★★★★☆
WITH 22 dancers, 18 circus performers, one mechanical elephant and more pyrotechnics than New Year’s Eve, Take That’s reimagined Circus Live tour is hands down the best live concert I’ve ever seen.
And as I joined , and backstage at their two back-to-back shows at Southampton’s St Mary’s stadium, the trio are on top of the world.
Take That’s reimagined Circus Live tour is hands down the best live concert I’ve ever seen Credit: Getty
Howard Donald and Gary Barlow on stage during the The Circus Live Credit: Getty
“It feels the same but everything has had a glow-up,” Mark tells me with a grin.
Howard adds: “Don’t get us wrong, we’re super-excited and we’re looking forward to it but we are all exhausted.
“For the past six weeks we’ve been doing rehearsals, then a week of dress rehearsals — sometimes we’ve been running it twice a day.
“But we’re selling out stadiums and that feels incredible for us.”
continues: “It’ll be mega. There are nerves but this time it’s for different reasons than normal. On that stage there are so many shows going on. There’s the band and the cast and the acrobats and the crew.
“As long as everyone’s show is going great we’re going to be alright.”
The boys were more than just alright, with the Circus spectacular driving 32,000 fans wild with their high-octane stunts and routines as played hit after hit from their three-decade back catalogue.
They kicked off with Greatest Day followed by Hello, Could It Be Magic, Pray, A Million Love Songs and Back For Good, which sees the trio performing with water features like the Fountains of Bellagio in .
Acrobats and feather-adorned showgirls perform non-stop throughout the spectacular set, as ticker-tape explodes into the air.
The Sun’s Ellie Henman, ringside with the band Credit: supplied
As production values go, Take That have pulled out all the stops and broken the bank — with the giant hot air balloon that sits above the B-stage costing them £14,000 in helium every night alone.
But the results are phenomenal and worth every single penny, with Mark’s barnstorming performance of Shine punctuated by a huge fireworks display,
The setlist has barely changed from the show’s original 2009 run, with Mark’s Babe replacing Wooden Boat as the show changes pace to showcase ballads, including Love Ain’t Here Anymore.
And fans with tickets to their stadium concerts this summer should listen out for a very special new track.
Their next stop is Coventry, where they will perform three back-to-back shows from Thursday.
The band performed latest single You’re A Superstar here but Mark let slip there is a big surprise to come.
“We’ve got another new song, it’s called Sweet July,” he says with a mischievous smile.
“That’s the new, new one. You can have that exclusively.”
The nostalgia hits its peak as the three switch up the pace again — with fans screaming their heads off as Gary, Howard and Mark gyrate their hips during Do What You Want.
Then the stadium turns black and a giant monster appears atop the main stage and says: “There is another side to the circus. A dark side where man becomes beast.”
Dressed like sexy matadors, Gary, Howard and Mark appear again while columns of fire shoot up in the now-dark stadium — and a woman spins mid-air, attached to a rope by her hair.
As they return for a storming encore of Hold Up A Light and Rule The World, fireworks again light the sky as the trio say goodbye.
Visibly emotional, Gary tells the stadium: “Thank you . . . we will hold this in our hearts forever.”
Reigns’ chain reaction
Rising pop star Reigns says a toilet is the inspiration behind her next music video Credit: Supplied
Reigns, who has become known for her powerhouse vocals, will kick off a UK tour with Rebecca Ferguson Credit: Supplied
SOME people come up with their best ideas on the loo, and rising pop star Reigns says a toilet is the inspiration behind her next music video.
The singer-songwriter, who has become known for her powerhouse vocals, will kick off a UK tour with tomorrow and, once it ends, she’ll be filming her vid.
Reigns explained: “We had been to a really cool bar in Soho, and the toilet was pretty much just one big disco ball. So we took a couple of videos in there and had a laugh, and it got a bit of inspiration going.
“We just thought, ‘You know, what better way to bring the energy than some drag queens?’ ”
But while the visuals sound wild, it’s her fanbase – dubbed The Rebels – who are proving just how fast her career is exploding.
More than a dozen have tattooed her name on their bodies, while one has got her face tattooed on their leg.
On her plans for the future, Reigns added: “To be honest, I just hope that my path is as organic as it has been, and the album comes out and it reaches more people than it connects to.”
was back on stage at the weekend for the first time since he was stopped from singing in the UK and banned from the country.
The rapper, who has been slammed for a string of antisemitic remarks and gestures, played a set to 118,000 fans in Istanbul ahead of a handful of other summer shows.
Hoopla has Lil bit of everything
Lily Allen performs at the Mighty Hoopla in Brockwell Park, London Credit: Luke Dyson
Lily was joined by Jade Thirlwall for the first performance of their collaboration Beg For Me to close the first day of Mighty Hoopla Credit: Corinne Cumming
She headlined the South London pop festival in this skin-tight cream outfit on Saturday, before Little Mix’s Jade strolled out to surprise the crowd Credit: Corinne Cumming
Delta Goodrem took to the stage in a dazzling silver dress fresh from her fourth place finish at Eurovision, Credit: Luke Dyson
Nicole and Natalie Appleton at Mighty Hoopla Credit: Corinne Cumming
Denise Welch made an unannounced appearance to belt out It’s Raining Men while flanked by several scantily clad dancers Credit: Corinne Cumming
was joined by for the first performance of their collaboration Beg For Me to close the first day of .
