Shane Filan kicks off first ever solo tour in Liverpool
By Sam Rigby
Shane Filan kicked off his first ever solo tour in Liverpool last night (February 20).
The former Westlife singer took to the stage in front a very enthusiastic crowd at the city’s Philharmonic Hall, performing both solo tracks and hits from his boyband days.
Shane repeatedly thanked fans on what he described as one of the biggest nights of his life, as he worked his way through You and Me album tracks like About You and Baby Let’s Dance.
There was plenty of nods to his Westlife past right from the start as he upped the tempo with crowd-favourite Uptown Girl, before performing Westlife’s first number two single What Makes A Man.
The stage design for the show saw the Philharmonic Hall transformed into an Irish pub, complete with a stock of Guinness and a couple of bar stools for two lucky members of the audience.
Shane promised some surprise covers and he delivered just that, with a medley of Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines and Avicii’s Wake Me Up getting the largely female audience dancing in the aisles.
Speaking to Attitude recently, Shane said that his solo material has won him a new type of fan, and this was evident in the crowd at last night’s show. Joining the Westlife faithful were fans of all ages, both male and female.
Flying Without Wings, My Love (a personal favourite) and You Raise Me Up also featured in the setlist, which Shane told us would pay tribute to a “huge part” of his life.
He returned for a two-song encore including debut solo effort Everything To Me and latest single Knee Deep In My Heart, which ended things on just the right note.
Many may be sceptical about Shane Filan’s potential away from Westlife, and the singer himself is aware that the group’s achievements doesn’t “guarantee” him success.
However, what should guarantee him a successful solo career is his infectious personality and music that clearly sets his solo career apart from what has come before.