This is a review I wrote for some friends last year about the Wembley shows I went to of The Millenium Tour - hope you like it!
I got to wembley about 6ish on Monday with my friend Abi - after managing to get out of school early, get the bus to the train station, get the train (2 hrs to london - very boring) and then the underground to Wembley (another 1/2 an hour...) but it was deffinately worth it...
I waited round the back of the arena by the car-park - it's enclosed by some large gates - so we could see them arrive. They are only about 10-15 meters away but are behind these gates - damn! After a while one of the people carriers arrived (which we recognised as a BZ one) and everyone for some reason started shouting Stephen at it - even though it wasn't him at all but Shane...(it was obv even through the blacked out windows who it was - well it was to me anyway...). Then after about 10 mins another one arrived.....so they started screaming Steve at it again (this time I could see it was Mikey in there!). So Mick got out kind of looked across to where we were standing and went in.... then another car came which we think was Ro but no-one was sure so he didn't get screamed at...and them the moment everyone (or most of us I think) had been waiting for. Two cars arrived together one a BZ one ond one not...I could see it was Steo in the BZ one. They parked by the doors and Steo got out of the bz one and looked across and waved at us, and practically his whole family got out of the other car - including Tony who looked across at us too. So Steo stood there for quite a while huggging all of his family and talking to them and he can see us there too and looks across a few times. There is this scaffolding in the way so someone else and I were sort of crouching / kneeling down so we could see better cos otherwise the scaffolding was just at the height so we couldn't see his head doh! As he walked in he bent down and waved at us under the scaffolding thing so we could see him properly - isn't he just the sweetest : )
Right so then we went into the arena and I bought a program and a scarf (its a habit to get them from each tour now) and then we went to find our seats....which were row 14 and kind of to the right of the stage a little - but I had such a good view (and in the concert Steo saw my banner and smiled) : )
We watched the last two support acts (they have 4) and then the lights went out and the crowd screamed really loudly and the curtain in front of the set dropped to reveal a kind of hmm...3 leveled scaffolding thing - but it is really cool...
There were 5 mic stands (from which I worked out where Steo was gonna be standing cos his is always the shortest). The stage lit up and some dancers came out and then the boyz came on to the stage and went straight into Picture of You and then one kiss at a time (Stephen always blows kisses and stuff into the cammeras which do the big screens at the side of the stage so it looks like hes doing it to every single person in the arena).
They did Picture of You, One Kiss at a Time, Believe in Me, When All is Said and Done, You're My Angel (Mick), Baby Can I Hold You, She Moves Through the Fair (Ro), Medley of all the previous medlies (celebration, boogie nights (steo disappears off stage), grease, 1999), Bright Eyes (complete with a flying Steo), When You Say Nothing at All, Will I Ever See You Again (Keet) , Love Me for a Reason, When the Going Gets Tough (including Steo the kung foo boxer hehe), You Needed Me, A Different Beat, No Matter What, Every Day I Love You and finally Let the Message Run Free!
(I wrote that bit on wed (8/12/99) after the first two and here's the rest which I wrote today (10/12/99)...)
Ok so here goes....where did I get to...ummmm.
Right I'll start from the start of the 1st concert (but it will probably end up as a mish mash of all the concerts in one) - ok so there is a loud bang and the stage lights up with some fire works then the lights and the boyz walk pop up onto the stage (sort of backwards of the ending of the WWB tour). They go straight into 'Picture Of You' (they do this cool bit in the middle where the dancers all have cammeras and the boyz 'pose' for photos) and then 'One Kiss At A Time' (Including them each doing solo dancing bits and Ro's dodgy dancing when its his turn. It's a well known fact now that he can't dance and so they all take the mic by doing his solo 'breakdancing' bit hehe!!). They are wearing black suits and Ro has one of his many cowboy hats on - no actually I dont think he has it on yet...hhhmmmm...then I think it's Ro who talks to the crowd and says about how they're now going back 6 years and doing a song or two from the 1st album...they then do 'Believe in Me' (complete with the groovy dance routine); which was cool to see again and Steo sings half the lead on it - his first lead bit in the show. Then they do the song which was one of the best on the old tours cos they all - yes even shane - do solo bits 'When all is said and done'. The crowd, even though most of them probably haven't been fanz from the start, got the whole point for the crowd which is to scream as loud as you can (or make as much noise as possible if like me you dont do screaming!) when you're favourite member is lit up by the spot light when it gets to their solo bit (its a bit like a competition of who's the most popular). And of course Steo always get the loudest screams when he sings his bit 'can't you see it's you in me, when all is said and done, look before you i'm your son, can't you see its you in me - a man' - its a song from the first album which they wrote for all their parents...he looked so sweet and loves it when he gets screamed at. It also brought back loads of memories from the first concert I went to in 96!!!
So after that song finished they all took a bow and then went off stage.
