Take That Live!

[przed]

Well, we've been home since Sunday, I'm more or less in the right time zone (except for the rather enjoyable still waking up early thing), so I reckon it's finally time to write up my first experience of a Take That concert or two.

First off, I was very grateful that I got to see TT with the two people who were most responsible for pulling me into the fandom: halotolerant (who made sure I knew the names of all the members of the band and guided me to the good stuff) and soundofthesurf (who's become my first reader and a very dear friend), as well as Halo's lovely friend, elfwhistletree. Since it became clear that I very much needed to see the band, I'd been hoping to see a show with both of them, so it was wonderful that it all worked out.

Especially wonderful because a good part of the joy of a TT show turns out, not unexpectedly, to be the communal nature of it all. Gary is always saying that 50% of a TT show is the audience, and he's absolutely right. Everyone in the arena, from the first row of the pit to the last row of the upper balcony, is enthusiastic and there to enjoy the show, and after having had to explain who TT are for the last four years, it was exhilarating to be in a place where absolutely everyone got it. Which led to moments like this, during Rule the World:


(At this moment, Ros absconded with my phone and was waving its light around along with everyone else.)

And also the thing I'd most been looking forward to, the entire auditorium putting their hands in the air for the chorus of Never Forget:

(This is someone else's photo, because I wanted to enjoy the moment and didn't take a pic.)

I'm not gonna lie. During the first show, doing the arm thing alongside Halo, I totally teared up. I think it was possibly the most transcendent moment I've ever had at a concert.

The audience totally lived up to my expectations, but so did the band themselves and the show. Take That are rather famous for the theatricality of their shows, and this one totally lived up to that rep. There were flying bicycles, and thirty foot jets of flame, a dancer in a spinning ball of fireworks, and an underwater garden, complete with giant jellyfish.


There's their dorky humour, introducing themselves as "what's left of Take That," and the way they take the piss out of their old boy band routines while still being able to perform them perfectly. (As Halo said, Pray really is the best worst dance routine EVER!)

But it's not all jokes and spectacle. The best moment of the night was very simply staged. It started with Gary on the main stage, with a single spot light on him singing Flaws, a ballad from the new album. After a few moments, Howard and Mark appear on either side of him, in black pants and loose white vests. They did contemporary dance moves down either side of the runway surrounding the pit, until they met on the B stage and danced together in a way that melted my synapses all the way down to my toes, while Gary sings "take me, take me, I'm yours." And then, when I thought it couldn't get any better, and the very end of the song, they race back up either runway, meet once more in the middle, and embrace.

(Also not my picture, but just look at them!)

Oh. My. God.

I'd seen pictures of this routine floating around, and just from still images it was hard to tell if the whole thing was going to work, but it absolutely does work so very, very well. And completely plays into my slashy brain. (Howard/Mark is a pairing I am rather fond of, and now even more so.)

That was the show itself. The last thing to talk about it how the family enjoyed it.

Ros absolutely loved it. She was on her feet, dancing and clapping and throwing her hands into the air with everyone else.


Here we are before the show. The shirts are ones we stumbled on in Ros' favourite clothing store. They say "Shine like a star," which given that Shine is a favourite TT song for both of us, we couldn't resist.

The Sweetie wouldn't go beyond admitting the show was "fine." (And this was a sincere "fine" not a grudging one, thankfully, or you might be looking for his body at the bottom of Lake Ontario.) But one thing he did say that surprised me was that Howard and Mark's dance routine was his favourite moment of the show, and that he most liked the bits where it was the band without all the dancers and jellyfish.

I now know why there are fans who go to every show on the tour they can manage. Even seeing it twice, from the front and side, I feel like there was tons going on that escaped my notice. Which is why I'm happy that I'm actually getting one more bite of the cherry. They're doing a live broadcast of tomorrow's O2 show, and we're actually going to get it here in Toronto on July 2. Ros and I already have our tickets, and the friend I have dragged into TT fandom with me is coming along as well.

Comments

[asilia.livejournal.com]

The way the crowds love the boys is why I’ll always come back to gigs in the UK – it’s never even remotely the same in the rest of Europe. And I also have to say that the audience was a lot less enthusiastic in Glasgow than in London – it took until the middle oft he concert until everyone was even on their feet :/

Flaws totally blew us away – we were literally just sitting there with our mouths hanging open as we were watching Mark and Howard <3 Gary could not even have been in the building, I completely forgot he was even there during the whole song lol.

