FEBRUARY 2006
Win a Valentine's message
Valentine's Day is just around the corner and so is a brand new single from
Westlife. We thought we'd combine these two wonderful events and come up with
your chance to win a personalised Valentine's greeting from your fave 'Lifer!
Since the band's new track is called 'Amazing' we want you to tell us just how
amazing Westlife are. The entry we like the most will get a unique audio message
from either Shane, Kian, Mark or Nicky - and be with you in time for the day of
lurve on February 14.We've also got five runners-up prizes of the special dual
disc version of the Face To Face album.
So tell us, then. E-mail your entry to
competitions@popworld.com and mark it 'I HEART WESTLIFE'. Don't forget to
include your name, age, address, contact phone number and Westlife member you'd
like your message from if you win. Good luck. 'Amazing' is out to buy February
20.
source - Pop World
posted - 15th Feb
And the losers are...
LISA-SCOTT LEE and Westlife suffered triple horrors today as they each 'won'
three Naomi Awards. The Naomis celebrate the worst musical achievements of the
past year - the opposite of tomorrow night's prestigious Brits.
Talking about popular Irish boy band Westlife, he added: "Their trophy cabinet
must be overflowing as they dominate yet another Naomi Awards! "The luck of the
Irish seems to have finally come to an end." Others to gain the dubious
honour of picking up a Naomi include Pete Doherty's Babyshambles, ex-Blue hunk
Lee Ryan and X Factor flop Steve Brookstein. The annual awards, now in their
fourth year, are organised by digital broadcaster Music Choice. They take their
name from supermodel Naomi Campbell's short-lived musical career.
This year's 'winners' are:
Worst British Male Solo Artist - Lee Ryan
Worst British Female Solo Artist - Lisa Scott-Lee
Worst British Album - Steve Brookstein: Heart and Soul
Worst British Single - Lisa Scott-Lee: Electric
Worst Attempt At Rock - Son Of Dork
Worst Urban Act - Ms Dynamite
Worst Live Act - Babyshambles
Worst Pop Act - Lisa Scott-Lee
Worst International Male Solo Artist - Jack Johnson
Worst International Female Solo Artist - Jessica Simpson
Worst International Album - Westlife: Face to Face
Worst International Group - Westlife
Worst International Breakthrough Artist - Pussycat Dolls
source - Sun Newspaper
posted - 14th Feb
Lisa's music wins worst pop prizes
The worst acts in pop have been named and shamed. Lisa
Scott-Lee, Ms Dynamite and Westlife were winners at the Naomi Awards - an
antidote to the Brits. Babyshambles, Pussycat Dolls and X Factor flop Steve
Brookstein also had the dubious honour.
The awards celebrate the worst musical achievements of the year. Former Steps
star Lisa Scott-Lee was a triple winner after her ill-fated attempt to relaunch
her singing career. She picked up worst British female solo artist, worst
British single for Electric and worst pop act.
Westlife also had a trio of gongs - they were named worst international group
and worst international album, and were given a special award for outstandingly
bad contribution to music. The annual awards, now in their fourth year, are
organised by digital broadcaster Music Choice. They are named after supermodel
Naomi Campbell's short-lived musical career.
source - google news
posted - 14th Feb
Westlife are the fab fore
WESTLIFE have signed a massive deal to become the faces of Adidas golf gear.
It’s great for KIAN EGAN, NICKY BYRNE, MARK FEEHILY and SHANE FILAN – who will
get loads of free clobber and a pile of cash. But come on lads, you are up for
Best Pop at the Brits. Pop is supposed to be aimed at young people. You won’t
win many fans in typical golf outfits – brought to you here by my computer
wizards.
source - Sun Newspaper
posted - 13th Feb
Louis faces down a little West strife.
MUTINY on the Bounty and Westlife may seem curious bedfellows in the same
setence, but the maritime uprising portrayed on celluloid by both Charles Lawton
and Marlon Brando has, I learn, just been replicated between Westlife band
members and their Svengali-like manager Louis Walsh.
The impresario with the Midas touch has, I discover, incurred the wrath of
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's son-in-law, Nicky Byrne, and fellow 'Lifer Mark
Feehily. They are furious at what they perceive as Walsh's failure to actively
promote the group since he took on the management of X Factor winner Shayne
Ward, who won the ITV talent show in December. The final straw came at last
weekend's Childline charity event at Dublin's Point, where both Westlife and
former Manchester shop assistant Ward were on the same bill. While 21-year-old
hearthrob Ward had the capacity audience pleading for more, Westlife earned just
lukewarm applause.