I was thinking it was a bit early for a costume change so maybe it's the solo bit for someone - hoping it would be Steo. I found out I was kind of right. Mikey walked out on stage in a white shirt and tshirt - (ie - minus the jacket) and he did a little intro thing saying how we won't know this song yet but it's a solo one called 'You're My Angel'. He sang it really well all 3 nights and got eveyone waving and clapping thier hands in the air. As I was standing on the aisle at this point, so quite easy to see, he smiled and waved which was nice.
He then goes off stage and they all come back on fully suited and do 'Baby Can I Hold You'. They are all on a rotating thing like on the WWB tour which was on the left side of the stage. This was the other side to me as I was on the right side, but I could still see them really clearly and Steve's massive smile as the cheers went up as he came round to facing the crowd each time : ). As they got to the end of the song they all walked off the rotating thing and stood across the stage in a line for the end bit.
Then they all left the stage and the lights went down for a short time before Ro walks back out and sang 'She Moves Through the Fair' which is a traditional Irish song, which was rearranged for BZ and was on the ADB album. Last time it was done was in 97 I think. They had ribbons in the colours of the Irish flag hanging down from the lighting rig in the centre of the stage and the dancers did this dance thing with them while Ro walked out from the middle of them and then walks across the stage first to the left then to the right while singing.
Then the announcery person does this bit like on the grease thing saying how they've given us all the different medleys over the years and now it was a medley of the medley's and the screens on either side show some pics from the previous tours. The guyz all come running back on stage in their shepskin outfits, and Ro has the hugest cowboy hat on with all these feathers coming out of it - it was deffinately interesting!!
So they kick in with Celebration - some top class dancing going on from Steo at this point as well as singing. Followed by the best of the medley (well I would say that - its Steo's turn on lead again : ) ) 'Boogie Nights' and he sings it so well and even has the uncontolable feet ha ha!
At the end of that one Steo leggs if off stage (leaving me going to my friend 'where's Steo gone' before working out his solo must be next or he wouldn't have gone!), while the other 4 contine with the medley doing bits from grease and then 1999. The hat has been put down at the back of the stage after the first song) and at the end of Ro's bit at the end - 1999 - it ends with them all kind of lying on the floor wiggling their buts with various legs in the air...!!! The lights go down again as they all run of stage
Then the best bit! The music to Bright Eyes starts - yay! Watership down clips start playing on the screens and Steo walks out from the left of the stage (ok so all these left and rights are my left and right as I'm looking at the stage just incase you were wondering). He's wearing a black suit with something sticking out the back (only able to be seen if you were close enough and also I noticed the strings hanging on a track from the rig were moving towards the stage...). He sings 'Bright Eyes' and walks towards my end of the stage - beaming all the time, you should have seen his face!
And then as he gets towards the end of the second verse he walks back to the center of the stage and the dancers all walk towards him - and as he is still singing two of them clip the wires onto the things sticking out of the suit. As he gets to the bit where he suddenly gets louder and sings the chorus he is lifted into the air - looking a little aprehensive aww.
Then as he gets to the top the smile returns much wider than before and he goes flying through the air over the audience (straight towards where I am standing and he stops and is lowered a little down so ending up only about 2 meters from where I was standing)
Then he goes flying back up and back again waving his arms for everyone to scream louder (if thats possible) - which of course everyone does and his face lights up even more! Then he is lowered back onto the stage and finishes the song, stands there for a few seconds - cos he just loves being on stage and getting the screams hehe!!
Then Ronan does 'When You Say Nothing at All' (This is a very long email isn't it!)
The music starts up and he appears in a white suit sitting on a bench which is raised out of the right hand end of the stage, then he sits there for most of the song before getting up and walking across the stage as he's singing - and while he's singing there is a person doing a mine to the song - as he's saying nothing at all....I thought it was pretty clever....
So Ro sits back on the bench and goes back down again...
Then Keet comes out on stage in a very funky pair of trousers and a black t-shirt to sing his song 'Will I Ever See You Again' and he starts by smiling really widely like a little kid and then says 'Hello...they let me do it again!! Do you believe it?! But I was talking to the lads and said guyz - you know how we all do solo songs now...yeah - well how come I'm always last? Is it cause I'm not as good as the rest of you's? And Ro turned round and said to me 'Duster we save the best till last'. Now we all know Ro's a bloody liar - but he made me feel good!'
And then he smiled again and went into the song - which got eveyone jumping up and down again - haha! he's so funny!
Then he goes off and all the boyz come back on stage together and line up as they do and Ro says how they are going back in time again and they sing 'Love Me for a Reason' which is so lovely live!! And of course Stephen looked great as always.
