REVIEW: Take That, First Direct Arena, Leeds Friday, April 19, 2024
Leeds First Direct Arena hosted the Take That This Life tour on Friday night, the decade old venue having prepared all week for a record sold-out four-night residency.
The band and crew of around 150 descended on the arena earlier this week to build and create a quite remarkable physical set.
The crowd gathered early for opening act Olly Murs who celebrated becoming a new dad earlier in the week. Following Murs and a short interval, darkness descended on the arena as the three recognisable silhouettes of Take That emerged from behind a giant TV screen against the backdrop of a billowing confetti storm which covered the crowd.
United by their history and the years, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen stood side by side to sing the opening Keep Your Head Up. From the outset, the show’s spectacular visual aesthetics combined with song, comedy, theatre and storytelling to create a cabaret showtime feel. Barlow enthused about their shows over the two previous nights in Leeds and was bemused that it had taken 34 years to make their debut in this iconic city.
The sell-out crowd comprised of old and young, teens singing every word whilst the more mature in the audience celebrated and reflected on what for some has been the soundtrack of their lives. The evening was split into four distinct acts as Take That took their devoted fans through a hits-littered back catalogue and journey of their careers both as a band and as individuals.
The show was fun, vibrant and bursting with colour as moving stairs, waterfalls, streamers and pyrotechnics provided an impressive spectacle throughout. Barlow remains the standout songwriter of the group, taking to the piano and reminding the audience of his talent with the wonderful 90’s hit A Million Love Songs followed shortly by the trio’s performance of Pray.
Each of the band sang a song from their period following their 1996 split, Forever Love by Barlow, Clementine by Owen and Speak Without Words by Donald. Patience, The Flood, The Champion and title track from latest album release This Life followed.
The penultimate act featured familiar favourites Greatest Day, These Days and Relight My Fire, the latter seeing flames coming from the stairs as the band’s choreographed moves stepped around these. The final set saw the band perform favourite Back for Good from behind an actual waterfall, before Never Forget and its accompanying confetti-storm was followed by the closing classic Rule The World. Tonight’s show was an absolute triumph, a quite remarkable setlist and spectacle from British pop royalty who delighted the crowd who walked out into the cool night air warmed by this performance and visual masterpiece.
Review and pictures: Gareth John
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