We have no plans to split: Westlife
Band in pledge that latest tour will not be the last Belfast-bound Westlife have
insisted they have no plans to split up and that their forthcoming tour will not
be their last.
The band, who have not released a single since February last year, say their
flirtation with the Rat Pack is over and that their seventh album will see
a return to pop. Nicky, Mark, Shane and Kian kick off their Number Ones Tour at
the Odyssey Arena next Tuesday, spending three nights in the city before moving
on to Dublin.
In 2003 the band played nine gigs in Belfast, while the previous year they
staged a record-breaking 12 shows. Westlife's Nicky Byrne admitted ticket sales
for their 2005 shows had been "slow off the mark", but said he believed
the fans were still behind them. And he said the band would be around "for
as long as our fans want us".
Speaking at the Radisson Hotel in Belfast, where he was sporting a new peroxide
hairstyle, Nicky said: "We first billed the tour as the Red Carpet tour
based on an idea we had for the entrance, but it seemed to confuse fans
who thought we were just doing Rat Pack songs.
"Admittedly, things might have been a bit slow off the mark, but we're
still doing three shows in Belfast and seven in Dublin, and that's off the
back of the Rat Pack album. We were here last year, which wasn't really that
long ago, and for the past five years so you know, not everyone's going to want
to keep coming back and we're aware that it's not cheap going to concerts. But
we're still selling more gigs than most other bands and that's proof enough to
us that we've still got the fan base."
Nicky said the group had "no regrets at all" about recording the Rat Pack
material, but added that he believed their fans would be "delighted"
to see a return to pop.
"We're making our own history here, doing our own thing and it's great that
we're at the stage where we can do that," he said.
"We wanted to do something off-the-wall, something different. We didn't want
to record another album of ballads or have people saying that we were getting
monotonous, so we decided to try the Rat Pack material. It was a great
experience, almost like doing our own movie, getting to go to Las Vegas and
everything, we've no regrets at all. But our next album, which we'll be doing
later in the year, will be a pop one and hopefully, the best one to date."
Nicky said they planned to release a single to coincide with the new album and
that if everything went according to plan they would undertake another tour next
year.
"We haven't released a single since Brian left last year, so that's something we
need to do. If the next album bombs, which we really hope it won't, then we'll
ask ourselves what we should do, but I don't think we'd give up that easily," he
said.
"We're going to put some really good songs on the next album and the plan is
that we'll announce another tour then. This is not our final tour and Westlife
are not about to split. For us, it's not just a job, it's a way of life. We love
what we do and as long as our fans want us, we'll be around for the foreseeable
future."
source - Belfast Telegraph
posted - 30th January
STRESSLIFE for boyband's bodyguards
The Mirror (London, England); 1/27/2005 Byline: Paul Martin
WESTLIFE have ordered a huge security clampdown ahead of their world tour launch
in Belfast next week, I can reveal. The stars became sick of fans
gatecrashing their back stage area on the last tour - and now they are taking
drastic action. Singer Kian Egan told me: "The worst one was in Dublin last year
when a fan broke into our changing room.
"I went in there and the girl legged it - dropping my wallet and watch in the
process. We're taking no chances this time and we're doubling security around
the back stage area. The first place we will be testing it out is Belfast -
although the fans there are always so well-behaved we probably don't need it.
But it will be good practice to see if the new system works."
The stars kick off a gruelling tour on Tuesday night at the Odyssey Arena. Shane
Filan told me: "We can't wait to get out there on stage and perform for the fans
in Northern Ireland again.
"It genuinely is our favourite place to go and perform because everyone gets so
into it. The fans are the loudest and we always have a ball. We'll also be out a
couple of nights partying too. The last time we were there we ended up having a
huge party at Precious nightclub so we need to top that this time."
And Shane has promised that they'll be rolling out all the big hits for the
fans.
"It's going to be a procession of No1 songs and then a few of the Rat Pack
numbers in a medley. We'll also have a few surprises for fans in terms of the
visual side of the show."
X Factor stars G4 will fill the support act slot. Their manager Louis Walsh
said: "They are going to get their first taste of a big performance.
