![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
przedLast week, I ended up devouring Gary Barlow's autobiography in record time. (Yes, I've gone completely overboard on the Take That thing. Let's just accept that and move on.) Gary's story is a fascinating one - ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
halotolerant has pointed out it's a perfect classical narrative, going from success and hubris to nemesis to redemption,- but what's even better for my money is the glimpses it offers of the emotional life of the band.
The moment in the book I keep coming back to, over and over, is one that takes place after their reunion press conference, and focuses on Howard and Jason, who seem to have become my fave Take That RPS pairing:
Wow. I mean… just wow.
Three sentences, but there's so much there. Howard losing it, and Jay protecting him. Mark and Gary worrying over them. And the security guys, who've mostly been with them all from the start, since they were kids, instinctively acting to protect them all. Can I hear a big Awwwww.
Pretty much all of my slash pairings up until now have been stoic secret agent types. If I read, let alone wrote, a story with one of 'em weeping in his partner's arms, I'd consider it way over the top. But with these guys, it's actually happened. And it's incredibly sweet.
I don't think I'm going to lose my taste for the stoic ones, but I have to say, having guys be this out in the open about their emotions, and about looking after each other, is actually kind of refreshing.
In celebration of my discovery of Howard/Jason, here are a few pics of their awesomeness, roughly in order of increasing slashiness.
During the Beautiful World tour, clearly having a ball and enjoying being close to each other.
They just look like they're having too much fun here. And they're wonderfully scruffy, which is always a good thing, IMO. *g*
Jason hugging Howard backstage during the Beautiful World tour. This is during the period where Howard couldn't perform because he'd broken a rib on stage and given himself a pneumothorax, so he spends each concert making notes for the other blokes, and being all proud of Jason doing a solo song. (Real life h/c! How can I resist!)
I can't entirely explain why, but I just love this pic. I think it's the ease they clearly have around each other.
I'm trying to explain this without the slash. Trying, and failing I might add. Oh, boys. *g*
This is the pic I took my icon from, because it's just adorable. And as a bonus, it puts me in mind of Halo's utterly awesome story, The Insomnia Decades, where Jay falling asleep on Howard's shoulder is a key plot point.
halotolerant has pointed out it's a perfect classical narrative, going from success and hubris to nemesis to redemption,- but what's even better for my money is the glimpses it offers of the emotional life of the band.The moment in the book I keep coming back to, over and over, is one that takes place after their reunion press conference, and focuses on Howard and Jason, who seem to have become my fave Take That RPS pairing:
We came off stage, did a few one-to-one interviews and then went backstage to our room. Suddenly the security guys began clearing everyone out of our room – Howard was on his knees, crying, he was overwhelmed by it all. Jay sat hugging him, looking white as a ghost, and Mark, who had seemed the least fazed by the press, looked as worried as I felt.
Wow. I mean… just wow.
Three sentences, but there's so much there. Howard losing it, and Jay protecting him. Mark and Gary worrying over them. And the security guys, who've mostly been with them all from the start, since they were kids, instinctively acting to protect them all. Can I hear a big Awwwww.
Pretty much all of my slash pairings up until now have been stoic secret agent types. If I read, let alone wrote, a story with one of 'em weeping in his partner's arms, I'd consider it way over the top. But with these guys, it's actually happened. And it's incredibly sweet.
I don't think I'm going to lose my taste for the stoic ones, but I have to say, having guys be this out in the open about their emotions, and about looking after each other, is actually kind of refreshing.
In celebration of my discovery of Howard/Jason, here are a few pics of their awesomeness, roughly in order of increasing slashiness.
During the Beautiful World tour, clearly having a ball and enjoying being close to each other.
They just look like they're having too much fun here. And they're wonderfully scruffy, which is always a good thing, IMO. *g*
Jason hugging Howard backstage during the Beautiful World tour. This is during the period where Howard couldn't perform because he'd broken a rib on stage and given himself a pneumothorax, so he spends each concert making notes for the other blokes, and being all proud of Jason doing a solo song. (Real life h/c! How can I resist!)
I can't entirely explain why, but I just love this pic. I think it's the ease they clearly have around each other.
I'm trying to explain this without the slash. Trying, and failing I might add. Oh, boys. *g*
This is the pic I took my icon from, because it's just adorable. And as a bonus, it puts me in mind of Halo's utterly awesome story, The Insomnia Decades, where Jay falling asleep on Howard's shoulder is a key plot point.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-05-18 05:41 pm (UTC)"I think it's that he honestly enjoys Mark's take on things." That must be it. Mark can be wonderfully silly and random *g* I think it's quite funny and adorable how he often starts answering a reporter's question and ends up bubbling ages without really answering the question, LOL!
I would love to read Mark's memoirs! But I'm afraid he's too private a person to ever publish something like that.
One example of the 'arm holding' is the Brits acceptance speach. Mark keeps holding on to Robbie's arm when they're on stage/leaving it ;)
I think it was the London i-tunes vid from the Circus tour, where Mark's having a little costume fitting of the sparkly suit, and there he tels the camera that the suit was Gary's fault...with a massive smile on his face! I think Gary really enjoyed seeing him in that suit, on one of the passes they were showing Mark backstage getting ready to be lifted up stage for Hold up a light, and Gary was there too, saying how Mark had his *catsuit* on ;) Infact, all the boys seemd to enjoy the suit cause there definitely was quite a few bum slappings/gropings going on (judging from pics/youtube vids I've seen) when Mark wore that suit... ;)
no subject
Date: 2011-05-19 02:50 am (UTC)I'm afraid you're right about Mark ever writing his memoirs. If he's that close-mouthed during interviews, he'd never write it all down. But a girl can dream. *g*
I shall have to go check out the Brits acceptance speech again. Oh, the hardship. *g*
I've only just got hold of the Circus iTunes vids, so I hadn't seen those bits now. But I just watched it, and yep, Gary is to blame. I have to say that I found the London section got me a bit teary, with them all a bit sad to have the tour over. (It's also made me very sad I won't be seeing the Progress tour live. Ah, well, next time 'round I shall deviously suggest a family vacation in England at the appropriate time.)
no subject
Date: 2011-05-19 05:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-20 03:16 am (UTC)I do hope there's a lot of backstage footage. With all the concert disks, I almost like the backstage stuff better than the show. They are so lovely together.