Rule the world is always sure to make me tear up – esp in London it totally overwhelmed me, it’s such a beautiful song and seeing all the lights and everyone singing along at the top of their lungs, it made me feel so, so proud of the boys and to be part of something so amazing. And well, nothing will ever, ever beat Never Forget and thousands of people raising their arms in the air, it’s simply the best thing there is <3

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

That sounds completely fabulous! I'm so glad it all went perfectly - and I love the mother and daughter T shirts!! I have been to very few live shows by anyone, but yes, they're wonderful and there's usually so much going on that you would need at least twice to take it all in. Enjoy!!

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking of you yesterday, assuming you must be back and wondering how it all had gone. Yay for posting! *g* (Also, I totally get the fun part of automatically waking up early. *g*)

Well! That sounds fabulous! I am so glad that the concerts even exceeded your expectations. And it must be so much fun to share all this with Ros...while also having your own slashy joy as well. *g* It really sounds fun, and even I, who knows nothing about this band except what I've learned from you, looked at that photo and said: "Huh." *g*

Thanks for the report! Now, just tell me that the boat ride was cool, too...

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

Wow that sounds absolutely brilliant - I love the sound of how Flaws was performed/staged. So glad you got to see them and had such a great time amongst your TT people :D

[przed.livejournal.com]

Then I'm doubly glad I chose the UK and London for my first TT experience. Both nights everyone was on their feet from the opening notes of I Like It.

Flaws is just a stunning piece. And you're right that as soon as Howard and Mark appear on stage you completely forget Gary is there.

The big songs work so well when you're with thousands of people who also love them. Greatest Day was another one that just made my heart beat faster live.

[przed.livejournal.com]

It was a wonderful show, and a wonderful trip in general. (Once I have some more time I'll put up a bit more about the whole trip.)

I've been to a lot of live gigs over the years, and I'm pretty sure that I'd put both of these at the very top of the heap.

Fingers crossed that the next time TT stage a tour I'll get to see them, and meet with you!, in Manchester.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I've been wanting to post, but between jet lag, catching up on Game of Thrones, and just general life stuff I haven't had the time. (I so want to write, but it proving hard to find time for that as well. Boo.)

The concerts were stunningly amazing. Really. And it was fab that Ros got to come and loved it all too. As for the photo, one of the many things I love about this band is their complete fearlessness for both showing affection for each other and giving us homoerotic moments in their shows. But even by usual TT standards, the Flaws dance routine is special. ::sigh::

The boat ride! I forgot to mention the boat ride! It was very cool, especially the return trip, coming down the Thames at night, with Tower Bridge and all the buildings lit up. Definitely a good way to begin and end the evening.

[przed.livejournal.com]

It was a completely brilliant show and experience. And Flaws was just so amazing. I've definitely ticked the homoerotic dance duet check box, and I didn't even have to see a Matthew Bourne ballet to do it. (Though I soooo want to see a Matthew Bourne ballet.)

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear that your lads delivered and that you had such a good time there with Ros.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

What fun! You and Ros look amazing! I'm so glad you had a good time.

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

Hee! I've been looking forward to seeing your write-up!

God, it was good, wasn't it? There is really is nothing like seeing them live. And it's so *incredibly* addictive, heh. Next time round, with hopefully better health and ideally a bit more wealth, I plan to try and maybe match my 14 times at Progress Live.... *g* And I hope I can share some of those with you again! I'm so glad you got two shows, and to hang out with soundofthesurf too, and the rest of the family enjoyed themselves - I'm sure 'fine' really truly means 'most awesome thing ever', right? Heh, well, at least he has seen that it's really not just you that's that keen on them *g* 'Transcendent' is a great word to describe how it feels to be in a room with all those fans, and the guys, and all that shared history and meaning - like I said that night, for so many fans the story of Take That and the discography matches up with huge amounts of important life moments and things passed or found, and you really *feel* that, I think.

And oh my goodness, 'Flaws'... *happysigh* I'm proud of them for what it is, and the skill, and the innovation, the refusal to just rest on their laurels and trot out the old stuff (even though of course that's great in it's place!)

