TAKE THAT // OVO HYDRO, GLASGOW
take that bring ‘this life tour’ to glasgow’s ovo hydro for three sold-out performances across the weekend
★★★★☆ (4/5)
TAKE THAT PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S OVO HYDRO
PHOTOCREDIT: CALUM BUCHAN
It must have felt very surreal when Daniel Rooney, amateur singer and guitarist, was spotted by Scottish presenter, Ross King, performing in the Radisson RED hotel bar close to the OVO Hydro literally after Olly Murs had to pull out as the support act to Take That. Daniel suddenly found himself filling in for 30 minutes before Take That came on. The audience cheered him on. It’s what dreams are made of.
Take That, known for their visually appealing concert productions through the use of spectacular staging and lighting, wowed the fans at the OVO Hydro, Glasgow, with the This Life Tour. Making their entrance from a gigantic retro TV box, accompanied by showering confetti, an explosion of smoke and the effects of a wind machine, the atmosphere was indeed electric as they launched straight into Keep Your Head Up and Windows, both songs taken from their ninth studio album entitled This Life.
This album upon release earned them the biggest first week sales for a British act in 2023 and has now led to an extensive tour of the UK, Ireland, Europe and Australia. It is their first tour in five years. The stage set is similar to a 1950s sitcom, highlighting the progression of their career through music from their early days as a band to forming a trio after the departure of Robbie Williams and Jason Orange. That sense of nostalgia was evoked as Gary Barlow got back to the piano for A Million Love Songs; his vocals still as every bit as strong. The nineties hits kept coming; Pray, Forever Love and I Found Heaven, the audience knowing all the words to Sure. Howard Donald took the lead vocals on Everything Changes, formerly sung by Robbie Williams. Mark Owen gave a rousing performance of Clementine from his debut solo album, Green Man, while Howard sang Speak Without Words, the unreleased single he had recorded after the split of Take That.
TAKE THAT PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S OVO HYDRO
PHOTOCREDIT: CALUM BUCHAN
The retro TV box on stage transformed into two sets of revolving stairs; a colourful extravaganza for dance moves by the boys with many bright costume changes, but symbolic too of their musical journey as they progressed onto Shine, Patience and The Flood, real crowd pleasers, while also highlighting tracks from their new album such as March Of The Hopeful, The Champion and This Life. As Take That performed Greatest Day, a walkway was connected over to B Stage in the middle of the arena; the perfect opportunity for those fans further back to get close to their idols. Relight My Fire got the audience participating, up on their feet; a crowd that wanted to join in, taking to heart Gary’s remark “The further north you go, the better the audiences.”
The boys have certainly not lost their shine, but are now attracting an audience of all ages; their loyal fans still turning out in their droves to see them. Newer hits such as One More Word are blended alongside the old such as Back For Good, Hold Up A Light and Never Forget. Their songs are simply timeless and on a fitting note, the concert ended with Rule The World, with the arena lit up with mobile phones. As Howard said “Every time we put our tickets on sale at arenas or stadiums, even after nearly 35 years, you guys are still here. We’re still living our dream” and indeed they are.