Says my impeccably placed source: 'Nicky and Mark kept their anger and
frustration to themselves until a meeting with Louis early last week. It was
seen as the Westlife AGM, reviewing progress and record sales last year and
prospects for the next 12 months.' The affable Walsh expected an easy ride.
'He thought he might even get the band's congratulations for keeping them on top
in 2005,' says my man. 'Instead, he faced a mutiny.' Nicky, who was supported by
Mark, laid into Walsh, and even threatened to quit the group, leaving Louis
shaken. But he recovered quickly, says my man. 'He reassured the boys in the
band that he was not giving up on them and would assiduously promote them. He
told them that, in a very fickle industry, they had at least two more years at
the top. 'It seemed to placate them.'
source - Mirror
posted - 9th February
Westlife Win Meteor Award
Congratulations to Westlife, who were named Best Irish Pop Act at the 2006
Meteor Ireland Music Awards. The boys have scooped the prize for the sixth time
in a row!
source - www.westlife.com
posted - 9th February
Rocking all over the world and Cardiff
SOME of the biggest names in music will be performing gigs at Cardiff Castle
this summer.Westlife, Simply Red and Status Quo will be among those staging
shows
as part of the Summer Nights Open Air Concert Series at Coopers Field in
Cardiff. The series will be launched on June 30 when Mick Hucknall and his band
take to the stage. Rockers Status Quo will be at the venue on July 8. The '70s
group recently appeared in a Coronation Street storyline.And band member Rick
Parfitt has now been given the all-clear following a recent throat cancer scare.
posted - 9th February
A Kerry -on for lucky Louis
LOUIS Walsh got to grips with Kerry Katona at The Meteor Ireland Music Awards in
Dublin. More than a few jigs were danced as artists including Gwen Stefani,
Kanye West and the Kaiser Chiefs took the honours. U2 won awards for Best Irish
Band, Best Irish Album and Best Live Performance, while The Pogues got a
lifetime achievement award, and Westlife took Best Irish Pop Act for the sixth
year running.
But not everyone was in good spirits by the time it came to the after-party.
While Louis and Kerry messed around and Shane MacGowan tried a toothless grin,
Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins got huffy with the paparazzi. Whatever happened
to his mantra of I Believe In A Thing Called Love?
source - Daily Record
posted - 9th February
Westlife: We may duet with Jackson
Irish boy band Westlife said there was a strong chance they would be recording a
duet with controversial pop star Michael Jackson. After picking up the the Best
Irish Pop Act for the sixth year in a row at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards in
Dublin's Point Theatre, Shane Filan said the notion of a duet with Jackson had
come from their manager Louis Walsh.
"The idea to do a single with Michael Jackson came from Louis Walsh who met up
with an agent about three months ago in Germany," he said, adding it was a 50/50
chance whether it would go ahead. It would be this cool thing to do, we are all
big fans of Michael Jackson."
Filan said the song would be a ballad rather than an up-tempo song. He said
there was also a possibility they would be performing a duet with Lionel Richie
and they were also discussing doing a song with Julio Iglesias for his up-coming
album.
"If we get one we would be very happy because they are all big names," he said.
Nicky Byrne said last year had been a defining year for the band after Brian
McFadden had left them to go solo. But he said they went on to have their
biggest album in about four years.
"2005 became this phenomenal year for us," Byrne said. If we get the songs
right, we can go on for as long as we want to."
source - Dotmusic
posted - 4th Feb
Childline Mania Hits Dublin...
Each year the annual Childline concert held in The Point gets bigger and better
- we are starting to get the feeling that the acts involved enjoy it more and
party harder than the fans who attend it...You have to take your hats off to the
organisers of Childline who have the monumental task of putting on a huge
concert with tons of new and old pop acts each year - the words 'herding' and
'cats' come to mind! We reckon the Pop Stars which roll into Dublin for the gig
really look forward to the occasion as they never fail to let their hair down
and party their boots off...
This year saw Louis Walsh blood his new act from X Factor, Shayne Ward, in front
of thousands of screaming fans - it looked like the whole night took its toll on
the young hunk as we spotted him catching 40-winks after the afterparty, while
waiting for Louis in the back of their car.And speaking of the afterparty, which
went down in Lillies Bordello of course - this is one of the REAL reasons the
celebs look forward to Childline each year! Our photographers could hardly keep
up as stars poured into Lillies' VIP doors for the traditional knees-up - as
usual Dublin lived up to its party-capital reputation and a great night was had
by all...
