Fondly remembered 1st Tour manager for Westlife
from August 1998 to February 2003. Tour manager for Brian Mcfadden in 2006 for
his first solo tour. Fondly remembered 1st Tour manager for Westlife
from August 1998 to February 2003. Tour manager for Brian Mcfadden in 2006 for
his first solo tour.
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Name: Anthony Byrne |
DESCRIPTION Westlife In Real Life by Lise Hand
You're
in Singapore, You've had 3 hours sleep, it's hot, screaming girls are
outside, you're due downstairs in 5 minutes but you can't find your
passport. What do you do? Call Anto. The lads admit if Anto wasn't about chaos
would reign free. Anto's job is to book flights, book hotels, co-ordinate
tours, ensure the lads and their luggage get from one country to another,
deals with record companies and replaces lost items, this man even cooks the
odd meal for the lads! Anto has worked for loads of Irish artists including
as Van Morrison and the Hothouse Flowers. Louis Walsh describes him as "the
best in the business".
Anto first met the band in the Red Box in
Dublin. He'd just finished touring with the Hothouse Flowers, the lads were
weary of him first but they were soon firing questions at him about life on
the road.
In the early days of the band Anto had such a problem remember
who was who he'd use to carry around a flyer with the guys pictures and
names and then just look at it and shout at the troublemaker!
Travelling with the band, Anto knows a few things about the lads. Nicky is always up first. He has to ring Shane at least 3 times to get him to move, Mark has to be rung on both his mobile and hotel room phone to move and 2 minutes before they are due to leave they show up, then half way down the road the complain that they need breakfast!
SNIPPETS
After five nights of concerts at London's Wembley Arena, the office of Westlife tour manager Anto Byrne looks like a thrift shop, with piles of gifts from stuffed animals to underwear: boxers, briefs, Calvin Kleins, a pair that says "BABE MAGNET." Enough, says Byrne, so that "none of us ever have to buy it ourselves." Eager Westlife fans have been known to toss CK underwear on stage so much so that "none of us ever have to buy it ourselves", jokes tour manager Anto Byrne. Anto Byrne, Westlife's Tour Manager, comes in. No, he says, today he has not had to break into Shane's hotel room and pull him out of bed by the ankles, which happens from time to time after the boys have had a heavy night. The hangar has been a perfect venue for our rehearsals, as it's not often the boys get to sing in an environment like this unless they're in front of thousands of fans!" said tour manager Anto Byrne. He ( Louis) approached his old friend Anto Byrne to become IOU’s tour manager. The pair had known each other for nearly 20 years and Anto had worked with such big acts as Irish superstar Van Morrison, Annie Lennox and Julian Lennon. Anto came to meet the boys and they immediately clicked. Like Ronan and Louis before him, he saw the potential in the boys and recognised their passion and determination. More importantly, he liked them as people in fact the friendship between the band and Anto has become so strong that he’s often referred to as the sixth member. |
QUOTES - WESTLIFE
Nicky Byrne: "Our tour manager Anto really knows how to wind me up, then again he knows how to push all our buttons" "Thanks to Anto for makin' me laugh and cry in the same day - twice!"
Bryan McFadden: "We can never say no to Anto our tour manager 'cos he'll beat us up!" "Anto, what a man!"
Mark Feehily: "Anto - thanks for putting up with my lazy grumpy head in the mornings!"
Kian Egan: "Anto, our second Daddy, thanks for being there through thick and thin."
Shane Filan: "To Anto, our Daddy on the road. Anto you're a great friend, you're not a bad Daddy, you work so hard for us and I'll never forget that. Thank you."
CONTACT ADDRESS
BMG UK & Ireland DEPARTING NEWS
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Westlife pledge to carry on together by Sandra Coffey
“We don’t care what goes into the newspapers and what’s said about us. We know what’s going on with us and that’s the most important thing.” That was the emphatic message from Westlife’s Kian Egan who has this week strongly denied that the band are splitting up.
Huge controversy has surrounded the band this week, as national newspapers reported that the band was on the verge of splitting up, due to the departure of tour manager Anto Byrne. A local source close to the band said this week: “I am really shocked at the news. Anto did everything for them. He looked after security and everything they needed when they went on tour.” But despite Anto’s departure, the band said they are stronger than ever.
Singer Shane Filan said: “We are working hard to promote our new single Tonight which is out on St. Patrick’s Day. We are also preparing for our world tour which kicks off in Cardiff on April 13. This summer, we will be recording a new album.” The limelight focused primarily on these two Sligo members, and rumours of a huge rift between the two over the Anto affair were rife. These have been strongly denied. Kian said: “We are all really good friends and know each other a long time.
“The energy between the five of us is still there. We know we have to make a big impact with the next album. Fans needn’t be worried, as we are not splitting up. Everyone is happy in the band. “This is Westlife and we are not going to go anywhere yet.
“People don’t really know what’s going on. It came to a stage in our career when we’ve had the greatest hits album out, and people are saying Westlife are going to go. But we are very focused and always open with each other. I think we can go on for another three or four years, as long as we keep our heads.”
Is this the End of the Road for Westlife ?
Westlife are up in arms as loyalties are spilt over the sacking of their tour manager Anto Byrne. Anto was known as the 'sixth member' of the group; he guided Westlife to the dizzy heights of fame that they know now and was with them every step of the way. His get up and go approach to the band has got up and gone for he was giving the boot after a two-month power struggle with band member and unofficial spokesman Kian Egan.
Will this be the beginning of the end for Westlife?…Only time will tell, but rumours are escalating as some band members are plotting to jump ship. According to sources Shane Filan is angry over the departure of Byrne and is seriously thinking about quitting and staring a solo career. This could be disastrous for the boy band, as the 23-year-old is the lead singer in the chart topping pop group…. but Brian Kian makes all the business decisions. Filan was rumoured to have signed a solo deal worth €9 million last year but he firmly denied any such reports and pledged his loyalty to Westlife.
The band's record label, BMG, are said to be furious about Byrne - Kian saga and according to music experts are afraid the band will fall apart like the Spice Girls after they sacked their manager, Simon Fuller. A spokesman for Westlife, told the media," Anto's spilt from the band has been very amicable. People move on and this is what happened here. Anto is looking for something new. He left on good terms".
Don't' worry for Westlife the boy band of boy bands will be faithful to their adoring fans. As the band is currently recording a new album and are going on tour this year, but what will happen after the planned scheduled concert dates? As they say in music land, what this space……The Sunday People reports Westlife will decide this week if they will split over self-appointed leader Kian Egan's sacking of tour manager Anto Byrne. Shane Filan and Brian McFadden have already threatened to quit - and now all five members have set up a crisis meeting.
