Take That: The Fannish Anniversary Pic Spam

[przed]

In the usual course of things, I'd have no idea exactly when I fell for a certain fandom. In the case of Take That, however, and thanks to the wonder of LJ, I can track it down to a half hour window. So I can say with complete certainty that it was one year ago today that I fell for TT.

It all started because the lovely halotolerant posted a link to TT's performance of Kidz at last year's Brits. A performance that I'd seen and really liked, so I responded to her post. And she proceeded to lure me in with a potted history of the band and lovely videos of pretty boys.

It took a little bit to take. Here's Exhibit A, a comment I made just as I was about to go over the precipice:


Oh, the naiveté. Even the Sweetie knows their names now.

But then Halo sent me a link to this video, of Mark Owen singing Back for Good with Robbie Williams at Robbie's big Knebworth gig.

It is not the tightest musical performance ever—they barely rehearsed, and as Halo has pointed out they both sing the harmony bits on the chorus because that's the way they learned it back in the day—but it is utterly delectable. The way Rob looks fondly at Mark, and Mark returns the look with complete adoration, is unbelievable, ground zero for some very lovely slashy thoughts on my part.

And here's my comment after I'd watched the video and my brain had exploded:


I haven't looked back.

To celebrate this fannish anniversary, I thought I'd put together an insanely long pic spam of the pretty British boys and men who make up TT, because they're very pretty. And because I wanted to.


First, some group shots…

'90s Puppy Pile:


Serious Young Men


The boys with Hobbit Hair. Well, everyone but Gary.


You gotta love a band that are totally willing to do a photo shoot on a bed together


Fashion plate boys. I love Mark looking all serious here.


In their time traveller gear from the Kidz video.


Okay, next, have some individual shots of the boys.

I'm not the hugest Gary Barlow fan, but I'm rather fond of his gormless look here:


I have no idea of the context for this, but who can resist Gary and Muppets!


Baby!Robbie and his cheeky grin


Older and with more tattoos, but the grin remains the same.


One of the many reasons I love this band is I can simultaneously indulge in my love of footie and TT.


Jason looking particularly lush.


And here in his steampunk gear.


Going purely by looks, Howard is probably my favourite.


I love this shot, because it's one of those times that his blue eyes are brilliantly piercing.


As usual, I may have gone a bit nuts with the Mark pics. I make no apologies.

Shirtless Baby!Mark.


Shirtless, serious Baby!Mark. On a bed.


Wilderness years era Mark, looking androgynous and gorgeous.


Mark playing footie. (The fact that he's rather good at footie is just icing on a lovely cake.)


Mark in one of his hats. (I love Mark in his hats. Well, except for the one that looks like a dead cat on his head. We shall not speak of that one.)


Mark rehearsing Kidz for the Progress tour. This is probably my all-time favourite pic of Mark. I love the confidence in his stance, and the way it embodies the fightiness that is a large part of why I love him.


Let's end with a few pics of the various pairings in the band, shall we?

While there is literally no combination of the boys that doesn't show up at some point, getting a good Howard/Robbie pic was difficult. This is a scan from the Take One book.


I love the expression on Gary's face as he looks at Howard here.


More Gary/Howard.


Gary and Mark in the '90s, sharing a hot tub. As you do.


Gary and Mark now, still rather adorable together.


Robbie and Gary back in the day.


And Robbie and Gary now, all acrimony forgiven.


Mark sprawled all over Jason in the '90s.


Grown up Mark and Jason looking suave.


Robbie with Jason.


And Robbie and Jason sharing a moment on stage.


Mark and Howard being adorable goofs.


And Howard sprawled all over Mark. (I may have a story near completion inspired by this pic.)


I've posted this before, but I think it bears pulling out again. Howard and Jason. Oh, boys. (Whenever anyone questions the whole RPS thing, this is the pic I pull out. Because just LOOK AT THEM!)


Howard and Jason being adorable together, just before the '90s break up.


Footie!Willowen! Mark and Robbie being adorable in football gear. It seriously doesn't get better than that.


Oh, wait, this is even better, the best Willowen pic in existence. My god, they are beyond adorable together.


And finally my personal OT3, Howard all over Mark whilst Jay looks on.


Howard/Jason/Mark again. I'd kill to know what they're looking at on that laptop.


And there you have it, a visual exploration of my TT love.

Comments

[kayberrisford.livejournal.com]

Okay, I seriously don't know where or how to begin expressing the level of my squee at this selection...

Actually, for once, I'm going to say the last thing that is probably expected of me, and go OMG HOWARD!!! (well, maybe that's not the last thing, but it's not the first, right?) I've had a weird thing going for Howard lately. He really is just gorgeously chiselled in a way I've not always appreciated, and talk about improving with age! Gnnng. And what a lovely selection of shots.

I think the world needs a gormless Gary right now. Too many banker/politician/Edwardian landowner-equse shots out there!!

*clears throat* Now, onto what is expected of me...

HELLO PRETTY BABY MARKIE!!

