THE FACE TO FACE TOUR 2006 NEWS/REVIEWS
– JULY
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Night Out With Show To Cherish
- 31 July 2006 Westlife,
Kedleston Hall
Credit/Source: www.thisisnottingham.co.uk |
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Westlife Won Me Over - 30 July 2006 Now I'm of the Boy George generation -
not Boyzone. Simply Red not Blue. And definitely more Go West than Westlife. So I thought that when I accompanied
my eight year old daughter to Kedleston Hall to watch the resurging Irish
boyband I'd be, well, a little on the mature side. I was pleasantly surprised. These
clean cut lads brought everyone from three year old tots to 63 year old
grandmas (and grandads) out to the Derbyshire countryside. Although at just over 2,000, the
audience wasn't as big as perhaps expected. Those that didn't make it,
though, missed an entertaining night. "They are still as good as ever -
even without Bryan McFadden" said an enthusiastic Sharon - a teaching
assistant of a certain age who, with her two friends Bridget and Kay, had travelled
from Nottingham to see all three weekend concerts (the others being Bryan
Adams and Il Divo). "Its been a really good show." Asked if she wouldn't mind a Westlife
toy-boy - "Not at all!" came the smiling reply. "It's been great!" said my
eight year old after screaming at Shane, Kian, Nicky and Mark for over an
hour. "They're definitely still my favourite boyband." What was also nice - and these boys They appeared to be enjoying
themselves just as much as we were. The better-known ballads such as
"Flying Without Wings" and the finale, the huge recent success
"You Raise Me Up", got everyone - even Grandma - joining in. It all made for a fun, flirty but
friendly, family atmosphere. Even the sun shone for Westlife after Saturday's
storms, mirrored by shining faces in the crowd. Because, I'll tell you what, a man who
can dance really does put a smile on a girl's face. Carolyn Moses Credit/Source:
www.bbc.co.uk |
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Tickets For Singapore (8 September) On Sale Now - 28 July 2006 LATEST NEWS Face to Face with Westlife If the loss of a member usually means the beginning
of the end for pop bands, this was not the case with Westlife. At the top of
their game, Shane, Nicky, Kian & Mark will be back to wow Singapore for
the second time at the Singapore Indoor Stadium as part of their Face to Face
Asian Tour. VENUE Singapore Indoor Stadium DURATION Approx: 2 hrs Order your
tickets HERE Credit/Source:
www.sistic.com.sg |
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Westlife Are Coming To Butlins - 28 July 2006
Credit/Source: Butlins |
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Review: Westlife At Blickling - 27 July 2006 Westlife may have their doubters, but
the clamour for their Blickling gig meant all 10,000 tickets went in a
weekend. With the appetite for boy bands ever-changing, Westlife showed
they've settled into a niche, writes newly-converted fan Rob Sykes. The picnics were well under way and
the audience were settling in for the evening when a stir washed over the
crowd. Had the more eagle-eyed among the fans spotted something? The disquiet continued as the sight of
a helicopter appearing over the back of the stage brought a wave of
screaming. People surged to the fence to catch a glimpse of its occupants. As the doors opened, the screaming
intensified as Westlife alighted. The boys arrived on stage and opened the
show with Flying Without Wings. Tempo lifted
It was a strange choice of song to start
but they soon upped the tempo with a lively rendition of Hit You With The
Real Thing. As the chorus kicked in, fireworks
sprayed from the top of the stage and the pace for the evening was set. The show was choreographed to a tee.
