Westlife - The Turnaround Tour - Live From The Globe Stockholm

The concert was brilliant! The addition of a saxophone player to the band was a move of pure inspiration, especially on Flying Without Wings, where it added an almost jazz-like backdrop which turned a familiar song into a brand-new treasure. Tossing in numbers like the Beatles Help and the theme from Friends was an absolute delight.

But what made the concert so outstanding was the sheer brilliance of their singing. Having to re-arrange some of the numbers to cover Bryan's absence gave us a whole new version of Tonight with Mark giving the introductory verse an emotional depth that was missing on both the recording and in the live performance captured on the Greatest Hits DVD. Nicky's rendition of the verse originally sung by Bryan on My Love was tender and heartfelt.

In my review of the Where Dreams Come True DVD, I made a critical remark about "a little too much of Mark's voice," which I now think may have been a microphone balancing issue. We all know that Shane has a voice of pure velvet power. His voice is, in many ways, the backbone of "the Westlife Sound." But, in the last several years, I find myself drawn to the sheer inventiveness of Mark's singing. He so often does not do the expected, and I find myself waiting for those moments when Mark takes center stage.

Bryan's leaving also opened the door for Nicky and Kian to move center stage. Nicky and Kian have always been the bulwark in that incredible harmony which has come to be identified as "the Westlife Sound." But, even though Kian and Nicky are not 'power' singers, they both have incredibly good voices, and it is a great pleasure to see them both step forward and shine in the solo spotlight.

As in the Greatest Hits DVD, all four of the Westlife lads look like they are having an incredibly good time on stage. Their energy is high, their voices are in peak condition, and and the sheer enjoyment of what they are doing is evident throughout the concert.

Watching them sing some of the songs from the Turnaround CD only reinforced, for me, what a really good album that was. And, defying all convention, they ended the concert with the ballad Mandy, which brought more than one of the audience members to tears. That was a brilliant, brilliant move!

My only criticism of this DVD is the nearly total lack of extras. But, it was enjoyable to watch the video of "Ain't That A Kick In The Head."

All in all, a fantastic experience. To quote Kian, "Westlife IS Unbreakable," and this concert goes a long way toward proving that. And to quote Nicky, "Who knows, maybe another six years." I, for one, would relish that!


a pleasant surprise!   January 2, 2005
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

after Brian's departure I wasn't sure what to expect from the 4 remaining lads. But they really did win me over once again. I have always seen Brian as the biggest entertainer, with a huge talent vocally and a great ability to put on a great show. With him being gone I was afraid the other guys were facing a slow death with around 60 live concerts around the world.
but they proved me wrong. I might say this is the best show they have ever done! there is so much power in these guys, and I'm glad to see them going strong with their old songs. On the other hand it's "hard" to hear their old songs where Brian used to do a fantastic job being song by one of the other guys. I'm pleased they left out "Queen of my heart" seeing as they probably realised none of them were able to fulfill Brian's job.