"I've told them that the Belfast crowd are the best to perform for so it's a
great way to launch their live careers.
source - Mirror online
posted - 29th January
Westlife make a safety point:
WESTLIFE kick off their world tour in Belfast next week - and have DOUBLED their
security compared to other tours. The lads were fed up at the end of their last
tour with the number of fans getting too close for comfort. One fan backstage at
the Point last year sneaked into Kian's changing room and jumped out after an
exhausting gig. The star told me:
"We have a new security system in place for this tour which should cut a lot of
that down."
source - mirror online
posted - 29th January
Irish talent tops Christmas sales charts
The work of Irish artists proved the most popular buys during the Christmas
period, music retailer Golden Discs said today. For the second year in a row, an
Irish artist held the No. 1 spot in the Christmas DVD best sellers - the
Pat Shortt-inspired Killinascully was the clear chart topper.
Other Irish DVDs with good sales were Tommy Tiernan, Brendan O'Carroll and Halls
Pictorial Weekly, Golden Discs said today. U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
album held pole position from the date of release and will be the
top-selling album for the year 2004.
"Excellent" chart placings were also achieved by Paddy Casey, Gift Grub
and Westlife, Golden Discs said.
source - Irish Examiner
posted - 29th January
Westlife: so what is their magic formula?
Inoffensive mammies' boys from Sligo - just how did Westlife manage to defy
their own destiny? First there were five, now there are four, and they're still
going strong. Who would have thought Westlife would last so long?
In an incredible small-town- boys-turn-superstars success story, Ireland's
best-loved sons have sealed their name as one of the biggest vocal bands in the
world, selling 34m records around the globe and scoring five multi-platinum
albums in the UK. Not to mention accruing a record-breaking 12 UK No 1 hits, a
string of awards and securing the first ever Official Download Chart No 1 last
year with a live version of Flying Without Wings.
So how's it all done? The secret of their success lies not in the talents but in
the magical mix of the voices, marketing, image, efforts and songs of the band
who determined from the outset to hit the big time. And how could they fail?
With pop impresario, Louis Walsh, (responsible for Boyzone - remember them?)
behind them, Westlife were destined for stardom before even their name was born.
It all started back in the 90s. Westlife grew out of a band formed by Kian Egan,
Shane Filan and Mark Feehily when they were still at school in Summerhill, Co
Sligo. Walsh, who was looking for an act to fill the commercial void created by
Boyzone, signed them up. You can imagine the scene. Listening to their
performance, with a critical, winking grin on his face, Walsh thinks to himself:
"They can sing, they can just about dance. They'll go a long way."
This story has never been about talent, creativity and originality. No. The
Westlife star is the self-confessed product of a money-making entertainment
machine, aided by throwing Boyzone star, Ronan Keating, into the management mix.
But a few special components have kept them at the top. Ditching three of the
original members, who were replaced with Bryan McFadden and Nicky Byrne, Walsh
renamed the band (originally called IOU, then Westside) grooming them for
success by providing them with a string of ready-written No 1 hits to sing.
Their first single, Swear It Again, immediately topped the charts on its release
in 1999, followed closely by If I Let You Go and Flying Without Wings. Within a
year, Westlife had made UK chart history with five No 1 hits in a row, later
securing a place in the Guinness Book of World Records with their seventh
consecutive No 1.
But what spurs people to continually buy their records? What makes them so good?
It's the combination of their harmless, boy next door appearance, tuneful
ballads and harmonic pop songs that give them broad appeal. Marketed to
attract the largest record-buying fan base (gay men and teenage girls) Walsh
knew he was on to a winner when he brought the final line-up together. Media
coverage of band members' celebrity weddings and appearances on every TV chat
show and charity event have kept the band in the public mindset between touring
and record releases.
They're likeable, harmless, small-town boys mammies' boys with an ability to
laugh at themselves - perfect for the kids. But two things have kept Westlife
going above all else - the fact that they can actually sing and their determined
efforts to please their fans. When Westlife tour, they really tour and, by all
accounts, they put on a darn good show. When Westlife sing, they sing in tune,
and make every performance seem like the best one yet.
