upfront
RAISING THE BARLOW
A few years ago Gary Barlow staged a comeback that didn’t feel like a comeback,
aided by his grumpy uncle position on the X Factor judging panel and with the
help of the British establishment. At this point, he might as well burst out of
a Union Jack cake during the final of The Great British Bake Off dressed as a
Beefeater to sing Greatest Day.
He’s touring his first solo album for nearly 15 years, Since I Saw You Last, origin
of banjo-twanging hit Let Me Go. Both album and tour prove once again that
Barlow is one of mainstream pop’s best songwriters. There’s also his 2012 number
one single Sing to listen out for, and a host of album cuts that underline the regal
nature of Barlow’s voice and songcraft. He has received the blessing of Sir Elton
John, who sings a duet with Barlow on single Face To Face, and hopefully he can
take some of the Rocket Man’s sense for showbiz on the road.
Of course he also has the advantage of a back-catalogue to die for. Take That
stunners from the last 22 years (admittedly, there is a gap of nearly a decade
in the middle of that somewhere) will attract much of the crowd. Denying the
enduring power of Patience, Back For Good, Pray, or any of the band’s cache of
number one singles would be like denying that Everest is rather tall. They have
had 16 top five hits, as well as 11 singles and seven albums that have hit number
one in the UK charts.
Despite the popularity of the boyband that launched him it’s a testament to
Barlow’s charm and pure skill (and maybe his facial hair) that he has built up
a fan base all of his own. Anyone who thought Robbie would be the only solo
survivor after the Take That fallout has been belatedly proven wrong as Barlow
has had three number one singles, six songs that have been north of the top 10
mark and a number one solo album – and that’s all on his billy!
This tour is more like a victory lap for Gary Barlow then, and it would be a shame,
after all the setbacks and his triumphant return, to miss this celebration of a
performer at his peak. LUKE WEBBER
Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wed 9 Apr. Tickets: £35-£55. Info: 029
2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk
WALES GOES POP!
RETURNING for its second outing, the Wales Goes Pop! mini-festival once again
presents a commendable cast of independent pop music’s sung and unsung
heroes. A conversation with one of its chief curators Liz Hunt, also of Cardiff
band The School, assures us that it will again rise to the occasion.
“We were really testing the water to see if anyone wanted an event like this in
Cardiff. We were overwhelmed with the response and support from people here,
so we had to do another!”
Championing household names, Welsh talent and bands you may never have
heard of, Wales Goes Pop! is the perfect opportunity to engross yourself in a
broad bevy of brilliant