Warning: Contains Spoilers
I have been a massive Westlife fan for years, since about 2001. They have been a huge part of my life since them and are without a doubt a favourite band (McFly coming a very close 2nd). I have been lucky enough to see Westlife on every tour since 2002. Sadly, I missed the first tour but I did see them at a Children in Need concert that year. When they announced they were splitting up in 2011, I was absolutely devastated. I even made the effort to see them at their last ever concert in Dublin at Croke Park. Which I can re-watch whenever I want as they released that concert on DVD. I sobbed my heart out that night and I was not ready to say "goodbye" to my favourite band. It felt so strange not having a Westlife concert to look forward too every year after that. I missed the excitement so much.
There was many a rumour floating around in the press over the years, claiming that Westlife were planning on getting back together, but I took these rumours with a pinch of salt. I have learnt not to believe anything you read in the press, especially as the members of Westlife continued to shoot down these rumours on their Twitter accounts. Finally, near the end of 2018, Westlife finally announced their comeback, just in time for their twentieth anniversary. I was so excited and even more excited when they announced their tour. Belfast, was of course on the list. I would have been worried if they didn't play Belfast to be honest.
Getting tickets was not fun at all. I did not miss the stress of getting concert tickets one bit so I was absolutely dreading trying to get tickets. I was luckily off work that morning they went on sale but I did have my induction for my new job at 11am. I was taking my niece Zoe with me as she hadn't seen Westlife before. I went onto the computer before 9am and I even had Ticketmaster up on the tablet and my phone. I was a nervous wreck and my hands were shaking like a leaf as I waited for 9am to come. Then the clock struck 9am and I tried in vain to get tickets but it appeared they had sold out in seconds. It was either sold out or I was stuck in a large queue. I did get standing tickets up but I refuse to do standing at gigs. I still don't understand why Belfast was a standing concert when all the rest of the UK dates were seated. I must have spend a very long half an hour trying my hardest to get tickets but I had to give up as I needed to get myself ready for my induction. I was completely gutted and very close to tears at the thought of not getting to see my favourite band on their reunion tour. I was fuming as hundreds of tickets made an appearance online for triple the prices. I hadn't given up completely though. I was still in the queue on the tablet as I had turned off the computer. I just happened to take a look at the screen when I noticed tickets had actually appeared and in the tier right beside the stage too. My hand was shaking as I typed in my details and I was panicking that I'd run out of time. It all seemed far too good to be true. So as soon as I completed my details and the order had processed, I checked my email for confirmation. I had actually got tickets. I let out several high pitched squeals, jumped up and down like an excited child at Christmas and shed a few tears too. I was pretty shocked as well but so happy to have actually got tickets. I could go to my induction happily now.
Concert Day - Saturday 25th May 2019
I was so excited about seeing Westlife again. I was playing their music in the car and everything. I kept getting emotional when certain songs came on. I was finding it hard to listen to You Raise Me Up though as it was played at my Mum's funeral in 2016. My Mum loved Westlife and before she died, had asked me to get her a ticket if they ever got back together. As she died suddenly, she didn't really have any dying wishes as such, other than that she wanted You Raise Me Up played at her funeral and I made sure that it was. That was one song I was not looking forward to hearing them sing. I had caved and looked at tour spoilers too as I couldn't keep myself from looking. The morning of the concert was a weird one. Simon and I went to Millside for breakfast and I got annoyed by some woman sitting behind us who was talking VERY loudly. I also got very excited when I was brushing my teeth in our en-suite bathroom and a neighbour was playing Westlife very loudly. I took my time getting ready which was strange. I had a bit of drama with my new jeans not fitting even though they were the same size as a pair I already owned.
The outfit I wore.
Top: New Look £9.99
Mint jacket: Quiz £26.99
Black jeans: H&M £17.99
Rose gold converse: Schuh (can't remember the price).
Lilac rain mac: Topshop £49.99 (still pains me that I spent that much on it).