She headlined the South London pop festival in this skin-tight cream outfit on Saturday, before Little Mix’s Jade strolled out to surprise the crowd.
That wasn’t the only surprise in store for punters, as made an unannounced appearance to belt out It’s Raining Men while flanked by several scantily clad dancers.
And fresh from her fourth place finish at Eurovision, took to the stage in a dazzling silver dress.
Yesterday saw Jane McDonald draw one of the biggest crowds of the weekend in the festival’s Gay Icon slot.
More than 20,000 people watched the cruise ship crooner perform – and she certainly lived up to the hype, with a ten-piece band, rainbow dye in her hair and covers of Raye’s Where Is My Husband! and Bruno Mars and Rose’s Apt.
Meanwhile, Liberty X, who now perform as a trio, hinted that the full line-up could reunite for their 25th anniversary later this year, after Tony Lundon and Kevin Simm previously left the band.
Kelli Young, who sang on stage with Michelle Heaton and Jessica Taylor, told the crowd: “We’ve been talking to the boys a lot this year for our 25th anniversary. Who’d like to see the boys back in the group?”
Judging by the reaction, the demand is definitely there.
SIR PAUL: I’D MACCA DIFFERENCE
Macca reckons he could sort Britain out – and, frankly, plenty would vote for him Credit: Getty
reckons he could sort Britain out – and, frankly, plenty would vote for him.
During a TikTok Live chat, legend criticised the Government and revealed how he would run the country.
He said: “I’d like to try to get things running efficiently for a change. I’d get a bunch of people to work it all out and make people have happier lives and have all these systems like roads and potholes and taxes so that people could just feel a little bit better
“You earn some money and you keep more of it. I get taxed at a very high rate and I don’t mind. I figure I’m giving back – that’s not so bad – but people who don’t have that much money get ripped off.”
With his decades of experience keeping people happy, Paul gets my vote.
has given up booze and drugs before gigs, admitting he used to get sloshed before his shows.
He said: “I don’t go on stage high or anything like that.
“There was a time when I used to go on stage a little high, or I would drink a massive glass of a screwdriver halfway through.
“Nowadays, I go on completely straight . . . because the music itself is a high.”
GRANDE SLAM FOR ARIANA?
Ariana Grande is fighting to knock Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s Rein Me In off the No1 spot – and is currently leading the race Credit: Getty
is fighting to knock and Olivia Dean’s Rein Me In off the No1 spot – and is currently leading the race.
She released new single, Hate That I Made You Love Me, on Friday and early figures from Official Charts show it is in pole position, ahead of Sam and Olivia’s tune, which has now spent 13 weeks at No1.
If Ariana can clinch it, she will equal the same number of chart-topping singles as , and Justin Bieber.
Zara Larsson’s Midnight Sun is on track to secure a new peak of No6.
Meanwhile, after going viral on TikTok, Milky’s upbeat tune Just The Way You Are is on course to re-enter the Top Ten at No10 for the first time since 2002.
Causing pandemonium
Charli XCX announced a surprise in-person Q&A and afterparty on Saturday Credit: Splash
Fans flocked to Exmouth Market in central London to try to get in Credit: Splash
WHILE her pal Lily Allen was headlining Mighty Hoopla, was throwing a rival party – and causing pandemonium doing so.
The singer, who released her singles Rock Music and SS26 last month, announced a surprise in-person Q&A and afterparty on Saturday, prompting fans to flock to Exmouth Market in central London to try to get in.
The whole street was almost shut down as she marched to her bash at Coin Laundry in a leather miniskirt – being mobbed by fans in the process.
Bizarre’s Howell was lucky enough to get into the party, where Charli and her husband George Daniel DJ’d for an hour, playing deep cuts from her back catalogue and also a handful of new tracks.
And it sounds as though they will get people talking, with one lyric being: “Maybe I f***ed your dad.”
At one point, Charli purposely tried to embarrass George, who is The 1975’s drummer, by playing their 2013 single Chocolate, prompting him to hide under the table.
Then the crowd got so rowdy that the table she was DJing from almost toppled over.
There was so much excitement that hundreds of people lined the streets outside just to watch the party through the windows.
Not many stars can command that sort of attention these days, so Charli must be doing something right.
THE WEEK IN BIZNESS
TODAY: A new bunch of tanned, toned – and probably toxic – wannabes strut into the Love Island villa as the 13th series of the ITV2 dating show kicks off at 9pm.
WEDNESDAY: Jennifer Lopez will be at the BFI on London’s Southbank for the UK premiere of her new Netflix rom-com Office Romance, ahead of it hitting the streamer on Friday.
FRIDAY: Boyzone return to the stage for the first time in seven years for a show at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium supported by S Club.
That’s followed by another a day later with B*Witched.
SATURDAY: Capital’s Summertime Ball takes over London’s Wembley Stadium with performances from Raye, Calvin Harris, Lola Young, Robyn, Take That and many more.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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