Gnnnng. Loving the Rob/Mark shots, and totally sharing your OT3, of course. I have to say, though, I always loved that Kidz rehearsal shot and can see why it's your fave. I'd like to see more of that confident, fighty Mark one day (well, now would be nice...I can't help pondering quite what he was up to in a recording studio last month seeing as Gary now claims he's not talked about work with him, and I hope he's still there!)

[norfolkdumpling.livejournal.com]

Happy Take ThatAversary!!!!!

I too am fond of their hobbit hair phase, and I totally agree on the Howard thing. OM NOM NOM.

Thank you for the pretty :)

[rangerke.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to just butt in uninvited like this but after reading your beautiful latest fic, watching the Markie vid, and catching up on your older fics (the few I had access to) that I absolutely loved, I was drawn to click your username. Now I know why!!

Happy first TT-anniversary! Mine was only last December and I've fallen so hard for them, I remember the exact date too. I'm not really the "fan type" so I didn't know what was happening to me. ;) Really tried to fight for those guys not to take over my life (and failed miserably in my intention, with LJ being the latest discovery as a seemingly endless source of squee :D).

This pic spam is extremely squee-worthy!!! Always love the fact how Mark's poses give a dynamic feel to the pics from official photo shoots. Love them all individually (with Markie being the main cause of my addiction), but together .... lost for words. *g*

That first Howard/Gary pic, that look, ahhh, and Mark's smile at Gary from 'when we were young' nearly kills me everytime I see it! The second to last is one of my new favorites (can't believe I haven't seen that one before!) and I'm so with you on that last pic: it's way too intriguing to know what's on the screen! Could go on and on but I'll calm down now. ;) Thanks for this wonderful picspam!!! And I did read about an almost finished fic inspired by that - far too close to be just friends - Mark/Howard pic, right? Right?! Excuse the excitement. ;)

Would it maybe be okay to add you as a friend, so I won't miss out if you post any more of this TT loveliness??

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Happy anniversary, petal. ♥

[anniina85.livejournal.com]

Ooohhhh! What an excellent pic spam :) All that prettyness and hotness!

Congratulations on your first "fanniversary" *g* those boys sure now how to draw you in, damn too addictive. I was just watching a bit of the Ultimate tour on tv one summer day, and then, here I am still, four and a half years later... ;) haha!

I've gotta say that I totally adore that last Willowen pic, you can't deny the love, it's soooooo evident. Such a caught in the moment pic, totally sincere.

I share your love for the confident and fighty Mark pic. That side of him is very sexy *g* That combined with his sweet, cute, dorky, vulnerable and insecure sides make him such an intriguing personality.

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

The pupil has become the master! *chuckles* ♥ Excellent spam and pimping m'dear *g*

I am utterly delighted that I was able to lure you in like a witch with a gingerbread house made of very hot gingerbread men who kiss each other I laugh always at your comment about not knowing their names, because I remember at the time thinking 'no one crossing paths with my life will escape without being told this information at least once, poor thing, she doesn't know what she's letting herself in for...'

I am especially loving the Howard with the blue eyes, hand-on-heart Markie and Best Willowen Picture Ever, but of course they are all lovely and I applaud your decision to include every pairing (actually, hmm, that one of Jason and Robbie is really delicious too)

*bounces*

[przed.livejournal.com]

I'll see your OMG HOWARD!!! and raise you a GNNNGG!! Howard is the first one who caught my eye. I've got rather a thing for big scruffy blokes. Comes from having married one. But then Markie wrested my heart away with his adoration of Rob and it was game over. Still love the big guy, though.

Gormless Gary is probably my favourite flavour, if I were to have a favourite flavour of Gary. Which I don't. (Edwardian landowner-esque. ::snerk::)

I become more and more convinced that Mark is far more fighty and confident than he's given credit for. Because he kept slogging away for all those ten years, through constant rejection, and never flipping gave up, bless 'im.

I can't help pondering quite what he was up to in a recording studio last month

Wait a minute while I get this out of my system. SQUEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! I know it's probably most likely that he's knocking things into shape for the next round of TT, but what if he isn't?! What if he's actually doing some new solo stuff???!!!!!! (Shan't get my hopes up, but that would rock.)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It's one of the best sorts of anniversaries ever! (The best anniversary is coming up next month.)

The Hobbit Hair phase is just lovely. And Howard is a gorgeous, gorgeous man. OM NOM NOM indeed. \o/

[przed.livejournal.com]

Welcome! It's lovely you popped by, and yes, definitely friend me! I shall friend you back. I need more people on the flist who understand the TT love. And I've definitely got more pic spam (and fic, and vids) in the works.

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only recent convert. Once I'd been bitten by the bug, I have to say I didn't really fight it. But then, I've always been given to fannish enthusiasms, even before I knew what fandom was.

Mark's poses in the photo shoots are generally amazing. And not at all traditionally masculine, which makes them even more awesome. That second to last one is fab, isn't it? There's a small version of it in the book Take Two, which I totally recommend if you don't have it.

