Shane Filan, Filan Forever, News

07 September 2010: CHART kings Westlife today announced details of their next UK tour - including a date at the newly named Motorpoint Arena Sheffield.

And we've revved into top gear to give away a pair of front row tickets to the show on Monday March 28 2011.

One lucky winner and a guest will be within touching distance of Ireland's own Fab Four - Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily and Kian Egan.

Revered for their spectacular live shows, created with visionary William Baker - who has worked with Kylie, Leona and Bjork - the band will be visiting arenas in nine cities to sing their biggest hits, including tracks from 2009 double platinum album Where We Are.

They will also songs from a brand new album they are currently in the studio working on, due for release in November.

Westlife are among the world's most prolific touring acts, with nine sell out tours already under their belts, including many sold out shows in Sheffield. They have sold more tickets at London's Wembley Arena than any other act and have played a record number of dates there, an amazing 25.

No pop band can compare to Westlife's extraordinary success, having been certified by the BPI as the biggest selling band of the past decade.

During their 11 years at the top of pop's hierarchy, they have sold over 43 million records globally. In the UK alone they have scored ten multi-platinum albums and a record breaking 14 number ones - 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).

Tickets, priced £40.50, may be subject to a booking fee, are expected to sell out fast when they go on sale this Friday - September 10, from 9am.

Guarantee your seats by booking in person, calling the ticket hotline on 0114 256 56 56 or buying online, at To book call in person at the venue, book online at www.motorpointarena.co.uk

* For a chance to win our front row tickets, enter our draw by text or online, by deadline on Thursday, September 9, 2010, 10am. Usual SNL terms and conditions apply.

Text STARED2 and leave a space, followed by your full name, house number and postcode, then send to 64343. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network charge. This will be charged to your mobile phone bill. Get the bill payer's permission. Do not text after deadline as you may still be charged and your entry will not be entered into our draw.

Or enter for free online, where you will find full terms and conditions, plus data protection details about how we may use your information for marketing, or how you can opt-out. Visit www.thestar.co.uk/competitions

Source: thestar.co.uk

Westlife Tour News

05 September 2010: Kings of the charts Westlife have today announced that they will be back at Trent FM Arena Nottingham on Wednesday 16 March 2011.

Well known for their spectacular live shows, the tour is set to include the band’s biggest hits as well as tracks from their 2009 double platinum album ‘Where We Are’. You’ll also get to hear songs from their brand new album due for release in November this year.

Westlife are among the world’s most prolific touring acts, with 14 shows already under their belts at our venue, they have played on the Trent FM Arena stage a record number of times.

No pop band can compare to Westlife’s extraordinary success, having been certified by the BPI as the biggest selling band of the past decade.

During their 11 years at the top of pop’s hierarchy, the band has sold over 43 million records globally.

In the UK alone they have scored ten multi-platinum albums and a record breaking 14 No.1 hits – just behind 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.

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 10 September 2010 priced at £40.50 (plus booking fee). You can book via our 24hr ticket hotline on 08444 124 624, online or by visiting the Trent FM Arena Nottingham Box Office, Bolero Square, The Lace Market, Nottingham.

No Seating Plan available at this time. To check the set up of the event, please contact our Box Office direct on 0115 8533002.

Credits: Dawn. Source: trentfmarenanottingham.com

Stars Rock The Castle

02 September 2010: FIREWORKS rocked Cawdor Castle's weekend debut as a live music venue, topping off two nights of top pop acts - and some spectacularly wet weather.

But as with the Rod Stewart concert at Caley Stadium last month, organisers CK Events were targeted for the traffic problems that left thousands of fans with a long wait to get home, after both Friday's X Factor package and Saturday's Westlife gigs.

Yet the crowds for both nights managed to maintain good spirits during the shows, despite the wet, cold weather more like November than August.

Getting Scots lads and X Factor veterans, THE MACDONALD BROTHERS to keep spirits high with a rousing set of Scottish singalong favourites - Bay City Rollers' Shangalang to The Proclaimers' 500 Miles - kept the crowd from concentrating too hard on the grey skies.

Though the high-pitched squeals of delight when each X Factor star appeared on stage suggested the younger kids in the family crowd were the ones most impressed by seeing these TV faces right in front of them, older fans might have been disappointed at the karaoke feel of the backing-track accompaniment, rather than a live band.

Not a problem for Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne of WESTLIFE who brought band, last night of their Where We Are album tour - and the party spirit that went with it - to Cawdor the following night.

First up was girl band WONDERLAND - including Kian's wife Jodi Albert - whose dressed-down style and punchy pop songs like In Your Arms and Lady Antebellum cover Need You Now impressed. But the largely female crowd had hit the North for the Irish lads.