Then Steo walks to the front of the stage (to very loud cheers) and there is just one spolight on him and he says how he's been getting loads of letters over the past months and how he was so greatful for the support and he thanked everyone from the bottom of his heart - awwwwww - and then said now there's a saying - when the going gets tough - the tough get going!! (on monday and tuesday this was so sweet cos his voice kept drying up cos he had a bit of a sore throat - aww) And the lights go onto all of them (oh Steo is wearing a nice jacket - kinda multicoloured in darkish colours and a pair of red trousers...and they are all in that kinda styled velvet suits some flowered - like keets trousers - others not)
So the dancers all come on stage in their boxing gear with some blue ropes and set up two 'rings' on each end of the stage with two blokes 'fighting' in each one. The song gets going and is as funny as ever with the whole crowd - or at least most of it - doing the actions and managing not to knock eachother out - quite a task if you ask me!! Then as the song gets to the instrumental bit in the middle after Steo's verse, the dancers all move to the middle of the stage and set up a ring in the middle. Steo runs to the back and put his mic on a stand and both him and Keet put on these black boxing robes with white strips round the edges - Steo in the left of the ring with back up Shane and Keet on the right with Mick as back up... Then Ro starts announcing 'the big fight' between 1000 stone Keet Duffy and 1 stone (met with loads of aaaawww's) Stephen Gately....so the fight begins!! Steo throws the first punch (and as the puches are thrown there are sound effects over the speakers) - obv. not connecting - but looking very funny - especially the look of concentration and determination Steo has on his face...and the crowd is split cheering on the person they want to win (almost eveyone yelling for Steve hehe!). Then after Steo has thrown a few punches Keet gets in there and whops Steo a few..haha! Then comes the funniest thing ever - the Kung Foo Gately - he hold his hand up to stop the fight for a second - goes to the front of the ring and erm..how do i explain it - hmm he does a kind martial arts kung foo karate thing haha!
before rejoining the fight and punching Keet to the floor and then as Steo is finnishing Keet off Mick jumps in and drags Steo (still fighting) out of the ring, and the everyone joins in kicking and punching Duster who eventually emerges from the mess of people by jumping up hehe! I guess you kinda have to see it but I hope you kinda get what I'm talking about....and then they finish the song...back where they were standing before the fight...
Keet does a talky bit now saying about their no 1's etc and they do 'You Needed Me' complete with the picure frames to recreate the video - and a massive one hanging so it was kinda diamond shaped in the centre which they all stood 'in' at the end with their arms round eachother...(I hope my pic come out cos it will make a really nice one if it does).
And then (hmmm I seem to be using that word a bit too much....then..then then - oh well!). So then they all go off stage and the dancers bring on these massive sheets of metal and a couple of metal dustbins .... and they have these florescent glow sticks which they use to beat out 'A Different Beat' in a kind of 'stomp' style. BZ appear on the middle level of the set with Steve in the middle and sing half ADB from there (obv. with the whole arena doing the actions as always) before walking down the stairs on either end to sing the rest from the front of the stage. You can always see how they love doing this song - well at least it looks that way!! And at the end these two hmmm...like majorly oversized blow tourch flames came out of each side of the stage - and you could feel the heat coming off them. I just hope they never go off at the wrong time or it could bring a whole new meaning to our older jokes about the oven ready bacofoil jackets (from 96) and microwave suits from this tour!!!!!
So then (there I go again) they all leave the stage again and the lights go down...but for I think the first time there isn't anyone saying that it was the last song when it wasn't. But the shouting and stamping of feet waiting for the encore is the same as ever.... They eventually emerge in the microwave ready silver kinda glittery suits coming up out of the same thing Ro and the bench did
- (well apart from Thursday when someone had thrown a teddy at Ro while he was singing WYSNAA which missed went flying past him and straight into the lifting mechanism - oops! Well I guess that was the reason that they walked out from the back of the stage instead of doing as normal) and sang no matter what (self explanatory) - followed by everyday i love you
- which was really lovely including the predictable yelling of 'yes' - (or other various comments) in response to Ro's line if I asked would you say yes? And then Ro talks about the eurovision and how they did 'Let the message run free' on it - then goes on to explain himself out of just havnig implied they competed in it ha ha! He eventually gets round to saying that this is the next and final song they are going to do and for all of us who are worried that he will be seeing us here again next year...
So they do a cool version of LTMRF with a new dance routine and a 'i'm running into a gale force wind at half speed' bit - and then finishing with sparks raining down of them from above and them being lowered on hydraulic platforms down into the stage as another bang goes off!!!! and that was it - it was over...
Then I was back again on Tuesday and Thursday. Thursday deffinately being the best esp as Steo flew straight over my head and I got waves off most of them - a few off Steo as well as a smile or two, and Shane started laughing at me when he read my banner and I tried to get him to get Steve to wave. And I also got a wave from everyone - except Keet who was carring a very large heavy loking box when he arrived Tthursday - as they walked into the arena - and I spotted Tony in the crowd on thursday too...
Well I think thats about it and hopefully I can get the films in soon - I can't wait to see the pics - I hope they come out well!
See ya
Julia : )) - I can't wait for Dublin!!