And yes, there's a Mark/Howard story on the way, possibly fairly soon. Just waiting on my beta.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I was going to respond to your "what are you into now" post, but I was hip deep in whittling down the pics for this, and besides I reckoned you knew what my answer was going to be. ;-)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was a complete blast putting this together. Though very difficult narrowing down my favourites from all the possible shots out there.

I'm hoping to be firmly in the TT camp for a good few years yet. They are just so awesome and addictive.

That last Willowen pic is amazing. It's absolute and undeniable love, captured on film. Awwww.

Confident and fighty Mark is a wonderful thing, but you're right that it's the whole intriguing mess of sides he shows at various times that makes him so incredibly intriguing.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I swear, every time I do a TT pic spam they get longer and longer. *g* But I'm still learning from the master. *g*

I'll never be unhappy that you lured me into your gingerbread house to gorge on the pretty gingerbread men fandom, nor that you took it upon yourself to educate me about TT. I may not have known what I was letting myself in for, but it turned out to be awesome!

I love how every once in a while, there's a pic of Howard where the blue of his eyes just becomes like lasers. Hand-on-heart Markie is a wonderful thing, and I am constantly revisiting the Best Willowen Picture Ever page in Take One to bask in the glory of that much love being caught on film.

*bounces with you*

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

I'm psychic that way. :D

[przed.livejournal.com]

You must be. 'Cause I've been subtle in my new fannish love. *g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

What till you get a load of my Mark/Howard story. ;-)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Take That were so ridiculuous and British and "old"

Oi! Enough with the old! They're young pups to me. (Well, okay, I'm only three years older than Howard, but still!)

But yeah, I still can't quite believe I've fallen for them quite so hard and that it's stuck. I used to roll my eyes when they started showing up on the Brits again after the reunion tour. Now I want a time machine so I can go back and smack myself.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Howard caught my eye initially--big scruffy blokes are one of my things--but he didn't stand a chance against the power of Willowen.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't think I've heard that interview. Any link gratefully accepted!

They are totally cute together. Even if the breaking of things over each other's heads was a bit alarming.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Yeah, yeah. I'll just be taking my old bones over to the rocking chair in the corner. ;-)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Found it. Too. Much. Fun.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Oooh, annuals! You bring those and we'll send good editing thoughts to my beta.

[kayberrisford.livejournal.com]

I like big scruffy blokes. When they exist in combination with small pretty blokes, I get very overexcited. Oh yes, and Howard/Mark and Rob/Mark are both lovely pairings. It's funny how I fic the less 'canon' Howard/Mark more, but I guess that's because it's rather less complicated ;)

Oh yes, Edwardian Landowner au ought to be written. I'm just not quite sure I would focus on anything other than what servants Mark and Howard get up to in the stables...

I hope you're right about Mark. If he does bring anything out, that will be the clincher. As I said, he's definitely been in that studio...I honestly daren't get my hopes up too stupidly high, but God, a solo album/tour would be pretty awesome, wouldn't it? (I'm still holding out hope for Howard on drums...)

[rangerke.livejournal.com]

Thanks for friending me! Ah, just realized I can also read the locked stories now. :D

Turns out I did see that second to last pic before, because I do have Take Two. Can't believe my brain didn't store that one. I blame it on the overload of new stuff in a very short amount of time ;) (Take One/Two and My Take in a few days). It's about time to re-read it all!

Yeah, love the fact that his poses are not traditionally masculine, but I don't think they're feminine either (as I've seen suggested). He seems to embody the best of both, often giving the pics a flamboyant touch. I think it's admirable he has embraced this and never tried to be all tough. My admiration stretches to Howard in particular too, although being the most masculine and coming across as very fierce (those expressions make my breath hitch!), he doesn't try to hide his soft and cuddly side, awww!

Will soon be devouring your fics I haven't read yet and can't wait for that new Mark/Howard one! :D

[przed.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, Edwardian Landowner au ought to be written. I'm just not quite sure I would focus on anything other than what servants Mark and Howard get up to in the stables...

Terrifyingly, my brain has been mulling over how this could work all day. Although I'm torn between Edwardian Landowner!Gary and Edwardian HeadButler!Gary. But there's definitely apparently aloof, though ultimately protective valet Jason, and vulnerable new footman Mark, and big scruffy Howard working the stables. But man, it would take research! Or me finally watching of Downton Abbey. *g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

I don't normally lock stories down, but after one of my TT ones (briefly) appeared rather prominently on a Google search, I decided to lock them down here.

That shot in Take Two is very small, so it's understandable you didn't notice it. Plus, there's the overload factor. (It took me a few months to acquire all of that, so I'd get one book and savour it for a few weeks before moving on to the next thing.)

I love that Mark doesn't easily fall into a masculine or feminine stereotype, not to mention his sometimes crazy fashion sense. And yeah, I love how Howard can be both fierce and remarkably vulnerable. They are none of them exactly what you'd expect.

The new fic is back from beta and done, but I think I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow to post it. With our clocks going forward tonight, I want to avoid the sleep deprivation as much as I can.