To date, they have performed to over 3m fans on four sell-out arena tours. When
they last played the Odyssey Arena, in Belfast, it was for 13 sell-out shows.
Nearly every teenage girl in Belfast went to see them (some went twice, despite
the hefty ticket cost) and cries of: "Are ye goin' to see Westlife t'night?"
echoed in school corridors around the province. Fact.
News that Bryan McFadden was leaving the band last year may have upset some fans
but the Westlife star still shines brightly. The release of their latest Rat
Pack themed album, Allow Us to Be Frank, appeals to an ever-widening audience,
including a ream of middle-aged men. With immaculately tailored suits and their
hair slicked back, Westlife have captured the spirit and image of the
billiard-playing, whiskey- drinking era. All appearances would suggest the
Westlife boys have finally grown into men and are still going strong, despite
losing the fat, cuddly one who could seemingly do no wrong. It's the perfect
success story - they've outlived every other boy band in history so far, but one
can't help but wonder if Westlife will still be around in five years' time.
Westlife play the Odyssey Arena, Belfast, on February 1, 2 and 4. They will be
supported by G4, runners-up on ITV's X Factor talent show, on the opening night.
Tickets € ©¢‘§31.50, www.ticketmaster.ie
source - Belfast Telegraph
posted 29th January
Vote for Westlife
Westlife have been nominated for best Pop Act at the BRIT Awards 2005. This is
one of the most hotly contested categories at the BRITs and 2005 is certainly no
exception with competition coming from Avril Lavigne, Girls Aloud, McFly and
Natasha Bedingfield.
The voting for this award has been opened up to the public, which is where you,
the fans come in! It only takes a second to cast your vote and every single one
counts. If everyone who receives this email votes, and gets their friends to
vote too, Westlife will be sure to win! And just in case you needed a reason, if
they win, we promise to pull a name out of the hat at random, to win tickets and
a meet & greet at their forthcoming tour!
How to Vote:
1. Online at
www.brits.co.uk/vote
2. By SMS - text CDUK WESTLIFE to 81145
3. By Phone - call 0901 3 888 222 and press 5 to vote for Westlife
Both the SMS and the Phone methods cost 25p per vote. Voting closes this Sunday
so make sure you don't waste any time! Thanks for your help!
source- www.westlife.com
posted- 28th January
Westlife make a safety point: Paul Martin:
The Mirror (London, England); 1/26/2005
WESTLIFE kick off their world tour in Belfast next week - and have DOUBLED their
security compared to other tours. The lads were fed up at the end of their last
tour with the number of fans getting too close for comfort. One fan backstage at
the Point last year sneaked into Kian's changing room and jumped out after an
exhausting gig. The star told me: "We have a new security system in place for
this tour which should cut a lot of that down."
source - mirror online
posted - 28th January
Tour Meet & Greets
This is your chance to meet Westlife on tour... we have a pair of 'Meet & Greet'
passes for most venues, which will get you into the concert and also get you a
meeting with the boys! Just take a look at the question below and send your
ANSWER plus CITY of choice in one text to 85123 (UK fans). If you live in the
Republic Of Ireland, you follow the same process but send your text to a
different number: 57688.
eg. Text WESTLIFE A LONDON to 85123 if you think the answer is 'saxophone' and
you want to go to the Wembley show (and you're entering from the UK)...
Q. On Westlife's Allow Us To Be Frank album, which of these instruments is NOT
on the back sleeve?
WESTLIFE A - Saxophone
WESTLIFE B - Trombone
WESTLIFE C - Pan Pipes
The full list of cities is as below - apologies, but we don't have any
for Dublin:
Feb 2nd: Belfast
Feb 23rd: London
Feb 27th: Manchester
March 2nd: Cardiff
March 7th: Birmingham
March 12th: Newcastle
March 14th: Glasgow
March 19th: Sheffield
March 23rd: Nottingham
Good luck!
UK SMS entries will cost € ©¢‘§1 plus your standard rate, Eire SMS entries will
cost € ©£á2 plus your standard rate. The Belfast winner will be drawn on January
27th, and the competition will close for all other dates on February 15th.
