Westlife
LG Arena, Birmingham
Concert review by Helen Cartwright

Fans went wild for Westlife as the Irish popstars made a triumphant return in front of a devoted crowd.

Their followers may be a little older these days but they have lost none of their passion and turned up decked out with banners, decorated T-shirts, Irish flags, glow sticks and even the odd tiara and cowboy hat.

Both young and old arrived at Birmingham’s LG Arena last night to dance the night away for the show stopping spectacular.

The band had promised they would be performing some of their songs from when they were young whippersnappers first starting out and their set list certainly did not disappoint their faithful crowd.

It is an impressive set of statistics – 12 years, 11 albums and 44 million sales. But Westlife are showing no signs of flagging.

From the moment the band were lowered onto the stage in chairs suspended from the roof of the LG Arena for the opening number No One’s Gonna Sleep Tonight it was clear the band have lost none of their passion to perform over the years.

With 14 number ones under their belt it is fair to say the Irish quartet had a decent back catalogue to pick from but this wasn’t a show that went through the motions.

The stools they were so partial to sitting down on in their early years have given way to bright lights and a crazy stage featuring giant inflatable apples.

No money was spared when it came to the set, which boasted flames, ticker tape and even a moving bench which lifted the band over the middle of the audience.

Westlife pulled out some of their biggest hits including Uptown Girl and of course Flying Without Wings. The likes of JLS can only hope to be filling out stadiums like the LG Arena 10 years into their career.

They also performed their first single Not A Love Song, their upcoming tune Starlight and an impressive acoustic version of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep.

Tesco worker Jodie Berrow, aged 22, from Davis Avenue, in Tipton said the show was one of the best she has seen and added: “I love everything about them, they are really good – brilliant entertainers.”

She went along with aunt Samantha Berrow 39, from Hales Road in Wednesbury, her 15-year-old daughter Steph Berrow and friend Louise Mitchell, also 15.

Samantha said Flying Without Wings and What Makes A Man were her favourite songs and added: “I have been a fan for a long time – they have got the whole package.”

The show was somewhat of a family affair with the mother, sister and wife of Shane singing along in the audience while the wife of Kian Egan, former Hollyoaks star Jodi Albert, was part of support act Wonderland, a girl band managed by Kian and The X Factor judge Louis Walsh.