********
I left my house and went to pick Zoe up at around half 2. I was very nervous as I was driving up to Belfast. I had driven to Belfast before when Simon lived there but he lived outside of Belfast. This time I was going to the SSE Arena (or the Odyssey as I still call it). I hadn't driven there before, though it is on the same route as Simon's old house. Also, there was a Maritime festival taking place and I was worried about not getting parked. We stopped off in town first to get some snacks from Poundland as the sweets in the arena are so expensive. It was then off to Belfast we went, with Westlife playing. We had a good sing along. The journey wasn't too bad and it took us about 45 minutes to get there. I even managed to get parked in the SSE Arena car park. I was so happy about that as it meant I didn't have to drive around an area I don't know looking for somewhere to park. Zoe and I then took a walk around the Maritime Festival but honestly, it wasn't that exciting. The weather wasn't that good either, dull with light drizzles of rain but quite humid.
We then took a walk around to the back of the arena to see if there were many fans waiting to meet them but there weren't that many, surprisingly. I remember the days where we'd stand on the wall at the back of the arena for hours in all types of weather waiting to see if we'd catch a glimpse of Westlife or hope that they'd stop to meet fans. The wall is no longer there so it's harder to meet people. Zoe and I then went into the Odyssey Bowl in the Pavilion to get something to eat. I had a burger and chips. The food was ok but nothing spectacular. We then walked around to the Premier Inn to see some friends who I hadn't seen in a long time. It was good to have a catch up with Nicola and Jen. Then we left and joined the massive queue to get into the venue. When we got to the entrance, we got our bags checked and our tickets scanned. I purchased a program then we headed to our seats. We were in door 4, East lower tier, row L seats 119 and 120. We were looking right onto the side of the stage. I had a mild panic when I couldn't see the support act very well due to the curtain but then realised the curtain would be down when Westlife come on stage. The support acts were quite boring so I didn't pay much attention to them. One thing I did enjoy, though, was the standing crowd dancing to the Cha Cha Slide and Greased Lighting.
Show Time
Dead on 9pm, The lights went down and it was time for Westlife. I wont go into too much detail on the show but oh my goodness, the atmosphere in the arena was electric. There was a short intro then Westlife appeared from behind the huge screen which split into two. They opened with Hello My Love which kicked off the show on a huge high. They even had a dance routine to this. At first, we stayed sitting due to being in a block with a bunch of complete bores. I refused to sit through the whole thing so as soon as When You're Looking Like that started up, I was on my feet. I was not for sitting down for one of my favourite songs. I will never understand people who spend big money on concert tickets to sit on their phones all evening, not even paying attention to what's happening on the stage. What is the point? It's even worse when these people complain about the people who are actually having a good time. People behind me were complaining and rolling their eyes at the ones behind them because they were dancing and singing along loudly. That was when they were actually in their seats, they appeared to be in and out at the bar more to be honest.
Anyway, less of my moaning about boring people at concerts. I wasn't going to let people ruin my night or stop me from having a bloody good time. When I first read that Westlife were doing a Queen medley, I was a bit apprehensive as I had saw Boyzone do one several years ago. However, I had nothing to worry about as Westlife's Queen medley was fantastic and whipped the already, hyped up crowd into an even bigger frenzy. I loved that Kian even played guitar during one of the songs. I didn't go snap happy this time which is very unlike me. Usually, I would take hundreds of photos but I was struggling to take good ones on my camera without them turning out blurry and I was worried about my phone battery dying on me before I could get home. It was nice to not have to spend the night fidgeting with my camera settings and what have you.