Full lighting, big sound and three costume changes took the Cawdor gigs to a new level with Westlife's sophisticated pop schmaltz hitting all the right spots.

And anyone in any doubt of what a winning sound that is should remember there were fans there who had seen the band anything from 17 times to the 96 quoted by someone the night's MC Knoxy had met.

It all looked a bit predictable to start. Opening with single What About Now from latest album Where We Are, they quickly moved on to a sample of the band's 14 number ones - from covers Uptown Girl and Mandy to Swear It Again.

But it wasn't until a costume change into casual bomber jackets and a sexier set of dance moves, that four inspired covers changed Westlife into rock gods. Black Eyes Peas' I've Got A Feeling into a double-speed version of Beyonce's Halo into fellow Irish band Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back in Town before the breakout ended on a fiery version of Kings Of Leon's Sex On Fire.

Then there was the chance for yet more big thanks to everyone from the promoters, tour crew to the Cawdor crowd and beautiful scenery, before some fun.

They all had a go at Scottish accents (never again, please boys, pleeeease!). The band invited fans to film for YouTube Mark singing 24 "e-yeahs" in one breath in Flying Without Wings.

And challenged fellow boy bands Boyzone and JLS to match him!

And four lucky fans were invited up onstage for the finale serenade.

The guys read out some of the risque messages held up in the crowd - "Nicky, breakfast for two - my bed or yours" or "It's last night of the tour, fancy going out with a bang?".

Fireworks was probably the only way for Westlife to end the highs of long tour. But, for Cawdor Castle, they just marked the end of a promising debut as a live music venue. MC.

Source: highlandnews.co.uk

Westlife still melting hearts after more than a decade at the top

31 August 2010: [published 30 August 2010] Around 12,000 thrilled by Irish boyband on last date of their UK and Irish tour

HIGH NOTES: Nicky Byrne in the spotlight as Westlife take the 12,000 crowd at Cawdor Castle, near Nairn, by storm

Thousands of hearts melted as chart-toppers Westlife treated fans to an emotionally-charged performance at the close of a weekend of concerts at Cawdor Castle.

Supported by X Factor's Macdonald Brothers and girl-band Wonderland, the Irish quartet were welcomed to the stage by a wave of high-pitched screams from the 12,000-strong crowd on Saturday night.

The band kicked off the show with Where We Are, a track from their new album of the same name, shortly followed by their new single, What About Now.

It wasn't long before the boys were digging into their back catalogue of number ones, with performances of the fun-loving When You're Looking Like That, the tear-jerking If I Let You Go and crowd-pleasers Uptown Girl and Mandy.

Westlife first appeared on the pop music scene in 1999 with their self-titled debut album.

Now, 11 years later, their sound, which has made women and girls of all ages go weak at the knees for over a decade, is as fresh and heart-felt as ever.

The Inverness concert was the last stop on the boy's Where We Are Tour, which saw them play sell-out shows across the UK and Ireland. Singer Shane Filan told fans at the concert on Saturday that they chose to end their tour in the Highlands because “it's a beautiful venue” and they “always get the best welcome from Scottish fans”.

Mr Filan, along with fellow bandmates Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, and Nicky Byrne, added a special twist to the night by giving energetic performances of Black Eye Peas' I've Got A Feeling, Beyonce's Halo, the 1970s classic The Boys Are Back in Town and rounded off the set with a rocky rendition of the Kings of Leon's chart topper Sex on Fire.

And if an hour of Westlife bliss wasn't enough, the Irish foursome returned to the stage to do what they do best by belting out two of their most popular hits.

Flying Without Wings and World of Our Own drew the curtain on a night that is sure to have cemented Westlife's spot at the top of the boyband league for at least another 11 years.

On Friday night, Cawdor Castle hosted its first concert, featuring stars from the X Factor.

However, one singer failed to appear. Spanish singer Ruth Lorenzo was forced to pull out at the last minute due to “other commitments”, event promoter Les Kidger said.

He added: “We received notification on Thursday evening that she wasn’t able to make it.”

Promotions company CK Events tried to get another X Factor artist as a replacement but none of the X Factor stable were able to play due to scheduling commitments.

Olly Murs, last year’s X Factor runner-up, and Jamie “Afro” Archer both played longer sets in front of a crowd of 3,400 to make up for the missing singer. Mr Kidger said: “Olly was fantastic. He brought the house down.” This was the second scheduling change to hit the event.

Olly Murs was originally brought in as a replacement for pop twins Jedward who were forced to cancel earlier this month due to injury.

The concert was also hit by torrential rain which turned the car park into a quagmire some cars having to be pulled free of the mud. Mr Kidger said: “Everything went well. We had a crew on standby and tractors going out. The car park clearing time was efficient.” s

Source: pressandjournal.co.uk

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