Westlife may not be the world's most talented singers, but they certainly
know how to entertain! Not afraid to stray from the rule
book, they performed a pared down swing-inspired version of Uptown Girl
complete with top hats, tails and canes. Costume changes
Their ability to make songs their own
came to the fore with an extended version of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean
which saw them cavorting in front of dancing silhouettes. Dressed in Thriller-style jackets,
hats and sparkly gloves, they may not have had all of Jacko’s moves but they
captivated around 10,000 fans. Their charm shone through when they
spoke to their fans. Currently in the middle of a run of outdoor shows, this
was their first time at Blickling. Keen to make an impression, they
explained why they had arrived by helicopter. To sum up, they were showing off, but,
by then, you were prepared to forgive them the extravagance and willing to
believe that maybe they were just trying to prove one of their more famous
lyrics true! Unexpected covers
They performed several 'new' cover
versions including an accomplished rendition of Robert Palmer’s Addicted To
Love but the oddest moment came when they launched into a cover of The
Pussycat Dolls' hit Don’t Cha. Slightly shaky at first, you couldn’t
help thinking that they may have taken one step beyond their ability, but
they pulled it back and managed to infuse an R 'n' B feel that you wouldn’t
expect from four lads who have have built their fan base on melodic pop. The gig featured several costume
changes, but this didn’t slow down proceedings. The speed with which they changed from
all white suits to jeans, T-shirts and jackets was amazing and highlighted
the discipline with which the show had been put together. By the time they finished with Mandy
there were few dry eyes left in the house. They left the stage but soon returned
to rapturous applause to close with Queen Of My Heart and You Raise Me Up. The latter was significant because it
was the first song to feature the infamous stools! They all rose up on cue
and brought the night to a fitting climax. Unjustified criticism
Westlife get a lot of stick, but on
the strength of this gig it seems unjustified. They may not play instruments
or write timeless classics but they know how to put on a show. Manager Louis Walsh recently made some
harsh comments about the band and their attempt to distance themselves from
his decisions when jokingly introducing Seasons In The Sun as "his
idea" didn’t go un-noticed. Reports of their demise ever since
Bryan McFadden’s departure two years ago are definitely unwarranted. Westlife played at Blickling Hall on
Saturday, 15 July, 2006. Credit/Source: www.bbc.co.uk |
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Westlife
Tickets In Few Days - 26 July
2006 By Nhlanhla
Mathunjwa TICKETS for the show featuring
Westlife will be on sale by next month. The event is scheduled for the Mavuso
Exhibition and Trade Centre on December 30. According to the Public Relations
Officer of the organisers, Big 5 Entertainment, Maria de Sousa, tickets will
be available in neighbouring countries a month before the show. She said they will be given
advertising rights by the group's management office (International Management
Consultants Inc.) and these will be forwarded to local press to verify the
authenticity of the show. The show was initially planned for
September 29. It was shifted to a later date recently after the organisers
felt it was rather too close. She mentioned that ticket prices have
not been affected by the postponement De Sousa said the postponement would
give organisers enough time to come up with a better show. The tickets will be available in four
categories 1. Normal tickets cost E 370 each.
2. 3. 4. Autographs and individual pictures
will be part of the benefits. Credit/Source: www.observer.org.sz |
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Westlife
Shifted To December (Swaziland Concert Postponed!) - 26 July 2006 By Nhlanhla
Mathunjwa THE much talked about show featuring Westlife,
which was scheduled to take place at Mavuso Exhibition and Trade Centre has
been postponed. It will now be held on December 30.
According to organisers, the main reason behind this decision was that they
felt it was rather too close to host the show on September 30 mainly because
the public would need enough time to budget for a show of this magnitude. The show organised by Big Five
Entertainment, has managed to generate so much interest amongst members of
the public. The entertainment company's Relations
Officer, Maria de Sousa, said the organising committee met and debated merits
and demerits of the initial date and discovered that it was too close for
most people. spectacular
"We felt that we have not given
Swazi people enough time to budget and prepare for the spectacular event.
