WESTLIFE TO SPLIT AFTER 14 YEARS
by Tim Jonze
The Irish boyband are calling
it a day after 20 top five hits, but are planning a farewell arena tour and
album.
Perhaps terrified at the
prospect of having to compete for critical attention with the Stone Roses,
Westlife have decided to call it a day.
The Irish boyband, which was
formed in 1998 and has inflicted more than 20 top five hits on the general
public since then, will no longer be releasing records as relentlessly
creative, not to mention downright influential, as Unbreakable, Fool Again and
Flying Without Wings. We must, however, keep our champagne corked for now – the
band are threatening a farewell arena tour and greatest hits album before they
are finally on their way.
Westlife have sold more than
40m albums during their career and the tour will be a chance for their fans to
hear some of those 14 No 1 hits nobody can quite recall the name of for one
last time. After that, the foursome, which comprises Nicky Byrne, 33, Shane
Filan, 32, Mark Feehily, 31, and Kian Egan, 31, have promised to explore
"new ventures". Whether this means a sonic exploration along the
fringes of underground electronic or just some charity work and crap solo
albums remains to be seen.
Unfortunately for those of us
trying to spin a news story out of this event, there are no reported fights,
affairs or even creative differences to attribute the split to. Rather, it
seems their parting is "amicable" and quite possibly based around the
fact they can't believe they're still getting away with this rubbish after 14 years
so best quit while they're ahead.
In a statement the group said:
"Over the years Westlife has become so much more to us than just a band.
Westlife are a family."
Signs that all was not well in
the Westlife camp came when the band split with their label boss, Simon Cowell,
earlier this year. Byrne said at the time: "We signed to Simon back in
1998 and he was brilliant, but then came the development of X Factor and
American Idol. Simon became famous himself and his interests went that way rather
than on Westlife. We almost felt a little bit unloved with Simon Cowell, if I
was to be honest."
A band source reportedly told
the Sun: "There's no bad blood in the band, they're still great pals. But
all good things come to an end and they are all keen to do their own thing.
It's not something they have done lightly as they are still at the top of their
game. They could carry on making albums into their old age the way their career
has gone, but none of them want to do that."
Let's be thankful for small
mercies. Until the 2016 reunion tour, that is.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/oct/19/westlife-split-after-14-years
---
THE FATHER AND HIS SONS
A father had a family of sons
who were always fighting. He had no luck trying to stop their arguments with
words, so he decided to teach them a lesson. He told his sons to bring him a
bunch of sticks. He took the sticks and gave them to his eldest son and asked
him to break them. The eldest son tried with all his strength but was not able
to do it. The other sons tried and were also unsuccessful. The father then
separated the sticks and put one into each son's hand. He asked his sons again
to try and break the sticks. They broke them easily. The father said, "My
sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be like
these sticks together; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be
broken as easily as a single stick."
http://www.teachersdesk.com/lessons/esl/fables
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