Entering will not cause you to be added to an SMS mailing list, however if you
do wish to receive free updates, you should register on the Mailing List page.
Full terms and conditions here.
source - www.westlife.com
posted - 22nd January
Sligo stars stage major tsunami fund concert
Some of Sligo's top entertainers are coming together for a major fund-raising
concert for Asian tsunami disaster appeal. Sligo Weekender columnist tenor James
Nelson will be one of the stars taking part in the "Sligo for Asia" concert to
be staged at the Southern Hotel on Thursday, February 3. The entire proceeds are
being donated to the Red Cross and GOAL.
The line-up for the concert, which will be compared by award-winning actress and
author, Pauline McLynn, a native of Sligo, has yet to be fully finalised. But
already it already includes Dervish, Tabby Callaghan, James Nelson, Sandy Kelly,
The Hennigans Blues Band, Those Nervous Animals, Steve Wickham, Patrick Feeney,
The Conway Sisters, Jargon, The Jazz Ladds, Shelly River Band, and Rock+ Roll
Circus.
Unable to be present because of touring commitments, Westlife have donated a
one-off disc to be raffled.
One of the country's top sound engineers, Paul Ashe-Browne, who has worked on
Dervish tours and with Riverdance, is helping with the production of what is
promised to be a four-hour extravaganza. The Southern Hotel is providing the
venue free of charge.
A small committee comprising Shane Mitchell of Dervish, Felipe Carbonell of
Carbonell Productions, local musician, Francie Lenihan and Sligo Champion
journalist, Jim Gray, are putting the show together. Co-ordinator Jim Gray said:
"Like everybody else, we just felt so helpless as we watched the tragedy unfold
over Christmas, so we put our heads together and decided to give this a go. The
response from all involved has been overwhelmingly generous, and there is a
great buzz of anticipation building up."
Shane Mitchell, whose band Dervish were among the first to offer their services,
has been impressed by the depth of goodwill in the local entertainment industry.
"A lot of people have gone to extraordinary lengths to be part of this. There
was no hesitation from anybody about getting involved. Musicians right across
the board were only too willing to help such a worthy cause", he said.
Marc McSharry, CEO, Sligo Chamber of Commerce, expressed his organisation€ ©¡¦s
support for the project. "The business community in Sligo has already been
supportive in a variety of ways for the tsunami fund, and we are delighted to be
involved in sponsorship of what is a uniquely Sligo event with talented Sligo
people pooling their resources and generosity for such a worthy cause", he said.
Tickets priced at E25 will be available soon and outlet details will be
confirmed next week. In addition to the sale of concert tickets, the organisers
are also
inviting donations for the fund. These can be made to Jim Gray at the Sligo
Champion offices or the Chamber of Commerce headquarters.
source - www.sligoweekender.ie
posted - 22nd January
Westlife go head-to-head with Brian
Sligo pop icons Westlife will go head to head with their former band mate Brian
McFadden at this years Meteor Music Awards. Westlife and Brian have both been
nominated in the category of Best Irish Pop Act for the 2005 Awards, which take
place at The Point Theatre on Thursday, February 24. What's more the winner of
the best pop act award will be decided by the voting public, along with four
other categories.
The public will be invited to vote for short listed nominees in the five
categories compiled from the votes cast by representatives from every area of
the Irish music industry. The categories which the public will decide are: Best
Irish DJ, Best Irish Band, Best Irish Male, Best Irish Female and Best Irish Pop
Act.
To get your vote in you can text ¡§VOTE¡¨ to 53500 or visit the awards site at
www.meteor.ie
Sharing the Best Irish Pop Act nominations with Westlife and Brian McFadden are Carol Anthony, D. Side, Ronan Keating and The Corrs.Voting started last Thursday, January 13 and music fans who vote have the chance to win great weekly prizes including VIP tickets to this year¡¦s Meteor Awards extravaganza and after show party. The star-studded event, now in its fifth year, will be hosted by Irish comedian Ed Byrne and televised for RTE. Sixteen Meteor Ireland Music Awards will be presented this year.