After the Queen medley, they did a mini medley of some of their own hits, including I have a dream. I had never actually seen them perform live before as they had only sang it on their first tour. The famous stools even made an appearance. I loved that they took the mickey out of themselves too. I was proud of myself for not crying during What Makes a Man. At least they didn't change the words to "This is goodbye!" this time like they did at the final Croke Park gig back in 2012 which broke me. You Raise Me Up was next and they had me crying before the song even started. Kian mentioned about loved ones who were no longer with them and dedicated the song to those people. That was me gone, tears tripping me. I don't know how I managed to film the whole song on my phone as I was crying my eyes out, thinking of my Mum and how she would have loved to have been there with me and Zoe. This was not the end of the show though and thank goodness as they hadn't sang my favourite song yet. The finale was Flying Without Wings and World of Our Own, ending with my favourite song. This was the same ending as the farewell tour in 2012 but in a different order. I was absolutely boiling and a sweaty mess by the end of the concert and wishing I had wore my skirt instead of jeans.
When the lights went up, Zoe and I left and joined the large crowd trying to get out of the arena. It was a wee bit crazy. I was so glad to get out into the fresh air. We took a walk into the Pavilion to see if I could get a drink but there wasn't a singe vending machine to get anything. There was a stall selling crepes but the drinks weren't in a fridge and I wanted something cold. I paid for my car parking which cost £6.50. Top tip, if you're attending an event at the SSE Arena, wait until you're leaving at the barriers to pay your parking and it'll only cost you £3 as there are staff there to check your ticket and take your payment. Getting out of the car park wasn't as big of a nightmare than I was expecting. I had parked near the exit and the staff were on hand to make life a little easier for us. I was dreading the drive home but I just went back the way I came and was fine once I was back on a familiar road. We sang along to Westlife the whole way home in the car. It began to lash down with rain which made driving in the dark a little nerve wrecking but I made it home in one piece and just after 12am.
Westlife were absolutely incredible and they did not disappoint at all. They were still the same Westlife that I loved but only 10 times better (if that was even possible). There was the same banter on stage and the passion was still there. They all looked fantastic too and generally seemed so happy to back on stage again. They spoke very highly of Belfast and the Northern Ireland fans too, stating they couldn't think of anywhere better to start their tour.
I have been a massive Westlife fan for years, since about 2001. They have been a huge part of my life since them and are without a doubt a favourite band (McFly coming a very close 2nd). I have been lucky enough to see Westlife on every tour since 2002. Sadly, I missed the first tour but I did see them at a Children in Need concert that year. When they announced they were splitting up in 2011, I was absolutely devastated. I even made the effort to see them at their last ever concert in Dublin at Croke Park. Which I can re-watch whenever I want as they released that concert on DVD. I sobbed my heart out that night and I was not ready to say "goodbye" to my favourite band. It felt so strange not having a Westlife concert to look forward too every year after that. I missed the excitement so much.
There was many a rumour floating around in the press over the years, claiming that Westlife were planning on getting back together, but I took these rumours with a pinch of salt. I have learnt not to believe anything you read in the press, especially as the members of Westlife continued to shoot down these rumours on their Twitter accounts. Finally, near the end of 2018, Westlife finally announced their comeback, just in time for their twentieth anniversary. I was so excited and even more excited when they announced their tour. Belfast, was of course on the list. I would have been worried if they didn't play Belfast to be honest.
Getting tickets was not fun at all. I did not miss the stress of getting concert tickets one bit so I was absolutely dreading trying to get tickets. I was luckily off work that morning they went on sale but I did have my induction for my new job at 11am. I was taking my niece Zoe with me as she hadn't seen Westlife before. I went onto the computer before 9am and I even had Ticketmaster up on the tablet and my phone. I was a nervous wreck and my hands were shaking like a leaf as I waited for 9am to come. Then the clock struck 9am and I tried in vain to get tickets but it appeared they had sold out in seconds. It was either sold out or I was stuck in a large queue. I did get standing tickets up but I refuse to do standing at gigs. I still don't understand why Belfast was a standing concert when all the rest of the UK dates were seated. I must have spend a very long half an hour trying my hardest to get tickets but I had to give up as I needed to get myself ready for my induction. I was completely gutted and very close to tears at the thought of not getting to see my favourite band on their reunion tour. I was fuming as hundreds of tickets made an appearance online for triple the prices. I hadn't given up completely though. I was still in the queue on the tablet as I had turned off the computer. I just happened to take a look at the screen when I noticed tickets had actually appeared and in the tier right beside the stage too. My hand was shaking as I typed in my details and I was panicking that I'd run out of time. It all seemed far too good to be true. So as soon as I completed my details and the order had processed, I checked my email for confirmation. I had actually got tickets. I let out several high pitched squeals, jumped up and down like an excited child at Christmas and shed a few tears too. I was pretty shocked as well but so happy to have actually got tickets. I could go to my induction happily now.
