking FM Breakfast Show (Hull), Hallam (Sheffield), Key 103 Breakfast Show, Radio Aire, Yorkshire TV and Real Radio Yorkshire. Stay tuned to www.westlife.com for more info...
Friday 6th November at 9:50 arrive at Heart: (1 The Square, 111 Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1AS). 10:30 Arrive at ITV Midlands. (Gas Street, Birmingham, B1 2JT). 12:00 Arrive at Smooth. (3rd Floor, Crown House, Beaufort Court, 123 Hagley Road, Birmingham, B16 8LD). 2:30 Arrive BRMB (9 Brindley Place, 4 Oozells Square, Birmingham, B1 2DJ).
Friday sees the guys talking to Heart FM, ITV Midlands, Smooth FM, BRMB, Mercia FM and Beacon FM.
| Source: westlife.com
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| Mark And Kian on Magic FM |
03 November 2009: Thanks to Mark for letting us know that he and Kian will be presenting on Magic FM this Sunday between 2-4pm.
| Source: twitter.com/MarkusFeehily
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| Radio Tour Information |
03 November 2009: Thanks to Mark’s tweets we now know details of the radio tour. The details are as follows: We will be in RADIO CLYDE studios this Wednesday, 4th of Nov between the hours of approx 10.15am&12.30 in the afternoon! More info to come.
Then at the REAL RADIO studios From approx 2.10pm-3.10pm :) we can't wait!
Then we arrive at STV studios at about 3.30 to get ready for a live interview with Michelle McManus&Stephen Jardine (on air@ approx 5.20pm)
So it's gonna be a Glasgow Wednesday for us! Bring it on! X
Also Some Live ISDN stuff: 10.45am Wed 4th,live with John Mellis from 'NORTHSOUND' Aberdeen (NOT in the 'northsound' studios it's via phone)
Thursday 5th of Nov:we will be at the 'KEY103' studios In Manchester between the hours of approx 8.45am&12noon
Also Thur 5th of Nov we'll be at 'REAL RADIO' (Manchester) from approx 12.15-1pm
Then thur 5th nov:3.45pm-5pm we will be at the studios of 'RADIO AIRE' Leeds!
Also Thursday 5th we will Be at 'REAL RADIO YORKSHIRE' studios from 5.30-6pm!
Friday 6th of Nov: we will be at HEART Birmingham between 9.45am &10.20am 'chips'n'gravy'!!
Then Fri 6th we'll be at the ITV midlands studios in birmingham between 10.30&11.30am filming an interview
Friday 6th Nov: we r @ SMOOTH in Birmingham between 12noon&12.30
| Source: twitter.com/MarkusFeehily
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| Where We Are – The Track Listing and Cover Artwork |
02 November 2009: We can now reveal the names of all thirteen tracks on Westlife's brand new album Where We Are and unveil the new artwork.
Out at the end of the month the album sees the guys work with the cream of the crop of songwriting/producing talent.
Very soon we'll be bringing you clips of the guys talking about each song with a preview of each track, but for now, check out the gallery for the artwork and here is the track by track run down.
What About Now
How To Break A Heart
Leaving
Shadows
Talk Me Down
Where We Are
The Difference
As Love Is My Witness
Another World
No More Heroes
Sound Of A Broken Heart
Reach Out
I’ll See You Again
Which track are you most excited about hearing? Let us know in Westlife's Official Forum.
| Source: westlife.com
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| Feehily wants critics to lay off |
02 November 2009: Mark Feehily says he’s fed up of people criticising Westlife for doing cover songs.
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The 29-year-old vocalist said he was annoyed his group – who have had 14 number one hits and sold more than 43 million records sold worldwide - were “misunderstood”.
The ‘Flying Without Wings’ vocalist said: “Our record company, they don’t want to take risks, so they are happier to do more covers.
“To anyone who criticises what we do, we actually do a lot of original pop songs and a lot of our best songs, a lot of our number one singles, are actually original pop songs. “
Although he added: “We definitely did go too far, we did too many covers. That’s something we allowed to happen and shouldn’t have.”
Despite this, Westlife’s new single ‘What About Now’ is actually a cover of a track by Daughtry, an American rock band.
Defending their choice, Feehily said: “It’s a cover in the way that it’s been recorded by another artist but it’s not a cover in the way ‘Mandy’ was, in that it’s been a massive hit already.”
Westlife’s new single 'What About Now' is released today, and their album ‘Where We Are’ follows later in the month.
| Source: Evening Echo
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| Album Cover |
02 November 2009: A big thanks to Mark for uploading the album cover for Where We Are.
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| Source: Mark’s Twitter
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| Shane Interview |
02 November 2009: How's it going? Are you fed up of doing all these interviews? No, not at all we're officially back on the bandwagon, we're totally back. The single's out and the album is out a month from now. We're very excited about talking about this album. It's a slightly different sound, but it's still pop music and it's very exciting for us and the fans. It's a great album and I’m very, very proud of it. I think the first single is a very good indication of what the album is like.
