Gig Review: Shane Filan - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall ✭✭✭✭✭
It's
nearly two years since fans said an emotional farewell to Westlife and former
frontman Shane Filan is the first of the group to hit the road on a solo tour
following the success of his 2013 album You
and Me. Glasgow's Concert Hall was packed to the rafters with 2,500 fans
aged 13-80 and, while there were fewer fans than the days when Westlife filled
Hall 4 at the SECC, what they lacked in numbers was made up tenfold in volume
and enthusiasm.
From
the moment Filan stepped onto the stage, seats were abandoned and a roar filled
the hall. Used to the overwhelming reaction from Glasgow's notoriously
appreciative audience, Filan acknowledged the increasing level of excitement
with a simple, grinning "What did I tell you about Glasgow lads?!"
directed at the five piece band behind him.
In
direct contrast to the arena's busting stages of the
Westlife days, a creative, intimate set featuring a well-loved leather couch,
bar, furniture and lamps transformed the hall into O'Fialáin's bar for the
night where Louis Walsh made a surprise appearance as barman at one point. A talented storyteller, Filan uses his songs
and his vocal ability to take the audience on an emotional journey. The relaxed
setting showcased Filan and his talented band, including drums, guitars,
double bass, fiddle and piano, beautifully, creating an opportunity for an
acoustic set that felt as at home in a cavernous concert hall as it would in
the fabled Irish bars where musicians crowd round each other and jam.
Filan's
incredible musicality and vocal dexterity allows for a varied setlist that
flips easily from the country infused, storytelling songs from his album such
as About You, Once and Baby Let's Dance
to Westlife classics What Makes a Man
and You Raise Me Up but also Robin
Thicke's Blurred Lines and Avicii's Wake me Up which threatened to bring the
house down. Blurred Lines caused a real fear for the fixtures and fixtures in
the ensuing audience frenzy! A duet version of Flying Without Wings with the audience was an obvious crowd pleaser
but it was his encore of solo hits Everything
to Me and Knee Deep in my Heart
that were sure to have the audience dancing in the aisles and leaving wanting
more.
His
first solo tour is definitely a departure from the old Westlife days but with
just enough of that Irish magic to ensure that the fans embark on this solo
journey with him. Judging by the smiling, singing crowd that left clutching
programmes and already wearing t-shirts emblazoned with Filan's face this
certainly won't be a one hit wonder tour. They'll need Guinness on tap at O'Fialáin's for the
celebratory beers. Sláinte!