Last years Meteor Ireland Music Awards saw some of the worlds top acts
perform including music legend Lionel Richie, Katie Melua, Counting Crows, The
Corrs, Sugababes, Westlife, Hothouse Flowers, The Frames, The Dubliners, Snow
Patrol, Paddy Casey and Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club. Tickets for this years
event will go on sale from ticketmaster outlets soon.
source - Sligoweekender
posted - 19th January
Wave of death@ Westlife Disc donation
The Mirror (London, England); 1/18/2005
WESTLIFE have ordered their record company to produce a special commemorative
display disc to help the victims of the tsunami. The disc will be raffled at a
fund-raising concert in Sligo on February 3. It will be engraved with the date
of the show, Sligo For Asia, and will be autographed by the band.
Only four similar discs exist and are owned by the group, who were presented
with them at Christmas.
source - Mirror online
posted - 19th January
See yourself on the tour!
Westlife's Number 1s Tour begins very soon, and the band have had an idea which
could mean you see yourself on the big screens! During a song in the encore,
they want to show a montage of fan-pics (similar to the kind of thing that's in
the Fan Images section) on the screens either side of the stage.
If you've got a photo of yourself with Shane, Nicky, Kian or Mark and you'd like
to put it forward, you should post it to the address below. Obviously we realise
that these photos are valuable to you, so if you include a Stamped, Addressed
Envelope, we will return your picture (s).
Please also include a note stating your name, age and where you come from...
Send your pics to:
Westlife.com
Sony BMG New Media
Bedford House
69-79 Fulham High St
London
SW6 3JW
The closing date for photos is January 31st - the first date of the tour is on
February 1st, so the pictures used on the early dates will be taken from those
we receive earliest. We can't guarantee that all pictures will be used,
unfortunately (it might need to be a very long encore if they were!), and
although all best efforts will be made to return photos which come with SAE's,
there is a very small possibility that pictures could be lost in the post, etc,
which we can't be held responsible for. Right now, the band are rehearsing for
the tour in Portugal.
source - www.westlife.com
posted - 17th January 2005
Westlife favourites to win pop gong at Meteors
Westlife have been installed as favourite to claim best Irish pop act at this
year’s Meteor Awards, it emerged today. Bookmaker Boylesports said the
four-piece band were the front-runners for the sought-after award at odds of
2-5, but former band-mate Brian McFadden is close behind at 7-2. A bill of
international stars and leading Irish acts will take to the stage in the Point
Theatre in Dublin on February 24 next at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards.
Some of the top names up for the 16 awards include Snow Patrol, Franz Ferdinand,
The Frames and Damien Rice. McFadden is also in the running for another one of
the Meteor awards in the Best Irish Male category. Some of the industry’s firm
favourites are on strong odds with Damien Rice, who has struck it big in the
elusive US market, on evens. Also in the running are Paddy Casey at 7-2, David
Kitt at 7-1, Mundy at 16-1 and newcomer Declan O’ Rourke at 25-1.
The battle of the bands has proved tight with The Frames favourites at 5-4 to
take the award. But the Thrills are also in the running at 2-1 for Best Irish
Band Award, and Snow Patrol at 3-1. Two females are also in the running for the
Best Irish DJ award for the first time – Today FM’s Alison Curtis and 2FM’s
Jenny Huston – who are both on odds of 25-1.
Last year’s winner, 2FM’s Ryan Tubridy, is on even odds, while Dave Fanning is
at 7-2. Today FM DJ Ray D’Arcy is on 7-2, breakfast presenter Ian Dempsey at 5-1
and Tom Dunne is at 6-1. Publicity-shy Sinead O’Connor is in the running for the
Best Irish Female award at 5-1. However, ‘Burn the Black Suit’ singer Juliet
Turner is favourite at 7-4.
Adi Roche, who runs the charity, the Chernobyl Children’s Project, has already
been chosen to receive this year’s Humanitarian Award for her tireless work. A
cheque for €100,000 will also be presented to the fundraiser at the awards
ceremony. Some of the previous winners include Bono, Christina Nobel and Sister
Stanislaus Kennedy.