Concert Day - Saturday 25th May 2019
I was so excited about seeing Westlife again. I was playing their music in the car and everything. I kept getting emotional when certain songs came on. I was finding it hard to listen to You Raise Me Up though as it was played at my Mum's funeral in 2016. My Mum loved Westlife and before she died, had asked me to get her a ticket if they ever got back together. As she died suddenly, she didn't really have any dying wishes as such, other than that she wanted You Raise Me Up played at her funeral and I made sure that it was. That was one song I was not looking forward to hearing them sing. I had caved and looked at tour spoilers too as I couldn't keep myself from looking. The morning of the concert was a weird one. Simon and I went to Millside for breakfast and I got annoyed by some woman sitting behind us who was talking VERY loudly. I also got very excited when I was brushing my teeth in our en-suite bathroom and a neighbour was playing Westlife very loudly. I took my time getting ready which was strange. I had a bit of drama with my new jeans not fitting even though they were the same size as a pair I already owned.
Top: New Look £9.99
Mint jacket: Quiz £26.99
Black jeans: H&M £17.99
Rose gold converse: Schuh (can't remember the price).
Lilac rain mac: Topshop £49.99 (still pains me that I spent that much on it).
********
I left my house and went to pick Zoe up at around half 2. I was very nervous as I was driving up to Belfast. I had driven to Belfast before when Simon lived there but he lived outside of Belfast. This time I was going to the SSE Arena (or the Odyssey as I still call it). I hadn't driven there before, though it is on the same route as Simon's old house. Also, there was a Maritime festival taking place and I was worried about not getting parked. We stopped off in town first to get some snacks from Poundland as the sweets in the arena are so expensive. It was then off to Belfast we went, with Westlife playing. We had a good sing along. The journey wasn't too bad and it took us about 45 minutes to get there. I even managed to get parked in the SSE Arena car park. I was so happy about that as it meant I didn't have to drive around an area I don't know looking for somewhere to park. Zoe and I then took a walk around the Maritime Festival but honestly, it wasn't that exciting. The weather wasn't that good either, dull with light drizzles of rain but quite humid.
We then took a walk around to the back of the arena to see if there were many fans waiting to meet them but there weren't that many, surprisingly. I remember the days where we'd stand on the wall at the back of the arena for hours in all types of weather waiting to see if we'd catch a glimpse of Westlife or hope that they'd stop to meet fans. The wall is no longer there so it's harder to meet people. Zoe and I then went into the Odyssey Bowl in the Pavilion to get something to eat. I had a burger and chips. The food was ok but nothing spectacular. We then walked around to the Premier Inn to see some friends who I hadn't seen in a long time. It was good to have a catch up with Nicola and Jen. Then we left and joined the massive queue to get into the venue. When we got to the entrance, we got our bags checked and our tickets scanned. I purchased a program then we headed to our seats. We were in door 4, East lower tier, row L seats 119 and 120. We were looking right onto the side of the stage. I had a mild panic when I couldn't see the support act very well due to the curtain but then realised the curtain would be down when Westlife come on stage. The support acts were quite boring so I didn't pay much attention to them. One thing I did enjoy, though, was the standing crowd dancing to the Cha Cha Slide and Greased Lighting.
