Post by shayne on Apr 1, 2008 13:58:42 GMT 8
Life in a boyband isn't easy, but it's fun, Westlife say
4:00PM Monday March 31, 2008
By Belinda McCammon
It's not easy being in a boyband, especially, it seems, when that band is Westlife.
Despite having 14 UK No 1 singles and more than 36 million records sold, finding someone who admits to being a Westlife fan can be tougher than catching Osama bin Laden.
But someone must be going to those shows and someone must be buying those records.
Look at the person next to you - despite their howls of derision or protests, it's probably them.
In 2006, The Rose became Westlife's 14th UK No 1 single, giving them the third-most in history (with Cliff Richard), behind only Elvis Presley, 21, and The Beatles, 17.
Westlife are rich, successful and have secured their musical legacy.
As you can imagine then, Westlife aren't too phased by what the critics might say; they're doing alright thank you very much.
In May, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan will perform for the first time in New Zealand.
After 10 years the members still enjoy performing, Egan says from England.
"We love it and it's a passion of ours.
"That's the real reason behind why we do it.
"Every time we make an album we try make the best album we can make."
For all their success, Westlife have yet to crack the American market, a fate similar to many successful British acts, but Egan remains philosophical about it.
"We've never had a proper shot at America and I think that's mainly because of how the American market is and the band we are."
There was a bump in the road also when member Bryan McFadden left the group for a solo career in 2004, several weeks before a European tour.
Despite speculation the band would call it quits, and probably a bit of wishful thinking by the critics, Westlife continued on.
It is the only time when the band thought it was the end, Egan says.
"When Bryan left the band it was obviously something we didn't want to happen and we were very upset about it.
"But once we got over that, we felt if we can get over that we can get through anything."
Egan, Feehily and Filan grew up together on the West Coast of Ireland and while they were intent on a musical career they never thought they would achieve this level of success.
"Being a boyband isn't the easiest thing in the world to be, especially the way the music industry is these days.
"We never really expected it but the fact of the matter is, it happened and we're very grateful for that."
It may not have been expected but it was planned, when they were signed in July 1998 by American producer Simon Cowell and managed by Louis Walsh.
Egan says Cowell, of American Idol fame, is one of the cleverest people he has ever met.
"He's not nasty at all, he's a gentleman.
"He's just honest."
Westlife started with Egan, Feehily, and Filan and eventually recruited Byrne and McFadden.
The group finally settled on the name Westlife and their first big break came in 1998 when they opened for Boyzone in Dublin.
Cowell, Egan says knows how to pick a song for the type of people Westlife sell records to.
"We probably have too much of a say in the sense that we're all trying to look for that one that is a wee bit cooler and a wee bit R&B or whatever it may be.
"He goes 'no, no, lets not forget what Westlife are. Westlife sing great power ballads that everybody can relate to' and he's right.
"Most of the songs on the albums we'll pick ourselves and then he'll say yes or no and he'll bring in a few other ideas.
"It's very much a group effort when we're making albums."
At the end of this tour the members are looking forward to taking a year off but there are no plans to retire.
"For what we are I don't think there is a shelf life.
"When we first started off it was the kids dragging the mothers along.
"I think what happened over the years was the mother became the bigger fan than the kid."
Egan says as long as Westlife continues to give the audience great songs and keeps standards up "they're going to keep coming back".
"There's nothing else out there doing what we do.
"There's not even a solo artist doing what we go -- which is just great pop songs which the everyday person can listen to on the radio."
Egan says the band don't care what the critics say or what they call their music.
"We're a pop band.
"You can put whatever tag on that you want.
"It doesn't really bother us whether you call us a boy band, girl band, a man band.
"The people who tag us are generally the people who aren't really into us for our music, they're just into us to have a pop and slag us off.
"We're not bothered by what we're known as, just as long as our fans are enjoying what we do."
The band knows what they are, he says.
"We are four guys standing on a stage, singing songs which we haven't written ourselves, which someone else has written."
Egan is also determined to stay grounded despite the success.
"I'm a man in a band. I'm not successful and famous on my own as an individual.
"When I'm in that band and when I'm on that stage I accept that and I go 'wow this is amazing'.
"When I step off the stage I'm no different from anyway else."
Fame brings a lot of power and Egan says he is not someone who likes to use that power.
"I'm a human being at the end of the day and just because I do what I do doesn't make me any better.
"It doesn't make me any worse either, so I just try to live a normal life."
New Zealand fans can expect an up-tempo show, more than people would imagine from Westlife, he says.
"It's a pop show, it's not just four guys standing on a stage singing a load of ballads."