Fans will be able to vote for their favourite act from tomorrow, Thursday
January, 13, by texting "vote" to 53500 or voting online by the website
www.meteor.ie. Tickets for
the event will go on sale later this month for €30.
posted - 15th January
Westlife V West
IRISH boyband Westlife and a German tobacco firm have become involved in a
bitter legal battle over attempts to have their names registered as trademarks.
A five-year dispute between the chart-topping pop group and the manufacture of
West cigarettes will end up in the European Court of Justice next week. The EU
Court of First Instance will hear an application on Tuesday from Reemark seeking
to quash the official recognition of Westlife as a trademark.
Reemark, which manufactures the popular West brand of cigarettes, is opposing a
decision by the EU Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM), which
has responsibility for trademarks and designs, to certify the name ‘Westlife’ as
a trademark. The German company maintains that the name is too similar to the
brand name ‘West’ which was registered at an earlier date as a trademark in
Germany.
West are concerned about potential confusion because both trademarks sell
similar types of merchandise. Specialist patent lawyers representing Reemark
will argue that the similarity of the names could confuse. However, Westlife
have argued that the two names are “distinctly different.” “The difference in
length alone has a consequence that no consumer will read or hear ‘West’ for
‘Westlife’ or vice versa,” said Reiner Prietsch, the German lawyer representing
the pop group.
posted - 15th January
Brits Nomination
Westlife were yesterday announced on the shortlist for the 'Best Pop'
category at this year's Brit Awards. They face competition from Avril Lavigne,
Girls Aloud, McFly and Natasha Bedingfield, in a public vote that opens
next Tuesday (Jan 18th).
We'll keep you up to date with voting details - the category is being promoted
by CDUK, The Sun's Bizarre column, O2 and Samsung mobile, so
there may be quite a few ways to register your vote!
More details can be found at www.brits.co.uk.
The band have 2 Brit Awards in their cabinet already, from similar nominations
in previous years - what's different in 2005 is that the 'Best Pop' category is
no longer split into UK and International sections, but puts everyone
together...
source - www.westlife.com
posted - 12th January
U2 shortlisted for the Brit Awards
U2 are among the nominees for this year's Brit Awards, which take place in
London on 9 February.They are nominated in the Best International Group and
International Album categories.
Westlife are also nominated in the Best Pop Act category.Franz Ferdinand lead
the shortlist with five nominations: Best British Group, Album, Rock Act, Live
Act and Breakthrough Act.
source - RTE Interactive
posted - 12th January
Not so Kian….
Thumbs up to party girl Jodi Albert, who has decided against marriage because she wants to continue hitting the town. The former Hollyoaks star 21, turned down a wedding proposal from her Westlife fella Kian Egan 24, over Christmas. A pal said “She’s in love but not ready to take the next step yet.”
source - Daily Star newspaper
posted - 10th January
Westlife singles: no more from Allow Us To Be Frank!
It has been reported that there will be no more single releases taken from the
album 'Allow Us To Be Frank'.
So far there have been two download singles in the UK - Aint That A Kick In The
Head (released for download 1st November), and Beyond the Sea (released for
download 20th December). Ain't That A Kick in the Head was released as a single
in Belgium and Hong Kong in November.
You can download Beyond the Sea from
http://www.7digital.com/downloads/westlife4/
posted 9th January
ERIC CLAPTON Cover For Tsunami Victims -OZZY OSBOURNE, STEVEN TYLER To
Record Jan. 7, 2005
According to ContactMusic.com, Sharon Osbourne has enlisted a host of stars to
cover Eric Clapton's tragic song "Tears In Heaven" for a charity single to raise
money for the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami.
The rock matriarch has joined forces with arch-rival Simon Cowell to produce a
star-studded remake of the 1992 song Clapton wrote following the death of his
four-year-old son Conor, who was killed when he fell from a 53rd floor apartment
window.
Osbourne says, "We approached Eric and his lawyers and everyone else said yes
straight away ¡X we could not think of a more appropriate song."The song will
include the vocal talents of Rod Stewart, Robbie Williams, Sir Elton John,
AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler, Gwen Stefani and Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne.