Well done you for getting the live broadcast to Toronto! *g* Spreading the love! \o/

ETA: Will be great to see your other holiday write-ups and photos too *g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

The lads delivered is spades, and a fab time was had by all. (Okay, a fine time was had by the Sweetie, but for the rest of us it was fab. *g*)

[przed.livejournal.com]

The whole trip was a blast, but the concerts were amazing.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I've been struggling to find time to do a write up, but finally just stayed up last night to do it.

It was so very good, and there is nothing else like it. And yes, having positive proof that, no, I'm not the only one and are people who are just like me when it comes to the boys is a fabulous thing.

I'll have my fingers crossed that you've had the last surgery ahead of the next tour and that you can do it without any sticks whatsoever. And that we can go to a show or two together. I'm totally determined to see them live again the next time 'round. Watching the DVDs is fine, but now that I know what it's really like to be there with them, it's a pale substitute.

And yes, Flaws. Kudos to them to being brave enough to try something like that, and brilliant enough to completely pull it off.

I'm totally taking credit for them showing the broadcast here. I emailed the company running it and actually received a response from a human being, so that must be why they're showing it, right?

[sunshine-2525.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the report! It sounds like you had a fab time and how great that Ros also loved it. Love your shirts! :-)

I was at the show in Manchester 30th May and had a brilliant time. I loved the atmosphere and that the audience was so enthusiastic during the whole show. This was the first time I saw TT in the UK, and I don't think that I've ever been to a show where everyone is so into it, singing and dancing along to every song. Often it's just the crowd at the front who is mostly into it, but now also the people sitting in the upper tiers were just as enthusiastic. The only time it cooled off a little was during Affirmation.

It was such a colourful and happy extravaganza of a show, going just once is definitely not enough. Next time I must try to go to a few more shows ;)
I am now looking into the possibility to go to Denmark in October, but I'm not sure yet if it will work.

I had watched the Flaws dance routine on Youtube before the show, but it was so much better to experience it live. It was a very sweet and beautiful moment of the show. That picture of Mark and Howard is just breathtaking.

Besides the moments of the show you have already mentioned, some of my favourite parts were Shine and Hold Up A Light. Hold Up A Light is such a perfect song to hear live. I'm also happy that they did The Garden and Up All Night.

[przed.livejournal.com]

It was such a fab time!

My goal for the next tour is to see them in Manchester. (And also to tour the city for TT important places, of course. *g*) I'm definitely glad I saw them in the UK for the first time now. Because the audience's enthusiasm was definitely an important part of it all. Seeing even the people in the top tiers on their feet and with their hands in the air was an awesome thing.

There was so much going on in the show that you could see it multiple times and see a different show every time. I'm quite happy to have seen it once from the centre and once closer up from the side, because they were radically different experiences. And I'm very happy Toronto is getting the sort-of-live broadcast because I'm sure that'll expose new aspects. I hope you do get to see them in Denmark.

Flaws is such an amazing piece experienced live. The whole thing really is breathtaking, and I'm so grateful that Mark and Howard were brave enough to perform it.

I never really got Hold Up a Light until I saw Mark do it live. It really is a perfect song to see in concert. Shine is one of my very favourites. And I thought what they did with The Garden was fantastic. Loved the puppet show. (Halo reckoned the little boat in the puppet show was a little tribute to Jason, and I'm going with that interpretation.)

If I'm going to quibble, I would have loved to see Kidz and Into the Wild on the set list, but really, it was all perfect as it was.

[norfolkdumpling.livejournal.com]

It looks SO AWESOME! I'm glad you all had such a good time :)

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

It sounds really wonderful and I am glad you all had such a fantastic time.

[przed.livejournal.com]

From the big flashy numbers to the more intimate moments--FLAWS!--it was indeed awesome.

[przed.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was totally fantastic, and I'm so glad I managed to go.

[asilia.livejournal.com]

Yes, Greatest Day is one of those songs that I don't even like to listen to much but it's amaaazing live, gets everyone going! Or Relight My Fire - I don't like the song but when it's live, it's so much fun (and well, making a big deal out of RMF is kinda TT tradition by now anyway).