We especially thought former X Factor and Happy Mondays singer Rowetta Satchell
enjoyed herself - at one stage we saw her snogging a busker who was playing
outside Lillies Bordello. Michelle Heaton was another star who seemed to be
having the time of her life - after the party ended her fellow Liberty X'er
Kevin Simms had to carry her on his back down Grafton Street! And there was a
lot of celebs carting around each other in the early hours - the lads from Son
of Dork piggy-backed their way out of the back door of Lillies Bordello to the
delight of a few fans waiting outside...The only person it seemed who was aware
of the waiting cameras was Mark Feehily's boyfriend Kevin McDaid who had a wall
of security line up as he left and jumped into a waiting car... Come on Mark &
Kevin, smile for the cameras!
Irish boyband ZOO turned up for the afterparty in a stretch Hummer supplied by
the notorious Gerry Hutch (aka The Monk) and looked as if they were already in
the party spirit after all the free champagne on-tap in the back of the
car...We're sure there are a hundred more stories emanating from Childline 2006
but for the moment we are going to get some well-deserved rest and look
forward to next year's gig. .
source -Showbizireland
posted - 4th Feb
Attention Westlife Fans In Italy!
Westlife and Top of The Pops UK are going to the Winter Olympics! A spectacular
concert with some of the biggest names in music is going to take place on
Monday 6th February and Tuesday 7th February in Sauze D'oulx in front of
2000 fans! If you want to be there and see Westlife perform on 7th February, or
for further information, click on www.totp.it and fill in the details and
your ticket will arrive on e-mail!
source - www.westlife.com
posted - 2nd Feb
Westlife unveil huge summer shows
Westlife have lined up a series of dates as part the Summer
Nights events, Sound Generator can report. The Irish group will follow James
Blunt by announcing a series of huge outdoor concerts scheduled for July across
the UK. Starting June 30th in Oxfordshire, the tour includes shows at Harewood
House in Yorkshire, in Kent, Bath and Northamptonshire.
Dates are:
June 2006
30 - Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
July 2006
1 - Harewood House, Yorkshire
8 - Leeds Castle, Kent
9 - Chatsworth House, Derbyshire
14 - Cardiff Castle
16 - The Recreation Ground, Bath
21 - Edinburgh Castle
22 - Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire
23 - Althorpe House, Northamptonshire
Tickets are on sale on Friday, February 3.
source - sound generator
posted - 2nd feb
New TV Dates
Westlife will be performing their new single Amazing on several different TV
shows over the next few weeks, including GMTV, CD:UK and Davina McCall's new
chat show. Head over to Dates for the full rundown of their live performances,
as well as recording dates for anyone who wants to see them in the studio
source - www.westlife.com
posted - 2nd feb
Amazing's Exclusive New B-Sides
Westlife's new single Amazing will be available on two CD formats, each with a
brand new track. CD1 will include the song Still Here, while CD2 will have Miss
You When
I'm Dreaming, as well as an exclusive Westlife chat!You can buy your copies in
the shops when the single is released on 20th February, or have them sent
directly to your door by pre-ordering
source - www.westlife.com
posted - 2nd feb
Mark's wedding wish
Kiki King, Eva Simpson & Caroline Hedley ELTON John led the way with his
"marriage" to David Furnish but it won't be so easy for Mark Feehily to
follow suit. The Westlife star, 25, may be loved up with Kevin McDaid from boy
band V but civil partnership services are still banned in the Republic of
Ireland and Mark is keen to see a change in the law.
"They should be legalised in Ireland," he told us at the band's Childline gig in
Dublin on Sunday. "I'd definitely take advantage of the new law when I feel
ready."
Meanwhile, the Westlife boys admit they're huge Take That fans. "We'll catch
them on their comeback tour - it'll be interesting to see them dance," said
Shane. "We can't wait." Nor can we!
source - mirror newspaper
posted - 2nd feb
Let Irish Gays marry, says Mark
Westlife singer, Mark Feehily spoke out in favour of gay marriage at the
Childline gig in Dublin yesterday. Speaking to journalists after the show, he
said Irish gay men and lesbians should have the same rights as those in the UK.
Dismissing rumours that he and his partner, Kevin McDaid would be tying the knot
in the UK, Feehily added, "I absolutely think gay marriage should be legal in
Ireland." The singer doesn't rule out matrimony in the future, he said, "but for
now, though, I can't see it happening. It's not something I would even think
about."
Feehily came out last year, having lived in the closet since Westlife became
famous in 1998. At the time he said,"I am gay and I'm very proud of who I am.
I'm not asking to be a role model to anyone else."
source - GCN, Ireland
posted - 1st Feb