Show Time
Dead on 9pm, The lights went down and it was time for Westlife. I wont go into too much detail on the show but oh my goodness, the atmosphere in the arena was electric. There was a short intro then Westlife appeared from behind the huge screen which split into two. They opened with Hello My Love which kicked off the show on a huge high. They even had a dance routine to this. At first, we stayed sitting due to being in a block with a bunch of complete bores. I refused to sit through the whole thing so as soon as When You're Looking Like that started up, I was on my feet. I was not for sitting down for one of my favourite songs. I will never understand people who spend big money on concert tickets to sit on their phones all evening, not even paying attention to what's happening on the stage. What is the point? It's even worse when these people complain about the people who are actually having a good time. People behind me were complaining and rolling their eyes at the ones behind them because they were dancing and singing along loudly. That was when they were actually in their seats, they appeared to be in and out at the bar more to be honest.
Anyway, less of my moaning about boring people at concerts. I wasn't going to let people ruin my night or stop me from having a bloody good time. When I first read that Westlife were doing a Queen medley, I was a bit apprehensive as I had saw Boyzone do one several years ago. However, I had nothing to worry about as Westlife's Queen medley was fantastic and whipped the already, hyped up crowd into an even bigger frenzy. I loved that Kian even played guitar during one of the songs. I didn't go snap happy this time which is very unlike me. Usually, I would take hundreds of photos but I was struggling to take good ones on my camera without them turning out blurry and I was worried about my phone battery dying on me before I could get home. It was nice to not have to spend the night fidgeting with my camera settings and what have you.
After the Queen medley, they did a mini medley of some of their own hits, including I have a dream. I had never actually seen them perform live before as they had only sang it on their first tour. The famous stools even made an appearance. I loved that they took the mickey out of themselves too. I was proud of myself for not crying during What Makes a Man. At least they didn't change the words to "This is goodbye!" this time like they did at the final Croke Park gig back in 2012 which broke me. You Raise Me Up was next and they had me crying before the song even started. Kian mentioned about loved ones who were no longer with them and dedicated the song to those people. That was me gone, tears tripping me. I don't know how I managed to film the whole song on my phone as I was crying my eyes out, thinking of my Mum and how she would have loved to have been there with me and Zoe. This was not the end of the show though and thank goodness as they hadn't sang my favourite song yet. The finale was Flying Without Wings and World of Our Own, ending with my favourite song. This was the same ending as the farewell tour in 2012 but in a different order. I was absolutely boiling and a sweaty mess by the end of the concert and wishing I had wore my skirt instead of jeans.
When the lights went up, Zoe and I left and joined the large crowd trying to get out of the arena. It was a wee bit crazy. I was so glad to get out into the fresh air. We took a walk into the Pavilion to see if I could get a drink but there wasn't a singe vending machine to get anything. There was a stall selling crepes but the drinks weren't in a fridge and I wanted something cold. I paid for my car parking which cost £6.50. Top tip, if you're attending an event at the SSE Arena, wait until you're leaving at the barriers to pay your parking and it'll only cost you £3 as there are staff there to check your ticket and take your payment. Getting out of the car park wasn't as big of a nightmare than I was expecting. I had parked near the exit and the staff were on hand to make life a little easier for us. I was dreading the drive home but I just went back the way I came and was fine once I was back on a familiar road. We sang along to Westlife the whole way home in the car. It began to lash down with rain which made driving in the dark a little nerve wrecking but I made it home in one piece and just after 12am.
Westlife were absolutely incredible and they did not disappoint at all. They were still the same Westlife that I loved but only 10 times better (if that was even possible). There was the same banter on stage and the passion was still there. They all looked fantastic too and generally seemed so happy to back on stage again. They spoke very highly of Belfast and the Northern Ireland fans too, stating they couldn't think of anywhere better to start their tour.
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