Shane Filan, a co-founder of Westlife, can’t wait for the Irish boy band’s return to Macau for two concerts in November. They last performed there in 2019 as part of their The Twenty tour.
“We’ve always wanted to go,” says Filan. “We weren’t there for very long, but we got to walk around and see all the sites and stuff as best we could. The incredible buildings make you feel like it’s a cooler version of Las Vegas in Asia. It was pretty awesome.”
The singer-songwriter also has fond memories of the concert four years ago.
“I just didn’t expect how big the reaction was in Macau. Performing two sell-out shows at the Cotai Arena was pretty amazing. The fans were incredible as well.”
Filan also took in the sights in Hong Kong when he was in East Asia the last time. With a penchant for architecture, he has fond memories of the city’s skyline.
“I actually went for a really nice walk down by the harbour last time, and it is definitely one of the coolest places in the world. I’m very interested in architecture and I loved going to all the different buildings. We did loads of video footage to launch the Macau and China leg of the last tour.”
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Westlife are known for their strong vocal harmonies, ballad-driven songs and polished performances. The group, whose other members are Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne – Bryan McFadden left in 2004 – have built a massive global fan base.
Their music appealed to a wide audience, making them one of the bestselling boy bands of all time. The group’s debut single, “Swear It Again”, was released in 1999 and became a massive hit in the UK and Ireland, marking the beginning of their meteoric rise.
They followed up with several other chart-topping singles, including “Flying Without Wings”, “If I Let You Go”, “My Love” and “World of Our Own”. Indeed, their first seven singles all went to number one in the UK charts.
Westlife’s bestselling album was their second studio recording, Coast to Coast, released in 2000. Worldwide sales exceeded 12 million copies, making it one of the most popular albums of 2000. It showcased Westlife’s ability to deliver heartfelt ballads and infectious pop tunes.
According to Filan, the band’s popularity continues to grow, 24 years on. “It’s hard to believe sometimes how incredible and loyal the fans are and it seems like it’s getting more fun now than it was when we were younger,” says the 44-year-old.
“We are playing in more cities, more countries, bigger audiences in stadiums now, where we wouldn’t have gone before. We’re getting to travel the world a bit more.
“We’re going to South Africa for the first time this year. We went to Mexico last week. We are going to India for the first time for a proper tour. We’re off to do the biggest tour we’ve ever done in China.”
Asked to what he attributes Westlife’s enduring popularity, Filan says: “I think it’s because we’re going so long. I think it’s because of nostalgia as well.
“We bring back memories for people and take them to a time when they were younger, when people were in school, or whatever it was, and all these songs mean something to them.”
“People want to see us perform these songs but it’s not necessarily about us. It’s about our music and what it meant to people 20 or 15 years ago. I think that’s why we’ve grown and it’s amazing,” he adds.
Westlife play Macau’s The Londoner arena on November 18 and 19.