Apple Music Festival 2015: Take That at the Roundhouse

If only as much effort could go into stage setups as Take That put into theirs for the Apple Music Festival. From giant hands and pink ladders to hanging glitter balls and huge horses all spilling over a black-and-white chequered floor, it’s a surreal scene somewhere between Dalí and Lewis Carroll. Appearing for the first time at The Roundhouse, with its 1,700 capacity, there isn’t spare space in sight, even if it is a Sunday night. Once Barlow, Owen and Donald walk out smiling and begin to play Shine, it’s clear that it wouldn’t matter if they suffered a sudden bout of laryngitis – the fans know every word and sing every song over the next 60 minutes with a dedication highlighted by the fact that some of them have camped out overnight to get a ticket.

“Does anyone here remember the 90s?” Barlow asks before the first of the opportunities to reminisce comes with Pray. An absent Lulu on Relight My Fire (wishful thinking) is quickly forgotten, and an all-too-short acoustic medley comprising of A Million Love Songs and Babe improves as soon as they go into the full version of Back for Good – because it’s a reminder of how great their songs were, and still are.

The earlier songs take slightly less precedence than more recent ones, like Greatest Day and Patience, but don’t suffer a lack of vocals from a now truncated line-up. In fact, there are no signs of diminishing performances here. If anything, they’ve tightened up as a trio – for example, where Donald was previously “just one of the dancers”, he joins in talking to the audience almost as much as the other two. Naturally, he’s the best mover to watch in the only choreographed song of the night, These Days. Barlow is still the leader though in his dapper trouser and blazer combo, offset against a casual Donald in slacks and a flowery-shirted Owen – the latter being as popular as ever, even jumping down into a gleeful crowd for Hold up a Light.

Ending with Never Forget amidst a cloud of gold glitter and falling balloons, Take That are the prime example in the music world of how to mature from boyhood, and tonight is an example of pulling off a faultless concert.

Steven White

For further information about Take That and future events visit here.

Apple Music Festival 2015 is on at the Roundhouse until 28^th September 2015, for further information visit here.

Watch the video for Shine here: