They’re set to be the biggest shows of next summer – and Take That have admitted they could never miss Glasgow off their gigging list. The country’s favourite, former boy band, will tour as a five-piece for the first time in 16 years in 2011, and yesterday they announced they’ll play two shows at Hampden Park on June 22 and 23, as part of a world tour.
Tickets, which go on sale on Friday, are expected to be snapped up in record time.
It will be the band’s first tour since their Circus shows in 2009, when they played three nights at Hampden.
And speaking exclusively to the Evening Times after the announcement was made at a press conference in London, Jason Orange admitted the band felt they had to schedule Scottish shows.
“There’s no way we would consider doing a tour without playing Glasgow – I don’t think we would be allowed to get away with it.” he said, laughing.
“There would probably be so much noise from folk protesting if we missed it off.
“It’s always been brilliant, and it’s a real confidence booster to play there, because everyone sings along, dances, screams hysterically or just waves their hands in the air from start to finish, and that’s great.
“Our fondest memories of gigs anywhere are in Scotland and Ireland, because the roof just comes off the place every time. We can’t wait to get there.”
It’s not just the Hampden shows that brought a smile to Jason’s face. He has memories of the city when the band played their earliest live gigs, with Glasgow one of the first the group ever visited.
He said: “I remember we played in Glasgow on our very first tour, which must have been back in 1991 or 1992. I remember going away from our mums’ homes in Manchester, sitting in the back of a people-carrier, and travelling to do some club shows in Glasgow. So that stands out as a good memory of being there in the past.”
Next year’s tour, entitled the Progress Live 2011 tour, will be a far cry from those early club performances.
The Circus tour was one of the most spectacular and successful pop jamborees ever, featuring a string of dazzling stunts, including the guys getting on unicycles.
But Jason reckons the group won’t be trying to outdo the Circus and instead will be having a brainstorming session to work out their plans for the show.
He said: “We’re going to go away for a few days, take a country house somewhere and rack our brains together to try and come up with new ways to present these songs.
I remember we played in Glasgow on our very first tour back in 1991 or 1992
Jason Orange
“We’ve got some vague ideas about what we‘d like just now, but we’re going to try not to set out and top the Circus tour, because we hadn’t intended to top our other tours with it, we just wanted to do a good job.
“We just decide what songs we’ll do, then the order and then whether we need dancers, or fireworks, or an elephant for it! But we might have less glitz and make it more of a rock ’n’ roll show.”
Of course, the return of Robbie Williams to the fold will be the biggest change since the last tour, and Jason revealed that Robbie was wowed by the group’s previous gigs, and can’t wait to get in on the act himself, while he’ll also slips a selection of solo hits into the set too.
Jason added: “Robbie’s watched the DVD of the Circus tour about a dozen times, he’s desperate to get involved. He’s become a hardcore fan, and has been saying that he wants to do a tour like that, but with him there.
“So he’s leading the way with all the antics, and we‘re pleased he’s back, because it brings a different dynamic to things.
“He’s larger than life, and such a great performer, so it’ll add to it.
“We’ll always feel some pressure to make it a success, that’s just the way we are. But we reckon we thrive under pressure.”
While classics like Relight My Fire, Back For Good and Patience are certain to figure in the set-lists next year, there’s likely to be material from the upcoming Progress album, a record that Jason claims will “surprise” some fans when it’s released on November 22.
“We are really excited about it, I’m more proud of it than of any other Take That album,” he said.
“With Robbie coming back, all those emotions are in there – excitement, apprehension, fear, and this record has captured that.
“We’d worked as a four-piece for longer than the original line-up, so when he came back it was a re-shuffle.
“But you need to make changes to keep things interesting, and this has certainly done that.
“I think folk will be surprised, especially lyrically – there’s fewer ballads and schmaltzy sentiments on there. Dare I say it, it’s a bit more grown-up.”
It’s perhaps not a surprise that they’re hinting at being more mature.
Jason is now 40, and the affable Mancunian admits that it was a bit of a shock when he realised that half of his life has involved Take That.
“It’s a bit scary how fast times have passed! I feel like I should stop messing around.”
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