Irish boy band Westlife has many fond memories of the Philippines.
On February 20 and 21, 2023, boy band members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne returned to the Philippines to perform the 50th show of their The Wild Dreams Tour at the Araneta Coliseum.
Read also: Westlife returns to Manila for The Wild Dreams Tour
During the longest intermission of the concert, Westlife member Nicky was hyped to see a jam-packed theatre of the sold-out show.
After interacting with the crowd for a group cheer, Nicky began to look back and share the group's experiences in the country.
"Speaking of memories actually, we first stepped foot in the Philippines, I’m gonna say 1999 [or] 2000," he started.
"We were all 18, 19 years of age. And our memories are of thousands of people at Manila airport.
"So the police and the security told us, 'So many people, we’re gonna need loads of you know, police to get you out.'
"And you [fans] were banging on the glass, and banging on the doors, and it was crazy.
"We were telling everybody back home, how amazing Southeast Asia, the Philippines was for Westlife.
"And then, when we decided to come back at this tour, we said, ‘Wait ‘til you see the airport, it’s gonna be crazy,’" he continued before pausing for dramatic effect.
It turns out, the four gentlemen were expecting the same scene upon arrival.
"Not one of you," the singer-turned-broadcaster joked, and the audience broke into laughter.
But Nicky showed he understood as he said, "You’ve all grown up. You got your own children."
Nonetheless, the members assured the audience they would keep coming back to the Philippines for as long as they still have supporters, even if they don't arrive to a grand commotion at the airport.
DEDICATED FANS
Another standout segment of the concert took place when the members asked two ladies in the VIP area to come up on stage.
They caught the boy band's eye because they were dressed in wedding gowns and holding banners.
"All these signs that you're making, people do different things," Nicky stated, before reading the message on one of the brides' banners: "We left our wedding with our bridesmaids to attend your concert."
Read also: Edited wedding photo ng "bride" kasama ang Westlife noong 2020, nagkatotoo nitong 2023
Contrary to viral reports stating they rushed to the concert after their respective weddings, Shara, one of the "brides" told PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) that they were only pulling a stunt to get noticed by the band.
Nonetheless, the members were elated to see the dedication of both women.
The other bride's signage also made member Kian feel proud and touched. He read: "I chose you over Backstreet Boys"
At the time, the Backstreet Boys were also holding their concert at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Poking fun at the incident, the members started to sing the chorus of Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way," to which the crowd playfully sang along.
WESTLIFE's SET LIST
Westlife kicked off the performance to the upbeat tunes of "Starlight," "Uptown Girl," and "When You're Looking Like That."
They also played their hit songs "Swear It Again," "Fool Again," "If I Let You Go," and "My Love."
Paying homage to Swedish supergroup ABBA, Westlife performed a medley of the former's iconic songs "Waterloo," "Gimme Gimme Gimme," "Money, Money, Money," "Super Trouper," "Dancing Queen," "I Have A Dream," and "Thank You For The Music."
Other songs on the list were the band's songs "I Lay My Love on You," "World of Our Own," "What About Now" by Daughtry, "Mandy" by Barry Manilow, and "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jack.
For their encore, Westlife concluded the show with "Hello My Love" and "You Lift Me Up."
READ MORE:
- Former Westlife member Brian McFadden: "The Philippines is my favorite place in the world."
- Westlife celebrates 20 years with two-day concert in Manila
- Shane Filan fends off "marriage proposal" from Filipino fan; he promises to return for concert in 2015
- Shane Filan of Westlife fame open to doing a collaboration with The Voice PH finalist Klarisse de Guzman