Cowell is in talks for WESTLIFE, Will Young and Brian McFadden to join the
track, which will be released on Sony and BMG Records. Osbourne adds, "The
people taking part are spread all over the world. They will probably have to
record their parts in local studios and then we can put them all together."
source - Blabbermouth.net, NY
posted 9th January
Kian to be in Disney
While his ex-bandmate Brian McFadden attempts to become a grown-up artiste,
Westlife hunk Kian Egan is clearly still a big kid...
The singer, 24, is planning a romantic getaway with Hollyoaks babe Jodi Albert -
to Disneyland Paris. A source close to the couple confided "It might be more
child orientated but Kian loves the whole Disney vibe and knows that Jodi will
have a fantastic time too"
Lets hope his bandmates don't take the Mickey...
source - Daily Mirror newspaper
posted 7th January
Duran Duran star blasts Westlife
DURAN DURAN star ROGER TAYLOR has continued his assault on pop artists old
and new - this time slamming boyband WESTLIFE.The HUNGRY LIKE A WOLF drummer has
hailed pop acts like BUSTED for writing their own tunes, but deems the Irish
four-piece an unacceptable presence in contemporary music.
Taylor's outburst comes just weeks after he blasted groups including ABC and
BUCKS FIZZ for cashing in by regrouping for reunion tours. He rants, "I can't
stand the way they sit in jumpers just singing ballads. At least with Busted
they write their own tunes and have a great vibe.
"Oh no, I am not a Westlife fan at all."
source - Contactmusic.com
posted - 6th January 2005
Fans like it hot
Red Hot Chili Peppers have entered the record books as one of the 100 most
successful recording artists. The Guinness British Hit Singles and Albums book
ranks artists each year according to how many weeks they have spent in the
British singles and albums charts. This year the Red Hot Chili Peppers are the
only new entry.
Those who have a chance of getting in next year include Britney Spears, Eminem,
Westlife, Radiohead and Iron Maiden. Elvis Presley tops the list, having notched
up 2463 weeks in the British singles and albums charts - longer than his 42-year
lifespan.
source - New Zealand Herald
posted - 6th January 2004
Win Westlife Tickets
Featuring a line of international pop sensations, takes places
at The Point on Sunday, the 30th of January. A host of the biggest stars in pop
will descend on The Point for the eight annual Childline Concert. Among the
headline acts are Westlife, Girls Aloud and Brian McFadden with this year's
concert sponsored by
Cheerios.
Westlife's Kian Egan and Hollyoaks Star Jodi Albert will host this year's
concert, which will be televised by RTE 2. Among the artists confirmed for the
concert are V, Darius, Zoo Sweet*t, D'Side, Lemar and Carol Anthony with many
other acts still to be announced.
Since its inception in 1997, the Childline Concert has featured a stunning array
of pop casts such as Robbie Williams, S Club 7, Blue, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Five,
All Saints, Busted, Sugar Babes, Big Brovaz, Samantha Mumba, Boyzone, Rachel
Stevens, Balzin' Squad and Gareth Gates. Childline, Ireland's No.1 children's
charity, will receive over 200,000 euro from the concert and has benefited to
tune of over 1.4 million since the Childline concerts started in 1997. All
parties involved with the Cheerios Childline Concert 2005 are providing their
services free of charge on the night including artists, organisers and the Point
Theatre.
An exciting line-up of stars for a very good cause, Cheerios Childline Concert
2005 takes place at The Point on the 30th.
Time: 7pm
Tickets: 36 euro's
Please note: Doors will open at 7.00pm and fans should note that no queuing will
be permitted prior to 6.00pm for security reasons. Persons with small children
are recommended to purchase balcony tickets. Persons under the age 18 must be
accompanied by a person over 23 years of age.Tickets are available from
Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.ie
The Point
North Wall Quay,
East Link Bridge,
Dublin 1
source - Dublinks, Ireland
posted - 6th January 2005
Download Charts
THERE is a rare treat in store for Westlife fans. The Irish crooners are
making a version of Beyond The Sea available as an official download single.
The lads, who are currently enjoying success with their Rat Pack-themed album
say they were inspired to release the single after striking up a friendship with
Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey who stars in the movie of the same name.
For more information check out
www.westlife.com
source - Mirror newspaper
posted - 1st January