Westlife perform four shows in NZ in May:
Christchurch - Westpac Arena, May 7
Wellington - TSB Arena, May 9
Auckland - Vector Arena, May 10
New Plymouth - TSB Stadium, May 13
- NZPA
4:00PM Monday March 31, 2008
By Belinda McCammon
It's not easy being in a boyband, especially, it seems, when that band is Westlife.
Despite having 14 UK No 1 singles and more than 36 million records sold, finding someone who admits to being a Westlife fan can be tougher than catching Osama bin Laden.
But someone must be going to those shows and someone must be buying those records.
Look at the person next to you - despite their howls of derision or protests, it's probably them.
In 2006, The Rose became Westlife's 14th UK No 1 single, giving them the third-most in history (with Cliff Richard), behind only Elvis Presley, 21, and The Beatles, 17.
Westlife are rich, successful and have secured their musical legacy.
As you can imagine then, Westlife aren't too phased by what the critics might say; they're doing alright thank you very much.
In May, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan will perform for the first time in New Zealand.
After 10 years the members still enjoy performing, Egan says from England.
"We love it and it's a passion of ours.
"That's the real reason behind why we do it.
"Every time we make an album we try make the best album we can make."
For all their success, Westlife have yet to crack the American market, a fate similar to many successful British acts, but Egan remains philosophical about it.
"We've never had a proper shot at America and I think that's mainly because of how the American market is and the band we are."
There was a bump in the road also when member Bryan McFadden left the group for a solo career in 2004, several weeks before a European tour.
Despite speculation the band would call it quits, and probably a bit of wishful thinking by the critics, Westlife continued on.
It is the only time when the band thought it was the end, Egan says.
"When Bryan left the band it was obviously something we didn't want to happen and we were very upset about it.
"But once we got over that, we felt if we can get over that we can get through anything."
Egan, Feehily and Filan grew up together on the West Coast of Ireland and while they were intent on a musical career they never thought they would achieve this level of success.
"Being a boyband isn't the easiest thing in the world to be, especially the way the music industry is these days.
"We never really expected it but the fact of the matter is, it happened and we're very grateful for that."
It may not have been expected but it was planned, when they were signed in July 1998 by American producer Simon Cowell and managed by Louis Walsh.
Egan says Cowell, of American Idol fame, is one of the cleverest people he has ever met.
"He's not nasty at all, he's a gentleman.
"He's just honest."
Westlife started with Egan, Feehily, and Filan and eventually recruited Byrne and McFadden.
The group finally settled on the name Westlife and their first big break came in 1998 when they opened for Boyzone in Dublin.
Cowell, Egan says knows how to pick a song for the type of people Westlife sell records to.
"We probably have too much of a say in the sense that we're all trying to look for that one that is a wee bit cooler and a wee bit R&B or whatever it may be.
"He goes 'no, no, lets not forget what Westlife are. Westlife sing great power ballads that everybody can relate to' and he's right.
"Most of the songs on the albums we'll pick ourselves and then he'll say yes or no and he'll bring in a few other ideas.
"It's very much a group effort when we're making albums."
At the end of this tour the members are looking forward to taking a year off but there are no plans to retire.
"For what we are I don't think there is a shelf life.
"When we first started off it was the kids dragging the mothers along.
"I think what happened over the years was the mother became the bigger fan than the kid."
Egan says as long as Westlife continues to give the audience great songs and keeps standards up "they're going to keep coming back".
"There's nothing else out there doing what we do.
"There's not even a solo artist doing what we go -- which is just great pop songs which the everyday person can listen to on the radio."
Egan says the band don't care what the critics say or what they call their music.
"We're a pop band.
"You can put whatever tag on that you want.
"It doesn't really bother us whether you call us a boy band, girl band, a man band.
"The people who tag us are generally the people who aren't really into us for our music, they're just into us to have a pop and slag us off.
"We're not bothered by what we're known as, just as long as our fans are enjoying what we do."
The band knows what they are, he says.
"We are four guys standing on a stage, singing songs which we haven't written ourselves, which someone else has written."
Egan is also determined to stay grounded despite the success.
"I'm a man in a band. I'm not successful and famous on my own as an individual.
"When I'm in that band and when I'm on that stage I accept that and I go 'wow this is amazing'.
"When I step off the stage I'm no different from anyway else."
Fame brings a lot of power and Egan says he is not someone who likes to use that power.
"I'm a human being at the end of the day and just because I do what I do doesn't make me any better.
"It doesn't make me any worse either, so I just try to live a normal life."
New Zealand fans can expect an up-tempo show, more than people would imagine from Westlife, he says.
"It's a pop show, it's not just four guys standing on a stage singing a load of ballads."
Westlife perform four shows in NZ in May:
Christchurch - Westpac Arena, May 7
Wellington - TSB Arena, May 9
Auckland - Vector Arena, May 10
New Plymouth - TSB Stadium, May 13
- NZPA
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