More than 30 years into their career, Take That remain one of the biggest bands in the country. Their refusal to stand still has helped them maintain their success, with that leather clad first era making way for a post-hiatus man band that only dealt in grandness.
With recently released ninth album This Life, Take That once again open a bold new chapter, replacing those bombastic pop songs with folksy, hopeful reflections on getting older and still figuring things out.
To underline just how different things were this time around, the trio kickstarted the first of six sold-out shows at London’s O2 Arena on Thursday night by dressing all in black and performing on a moody, windswept stage that felt more like the beginning of a Shakespearean tragedy than a glorious pop gig. It wasn’t long before that seriousness became a seriously good time though.
After a handful of tracks in which Take That channelled The Bee Gees by way of fabulous Las Vegas, the massive stage changed shape to resemble an Eighties TV show.
The band then led the arena on a glitzy, optimistic run-through of their career so far, from early hits A Million Love Songs and Pray via cuts from their own solo careers to the energised might of Patience and The Flood. There was even a thigh-slapping catchphrase to go with it – “Welcome to This Life, because this life is yours.” The whole thing was designed to inspire.
Away from the trip down memory lane, Greatest Day saw the band walk over the audience to arrive at a mirrorball-laden B-stage while Never Forget had torrential rain pouring from The O2’s lofty ceiling. From confetti and streamers, to rotating stages and burning staircases, every song came with its own jaw-dropping spectacle.
As polished as the show seemed though, Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Gary Barlow still took to the stage with a giddy, childlike energy. Whether they were poking fun at their many outlandish costume changes, acting out decades-old dance routines or waving manically at the crowd, the band were clearly having a ball. It was impossible not to get caught up in their joyful world.
Now comfortably a three-piece, Take That clearly cared about their legacy with every corner of their back catalogue given a moment to shine during the show. But with a majority of This Life performed during the two-and-a-half-hour concert, there was a defiant refusal to simply show up and play the hits.
With rugged but hopeful new tracks like Days I Hate Myself, Keep Your Head Up and The Champion given space to unfurl, Thursday night’s gig was a glimpse into a promising future for Take That, who remain at the top of their game.
