Take That, Arena Birmingham - review with pictures
Take That are back in town once again.
The group may have had a change in line-up, or two, over the years - but the remaining trio of Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald returned to the Birmingham stage with a bang to celebrate 30 years in the pop industry - yes, you read right, 30 years since they first graced the charts with Do What U Like.
They packed out the entire Arena Birmingham on Tuesday night for their Greatest Hits arena tour - one of seven dates at the venue.
The show was visually stunning from start to finish - a large screen, part globe, part disco ball was just the centre piece of the show which also included fireworks, flames, confetti, travelators, trampolines and even three Harley Davidson’s.
Deafening cheers and screams echoed through the arena as the revolving centre piece revealed the three lads ready to belt out one of their later hits Greatest Day, closely followed by It Only Takes A Minute, Could It Be Magic and These Days in a fast-paced show opener.
One of the biggest cheers of the night came when the big screen revealed newly filmed footage of past member Robbie Williams belting out their number one hit Everything Changes.
It wasn’t the last time the band used video footage either, black and white videos of another past member Jason Orange also featured which prompted some large cheers from the audience, as well as footage of the Bee Gees as the band sang an acoustic version of How Deep Is Your Love.
“Let’s go back to the 90s” yelled Gary Barlow, as the band launched into A Million Love Songs and Back For Good.
Hit after hit follows and the band move down to a smaller stage towards the back of the arena to get closer to their fans. After returning to the main stage, the band launch into two comeback hits Patience and The Flood, before Mark Owen takes centre stage in Shine with dancers dressed up as luminous peacocks.
A gospel-led Never Forget delights the fans - but the best is yet to come, as 60’s singer Lulu joins them on stage to belt out their hit Relight My Fire, way back from 1993.
Take That draw their two-hour jam-packed set to a close with Rule The World, thanking their fans for their support from day one.
After three decades, Take That still have the magic.
They were supported by Rick Astley, who warmed the crowd up with his hit Never Gonna Give You Up.
Tuesday’s performance coincided with the launch of Arena Birmingham’s new premium hospitality lounge, Premier Lounge. The new lounge has panoramic views across the arena, its own bar, balcony seating and at-seat ordering from an informal menu designed by award-winning chefs.
A membership for Premier Lounge purchases access to one seat for 20 performances, so guests can enjoy live events in style. For more information, visit www.arenabham.co.uk/premier.
Take That will perform at the Arena Birmingham tonight(16), Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