What have you been doing for the last 12 months?We have been hanging out with our families, playing golf, chilling out, Kian set up a girlband and his twins are running around the place now, my wife had a baby, some of us travelled, so we've been doing all the things we haven't been able to do properly over the last ten years really. We played a huge gig at Croke Park in Dublin, which was one of the highlights of our careers, so we finished on a high there.
How are you going to top the Croke Park gig?
We've got some big ideas, we want to tour Asia and some of the places we've never been to on a world tour. We're rushing to meet our agents now to thrash out ideas. That is why we're so excited about this album, we know it's going to be a really good album and we are spoilt for choice with singles. We made a pact as a band that we wouldn't record a song unless we thought it was good enough to be a single, so it was probably annoying for the record company, but as a band, we've never come together so well on an album. We've really worked closely with Simon Cowell on this album. We never thought he'd still be so in to us, but he is, he's been very involved and he's so proud of this album. When you have Simon behind you, you just feel a good buzz there, and we feel we've done something special. It's a great pop album.
You mentioned a different direction, can you expand on that?A different direction might be a bit wrong. I think it's still pop music, but there's a different variation on it. One massive thing is we worked with different producers, who we've never worked with before, and new song writers. There are thirteen songs on the album and twelve of them are originals. There's more tempo, more rocky songs, some more american songs, some darker songs on there with darker lyrics. It's the best production we've had on any other album. The strings, the music is just on another level. Even if you're not a Westlife fan but you're a music fan, you will recognise the quality on this album.
You apparently said in the papers that your X Factor appearence would determine the next 18 months of your career. How do you feel now you've done it?I think the next 18 months might be good!! We were very happy with the performance, we felt it went really well, Louis and Simon were delighted and they'll always tell us honestly what they think, even if it's to say we could have done something better. They were literally jumping up and down, they were so pleased with it.
How many albums are you contracted to do? How long will Westlife be around for? We only have one studio album left on our current contract, so renegotiations will be happening shortly. As a band, we've done ten albums but we want to do twenty. We don't see ourselves splitting up, ever. We're very proud of this album and I think it's going to be hard to top, but we'll take each album on at a time. We'll give it a good old try. Instead of doing an album every year, we think we'll make one every two albums, and keep making pop music. We will never desert our fans, and fans of what we are, but we will still have a dabble here and there with what we do. We'll experiment, like What About Now - it sounds like a Weslife song, but it has a slightly different sound and it's more uptempo.
None of you have done anything solo - will that change? No, I don't think it will. We're not that type of band. We're all individually very happy, we have no hidden agenda's in the band. If someone wants to do something different we'll always encourage it, Nicky might present at an awards show, Mark might want to sing a song on his own and Kian may want to do something I don't know, but as a band, when we're singing we're there as a four. It's always been that way since Brian left and it always will be. They say the grass is always greener, but I don't think it is. You need to have someone with you, it would be a fairly lonely life doing this all on your own. We're successful and happy, why ruin that? We have a great life, we're all great friends. Two or three of us might go for a drink together or go to the cinema, you know, we have a great craic outside of Weslife, we're all great friends, so Westlife will continue as it is.
| Source: Celeburp. Credits: Filans Kitten
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| Westlife On Tour |
02 November 2009: Sport-mad Westlife will be in a world of their own when they become the first pop group to play the new Landsdowne Road.
The pin-ups, who have returned from a year off, will release their 10th studio album Where We Are next month.
'We will tour more next year and go to places we haven't been much like South Africa," Shane Filan revealed.
"That way we can cheer for Ireland at the World Cup."
And they will give the Irish team the perfect send off to the football championships when they become the first pop band to play the new Aviva Stadium.
A band insider revealed: "Westlife have already agreed to do a number of dates in Ireland.
"They are definitely going to play a number of dates in the Odyssey Arena in Belfast.
"When it comes to Dublin everyone is talking about Croke Park, but they have already done that.
"The boys are all about breaking records and being number one so they have their hearts set on Landsdowne Road.
There is a good chance they will do a number of dates at the O2 but for now they are in talks to play at the Aviva Stadium."
| Source: The Sunday Star. Credits: Maya/Chrissy/Villy
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| What About Now |
02 November 2009: Congratulations to the guys for entering the charts at number two. Lets get it to number 1 for next Sunday.
1. Fight For This Love – Cheryl Cole
2. What About Now – Westlife
3. Down (Feat Lil Wayne) Jay Sean
4. Bad Boys – Alexandra Burke
5. Haven’t Met You Yet – Michael Buble
| Source: bbc.co.uk
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| Waistline Westlife |
01 November 2009: THEY were never porkers in our eyes but Westlife have been hitting the gym hard to shed a few pounds before their big comeback.
A slimmed-down Shane Filan said: “We all went on a health kick, we started training a lot more.
“We are nearly the wrong side of 30 so we’re starting to take ourselves seriously. We’re in the best shape of our lives and very excited about the new album.”
They might be looking tip top but Cheryl Cole is set to keep their new single What About Now off the No.1 spot today.
But just in case she’s feeling too flushed with success the veteran pop stars set her straight by saying the top spot no longer impresses them.
“Well done to Cheryl – we’ve had about 11 No.1s so we don’t need any more.”
Actually boys it’s 14, if we’re being exact.
| Source: Daily Star
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