Therefore, we, together with our main sponsors decided to shift the show to
the end of the year," de Sousa stated, adding that this was meant to
allow locals at least three months to raise money to secure tickets. She mentioned that postponing the
event would also help them to make the show even bigger and exceptionally
spectacular. "One can also inform the public
that Westlife will be touring South Africa towards the end of the year,"
she said. The European group of the moment will be performing in Durban, then
Swaziland, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Garden Route Casino, Mossel Bay,
Cape Town and finally in Namibia. De Sousa pointed out that local people
will have first preference when it comes to the buying of tickets because the
group will be here specially for the Swazi people. She then apologised to the nation for
any inconveniences these sudden changes may have caused, but added that it
was made in the best interest of the group's local fans. Credit/Source: www.observer.org.sz |
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Review: Westlife In Bath - 24 July 2006 Helen Otter
I want to get this straight right from
the start: I do actually like cool stuff, you know. Red Hot Chili Peppers are
one of my favourite bands, I love anything by Elliott Smith, Muse are
awesome, Kasabian are an incredible live act, and Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd
will, I'm sure, remain brilliant forever. But everyone has a guilty secret,
right? Not rude ones, of course (blimey!) - this review's going out on the Some people might harbour a
clandestine liking of daytime TV programmes like Doctors or Dial M for
Murder, others may not be able to resist the lure of certain 'silver foxes'
such as Phillip Schofield or David Gower (yep - you read that right, two of
my highbrow friends completely fancy these guys, but take great pains to hide
their passion!), whilst others may insist they totally disagree with the
celebrity magazine culture of today, whilst hiding the latest copy of Heat
inside their Independent. Well, here's mine: I think Westlife
are great! Cheese-tastic
I'm probably going to regret writing
these words for all and sundry to read - no doubt this review will come back
to haunt me at some future point. But you know what? Right now, I'm
saying down with hypocrisy. Everyone has an embarrassing secret,
so let's just get it all out in the open and share the honesty. Westlife were terrific when they
played The Rec in Bath. There was singing, there were
pyrotechnics, there were choreographed dance moves, there were multiple
costume changes, there was lots of slow walking in straight lines, and, best
of all, there were lashings and lashings of cheese. In fact, the concert was dripping with
it. If The Rec had been a cheese and ham toastie that night, the cheese would
be pouring out from all four sides of it. It would have been all over both
bits of bread, and the sandwich toaster would have been ruined from the
excess of melted fromage. Sing it Westlife, sing it!
Everything you can expect from an
all-singing, all-dancing boy band, you got. Flying Without Wings was the opening
song - cue dramatic fireworks at the end of it, and it was straight into
another Westlife belter. When You're Looking Like That, Uptown
Girl, When You Tell Me That You Love Me, Queen of My Heart - the list goes
on, but you get the picture - were all churned out. I did have a fearful moment towards
the end of the concert, though, as at that point I still had not seen that
most beloved of Westlife moves - you know the one (and don't pretend you
don't) where the band are all sitting on stools singing a heart-wrenching
ballad, and they all stand up dramatically in unison at the key change. But I was not to be disappointed -
they were just saving the best 'till last, performing the manoeuvre with the
utmost finesse during You Raise Me Up in the encore. Genius! My guilty secret's out
Ok, so I realise I may not have changed
your mind about Westlife, but I'd like to finish with a few final thoughts. Yes, Westlife are a commercial pop
group. No, they don't play instruments or write their own songs, nor do they
have an inspiring political message to make the world a better place. But neither do they pretend or claim
to do any of that. For what they are (a good-looking, clean-cut boy band) and
what they do (sing cheesy songs, which make the girlies scream), they do it
all passionately and brilliantly! And whatever you think, you've gotta
give them credit for the amount of hits they've had, and how long they've
been around. Plus, believe it or not, they are actually good singers - all
four of them! So there, think of me what you will -
my guilty secret's out, and it feels good. Why not share yours? Go on, you
know you want to... - Westlife played The Recreation
Ground in Bath, as part of the Summer Nights Concerts Series. - A contribution from the concert was
made to the Royal United Hospital Bath's Forever Friends Appeal Credit/Source: www.bbc.co.uk |
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Hall Proves The Perfect Backdrop For A Long Weekend
Of Pop Magic - 24 July
2006 BY MELISSA BECK Thousands
of fans of all ages flocked to Kedleston Hall at the weekend to see three
evenings of music to satisfy the appetite of all pop fans. Credit/Source: www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk |
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Favourites Go Down Well - 24 July 2006 Westlife
wowed fans of all ages at Kedleston Hall on Saturday night with their second
outdoor Summer Nights concert in Derbyshire. Credit/Source: www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk |
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Get Ready To Scream As Westlife Take Stage - 20 July 2006 |
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Audley End Concert
Tickets Up For Grabs - 20 July 2006 Article shortened
Irish pop icons Westlife
will be performing at the third picnic concert of the summer at Audley End on
Sunday July 30.
