“The band might be one of those things we can all do, and toy with, and come back to whenever we want. We want to keep things interesting. Too many bands go stale and people leave because of that. “I want to make sure this is an environment where people can come and go as they want. When anyone feels like they want to create something good, we can all get in a room and do it.”
Barlow goes on to joke that there is too much to fit in now that they’re back together, and admits: “The band is different with Robbie. We work in a different way. What we have now is too much talent in the room!”
It’s indicative of the compromises made by the band that the Villa Park setlist will include not only all the Take That fan favourites but also a showcase for Williams’ chart-topping solo material.
“Rob’s had to come in and do things he hasn’t done for 10 years or so, and be part of a group,” says Owen.
“It’s a whole new thing for him, but seeing how well he’s adjusted to it is great. There was a feeling like ‘What if he doesn’t want to put clown make-up on while he’s singing?’ or ‘How’s it going to work with all of us?’
“But he’s definitely part of the band in the truest sense. In fact, we have to hold him back now.
“He wants to put make-up on during every song!”
Further details of the show are being kept secret because Barlow wants the fans to be surprised on Friday night at the Stadium of Light.
It’s believed that the production will be on a smaller scale than the Circus tour, which recreated the big top experience with a huge cast of dancers, circus acts, gymnasts, performers, actors and extras.
“That’s just it,” says Owen. “How are we going to top the last one?
“That was the first question we had to ask when planning the Progress tour.
“The first and most important thing we did was to get the songs sorted and build the show around that. When you look at the songs we’re going to play, even if we go up there and do nothing but stand and sing, there are some great songs.
“We have a lot of confidence in the setlist we’ve built over 20 years.
“But us being us, we can’t just go up and do that. We have to think ‘We could sing the song, but we could also do it while flying out of a plane. Come on!’
“There are certain members of the band who push the theatrics a little more than others,” he continues, a mischievous expression suggesting he’s one of those keen to make things as spectacular as possible.
“After we’ve decided on a setlist, we have to find a happy medium with the production side so everyone is comfortable, and then, once we’ve run through it a few times, we can have fun with it.
“It’s all coming together now,” he adds, looking very much like a man who’s glad to be grabbing a quick cup of tea and a sit down amid the organised chaos of rehearsals.
“If you’d have asked me three weeks ago, I wouldn’t have been so sure, but it’s really coming together now. I feel like we’re in a really good place. We’ll be ready for the end of the week.”
Barlow adds: “The idea of actually going on tour is really exciting. But there’s always so much to do, so there is a worry. I’m not really excited until we’re done and ready.
“I might not get that feeling until the first or second night – as late as that. But we’ll give the crowd at Villa Park a good night out come June 27. Of that I’m certain.”
There is every indication that Progress Live will still be a BIG show. Half of the stage the band will use on the as made in the USA, while the other half was made in the UK.
“Neither of the firms involved could manage to make the whole thing,” explains Barlow. “We’ll also be using hydraulic platforms. We should buy that company. We must keep them going. Every two years we give them a fortune!”
Another measure of the band’s stature is that 80s legends Pet Shop Boys have agreed to be their support act, despite the fact that they are still capable of selling out Birmingham’s NEC themselves.
Says Williams: “I’m a huge Pet Shop Boys fan so for me it will be an absolute joy to be able to watch them every night.”
If you watched fly-on-the-wall documentary Look Back Don’t Stare last year, you’ll have seen how the big reunion came about and recording sessions for Progress took shape.
What you won’t have seen, however, is a band rehearsing their classics of the Nineties for the live dates.
Owen admits to a lot of reminiscing during the build-up to getting back out on stage as a five-piece group.
“Now and again I’d catch myself looking over my shoulder thinking ‘Oh, we’re back, all of us’ and I’d laugh inside,” he says.
“I still can’t believe it. I keep getting this warm feeling.”
If you add the group’s album sales to Robbie Williams’ solo sales, they’ve shipped a staggering 80 MILLION albums.
They’ve had 14 number one albums, 18 number one singles, played to more than 14.5 million people live, won 20 Brit Awards, eight MTV awards and five Ivor Novello Awards.
There’s seemingly no stopping them. Barlow has been confirmed as one of the new X Factor judges and Donald has signed up to do a DJ stint in Ibiza as soon as the Take That tour ends.
And don’t write off Robbie Williams’ solo career. Word is that there’ll be another album once the Progress Live tour has conquered the world, as it most surely will.
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