http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/whats-o....3750723 Take That . . and Go
TAKE THAT are heading to Sunderland next weekend to play two of the North East’s biggest ever concerts. Supporting them is little-known singer Gary Go who was handpicked by the band. LIZ LAMB chats to him and previews the gigs.
THEY are one of the biggest boybands in history and, three years after they re-formed, they are still at the top of their game.
Over 100,000 fans will see Take That perform the opening nights of their Circus Live tour at the Stadium of Light which includes support from girl band The Saturdays and Brit award-winning singer James Morrison.
The stadium is the only North venue to host the band on their record-selling 14-date UK tour, which has broken all British box office records.
The band said: “We are all really looking forward to getting back on the road again.
“We can think of no better way to thank everyone for their support and loyalty over the past three years.
“This will be the biggest tour we’ve ever done.”
Also, supporting the band is little-known singer songwriter Gary Go, who was handpicked for the tour by the boys themselves and has bagged the performer the most enviable support slot a new artist or band could ever dream of.
The band have been big fans of Gary Go since the middle of last year and the choice to bring him with them in June was a very personal one.
They said: “Gary Go is a rare and talented artist with an amazing voice and inspirational songs. We all just love his passion and enthusiasm.”
Mark Owen added: “I’m absolutely made up that Gary Go is touring with us and delighted to hear that things seem to be going so well for him.
“Go Gary, Gary Go he really is quite wonderful”.
The tour will see Gary play live in front of over a million people in the space of a month, at venues like Wembley Stadium and Cardiff Millennium Stadium.
Gary says: “I am very excited. It’s great to be asked and I am sure the Take That show is going to be amazing.
“I am more excited about seeing their show than I am about performing, I think.
“I got the chance to get to know the guys over the last few months. Someone sent them some of my music and they turned up at gigs and they got really into it.
“They asked me to go on the road with them. I’d love to be as big as them.”
A self-taught musician who grew up within earshot of the Eighties gigs at Wembley Stadium, Gary wrote his first song – Stomach Ground, about a village of people living on someone’s belly – aged eight, left school at 17 and got a lowest rung job at a record label and recording studio making tea and setting up microphones.
The next few years were spent working at various studios, setting up his own bedroom-run label, The Canvas Room, produced some songs, released 500 copies of the “So-So” EP and started playing shows around London.
Gary Go released his self-titled, self-produced debut album “Gary Go” last month along with new single Open Arms.
He says: “The album has been a real labour of love for the past year. I am a singer songwriter and get a lot of inspiration from my personal life. My work is about life changes, growing up, self-belief and reflection.”
Gary is now gearing up for the opening night of the tour at the Stadium of Light.
He says: “I’ve not played in the North East before, so I’m really looking forward to it.”