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Bryn Proclaims It Will Be The Best
Shows Yet - 19 July 2006 Westlife
Related by Helen Harper, Holyhead Mail SCOTTISH twins The Proclaimers are
among the artists lined up to perform at Bryn Terfel’s Tân y Ddraig. The line-up for this year’s Faenol
Festival is now complete and the four-day event will include performances
from Irish boyband Westlife, diva sensation Shirley
Bassey, the main man himself Bryn Terfel who will be joined by Angela
Gheorghiu, Rolando Villazon and both the orchestra and chorus of the Welsh
National Opera for the Opera Gala night. The Proclaimers will complete the Tân
y Ddraig line up of Anweledig, Elin Fflur, Dyfrig “Topper” Evans and Nathan
Williams. But there is one question we all want
the answer to – will Bryn be joining Shirley, the sequin spangled sensation,
on stage? Speaking only a matter of weeks before
the big event, Bryn said: “I hope to join Shirley on stage for one song.” He continued: “With Westlife coming people should come
early. As a festival we don’t know what restraints there will be on traffic.
I can’t wait to see how it works out, and how they will bring their show with
all their tour buses. I find it fascinating. “Van Morrison just flew back to
Ireland in his helicopter after his show. I’m really interested in these
artists.” However, his first love is opera, and
Bryn believes this year’s will be the best to date. “For me this is one of the most
important nights and it’s a fire cracker of an opera night! We are getting
two rising stars who we most probably won’t be able to afford after five
years. It will surpass the Carreras and Boccelli nights!” He added: “I have enjoyed a long and
happy relationship with Welsh National Opera, performing most recently with
then in The Flying Dutchman earlier this year. “Having sung in so many opera houses
around the world, I can honestly say that the chorus and orchestra are among
the best in the world. “It will be wonderful to share the
stage with so many friends and familiar faces and I know they’ll be a real
asset to the opera night.” As always, the festival weekend ends
with Tân y Ddraig. Bryn said: “I can’t wait to hear
Anweledig again – I’m very please that they have agreed to perform at Tân y
Ddraig. I think it will be very exciting to hear them alongside some other
great Welsh bands past and present as well as listen to some of our
astonishing young performers. “Again, this year I wanted to keep the
Celtic connection alive and I’m delighted that The Proclaimers have agreed to
join the party. We did try to get the Pogues, but it didn’t work out.
Hopefully, they will come another time. “It will be a fantastic evening and a
blazing end to what I’m sure will be the best Faenol Festival yet.” The helen.harper Credit/Source: http://icnorthwales.icnetwork.co.uk |
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Westlife, Summer Pops Liverpool - 18 July 2006 By Homa Khaleeli, Liverpool Echo THOSE nice boys from Westlife weren't
doing much to dirty their squeaky-clean image as they took over the Summer
Pops last night. The quartet had spent the day in
Knowsley Safari Park being given a tour by the Earl of Derby. At the end of the show they thanked
their hosts, roadies and even security guards for keeping the crowd safe. But their polite behaviour hadn't cooled
the adoring crowd. When the boys turned up the heat in the already scorching
tent it seemed as though the all-woman audience would explode. They ended a Michael Jackson-inspired
dance routine by throwing their hats to the floor, peeling off their gloves
finger by finger and starting to undo their trousers. But they weren't ready to go the full
Monty in front of the mums and grans. Instead the performers coyly wagged
their fingers at the crowd and grinned over their shoulders. The boys played it safe, but their
slickly impressive show crammed with cover songs didn't disappoint anyone.
Old favourites got a rapturous applause and the audience was word-perfect on
Westlife's latest album Face To Face. A pyrotechnic display and lots of
costume changes livened up the performances, with Up Town Girl getting a top
hat and tails makeover. Atongue-in-cheek version of the
Pussycat Dolls Don't Cha had the crowd ready to dump the few men around. The boys looked as though they were
loving every minute of playing in front of the enthusiastic audience, with
Nicky smiling and twinkling at the crowd and Kian whipping them into a
frenzy. When they played Mandy the crowd
erupted and joyfully held their mobiles in the air for You Raise Me Up. When Shane said Liverpool crowds were
the best "and we're not just saying that" you could see why. Credit/Source: http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk |
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Westlife Liverpool Summer Pops - 18 July 2006 by Peter Harvey, Daily Post SEVEN years after being handpicked for
stardom by pop guru Louis Walsh and fashioned by Ronan Keating, Westlife
should be in the autumn of their careers. Thirteen UK number one singles, 40m
album sales around the world, sellout tours wherever they go (including
Australia and Asia in September), two Brits Awards, the list goes on. Time to gracefully retire and enjoy
their fortunes, some may think? Perhaps buy a slice of Sligo and run a stud
farm? Well, not based on the success of
their Summer Pops gig which saw the Big Top in danger of bursting at its
seams with the shrieks and yelps from the group’s army of mainly teenage
fans. Twenty-four hours after 1980s boy band A-Ha gyrated their 40-something
hips in front 30-something mums it was again Ladies Night on the Dock Road,
this time courtesy of Ireland’s Fab Four. A full five minutes of ear-piercing
screams announced their imminent arrival on stage before they launched
straight into what was arguably their showstopper, Flying Without Wings. Dazzling fireworks accompanied their
opening numbers while four huge videoscreen backdrops gave everyone close-ups
of their favourite band member. The show was everything the fans could
have hoped for. They were even treated to a flash of
Nicky Byrne’s boxer shorts emblazoned with MUFC - a bold move by anyone in
Liverpool. Westlife’s success is based on looking
good, strutting a fair dance routine and having passable singing voices. A dollop of Irish charm and twinkly
eyes have also helped make them darlings of the media and ultimate teeny pop
idols. Since Bryan McFadden’s departure in
2004 Westlife have re-invented themselves, maturing into a more refined and
classy product, helped by a few smoochy Rat Pack tunes and rubbing shoulders
with Diana Ross, Lulu, Mariah Carey and Donny Osmond. They are enjoying a second coming.
What price another seven years? After which they can split up in time for a
reunion tour and yet more screams, the likes of which have not been heard
round here for 40 years. Credit/Source: http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk |
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Review From The Bath
Concert - 17 July 2006 Thanx Chantelle for typing it up J Less than 24 hours later, it was the turn
of cheeky Irish boy band Westlife, the four-piece with 13 number ones to
their name. Credit/Source: Chantelle / The Bath Chronicle |
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Listings: Critics'
Choice - 17 July 2006 |
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Westlife Show Is A Girls' Night Out - 17 July
2006 Blickling
Hall Credit/Source: http://new.edp24.co.uk
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Review:
Westlife - 16 July
2006 Anna Hammond, South Wales Echo Coopers Field, Cardiff Slick, effortless and entertaining best
sum up the Westlife concert in Cardiff's Coopers Field last night. They've got the chat, the moves and
the voices which their devoted fans loved from start to finish. It was the fourth time the Irish
boyband have played the capital this year having already done a three-night
stint in Cardiff International Arena in May, but there was no lack of
enthusiasm or effort from the boys. There were some empty seats in the
audience so perhaps some fans had spent and seen enough, but those that did
go were treated to a polished performance. Any danger of lacking stage presence -
a criticism last time round - simply didn't exist and while they opened with
Flying Without Wings and ended more than an hour later with You Raise Me Up,
there was plenty in between to smile about. Mid-way through they did a number of
covers, singing Billy Joel's Uptown Girl, Will Smith's Wild Wild West, Robert
Palmer's Addicted To Love and camped things up with, perhaps the best of all,
Don't Cha by the Pussycat Dolls. Despite generous offers from the crowd
to stay the night in Cardiff, Nicky, Kian, Shane and Mark left Wales for
London, but promised to return in 2007 to promote their new album, released
later this year. Anna Hammond Credit/Source: http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk
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From SATs To Sharing Stage With Westlife - 13 July 2006 Most 14-year-old
girls stress over spots, shopping and occasionally school. One thing you
certainly would not expect them to worry about is how they will cope being
the supporting act to an internationally-renowned, chart-topping band. Credit/Source: www.edp24.co.uk |
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Westlife Warm ‘Em Up - 12 July 2006 By Kerry
Slack Crowds
at Chatsworth House huddled under blankets to keep warm during a cold, damp
evening, but their heroes Westlife soon warmed them up. Credit/Source: www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk |
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Westlife...
Face To Face In Manila - 7 July 2006 Thanx Sam for emailing me the news: Westlife’s concert in Manila on 4 September 2006 Is now confirmed! The concert will take place at the Araneta Coliseum venue. You can reserve your tickets here Credit/Source: Sam / www.ticketnet.com.ph
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Singapore
Concert Confirmed - 7 July 2006 Thanx Angeline
for the info Angeline called SonyBMG in Singapore and the record
company confirmed that Westlife will hold a concert there. The date is not
confirmed yet. Credit/Source:
Angeline |
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Westlife And McFly Take Their
Sound To The Holiday Camps - 6 July 2006 Boybands hit Butlins... Super boy bands Westlife and McFly will both be
wowing crowds at Butlins later this year. Credit/Source: www.entertainmentwise.com |
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Summer
Night With Westlife - 6 July 2006 Article shortened and only includes the Westlife
part TOP boy band Westlife will take
part in a series of open-air concerts in Bath this month. Westlife has dominated the UK
music scene for seven years and the lads' latest album, Face To Face,
epitomises the high standards of tunes they produce each time they hit the
charts. Credit/Source:
www.thewestonmercury.co.uk |
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Westlife “Face To Face Asian Tour In Seoul” - 6 July 2006 Thanx Gqleluv
for the info Westlife’s concert in Seoul on 6 September 2006 is now confirmed! Tickets will go on sale on 7 July 2006. For tickets click
here Credit/Source: Gqleluv / http://ticket.interpark.com |
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Divas Try Westlife – 5 July 2006
From Sydney Confidential Although they burst on to the charts
just three months ago, it's a case of power in numbers for the quartet of
former Australian idol-ettes, who are notching up gigs quicker than Mark
Holden could score them a touchdown. With their first single already reaching gold sales,
and their inaugural tour set to shimmy into the national spotlight from July
14 at Star City, it was their upcoming shows with the boys from Westlife
which the girls described as "a dream come true" yesterday. "It's just amazing to have the opportunity to
perform with international artists of that standard," original Idol
graduate Paulini said. "The shows will hopefully also give us exposure
overseas." Credit/Source: http://entertainment.news.com.au
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Westlife Touring Asia – 1 July 2006 Westlife will tour many Asian
countries in September. Here is the dates till now: (Most of them are NOT confirmed yet) 04 September- Manila 08 September - Singapore
Credit/Source: Thanx to many Asian fans Caroline / Ann and SonyBMG Taiwan / www.ticket.com.tw |