New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) Animated visuals in the background, the dashing Irish boy band Westlife belting out their iconic hits and excited fans swaying to timeless tunes around them... Sunday night at JLN stadium was a sight to behold.
After gigs in Mumbai and Bengaluru, it was time for the famous Westlife quartet -- Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Shane Filan and Mark Feehily -- to wow the Delhi-NCR audience and the heartthrobs of 90s didn't disappoint as they ended their India leg of "The Wild Dreams" Tour on a high note.
The performance started with a pitch-perfect opening sequence with members of the boy band storming the stage unannounced and singing the rousing pop number, 'Starlight', followed with streams of confetti appearing from nowhere.
"We love you India. We have been waiting for many years to come to India and do the concert, tonight is going to be the best of the lot. Are you ready to party, Delhi?" asked one of the band members to the pumped-up audience.
The Irish-band didn't wait too long to make music lovers walk down the 90s lane as they crooned to their nostalgic classics "Uptown Girl", "I Lay My Love On You", "Seasons in the Sun", "If I Let You Go", "My Love", and "Swear it again" -- the band's first single from their debut album in 1999.
"When we started this band we were a lot younger than what we are now, but so were you guys," said 43-year-old Kian Egan as he joked about how the group and its audience have grown old together.
To everyone's delight, the band, performing its 90th concert, wore matching silver basket coats to perform a medley of ABBA tunes including "Mamma Mia", "Take a Chance on Me", "Dancing Queen", "Thank You for the Music" and "Money Money Money".
Waving their hands in the air, singing along to every word or at times getting caught up in the emotion of powerful ballads, the audience -- particularly the older millennials' -- enjoyed the concert to the tee.
"I know it is a cliche but it was indeed a dream come true moment for me. I have grown up listening to Westlife, and getting to see them performing live after all these years is no less than a blessing. This is surreal. Of course, this is by far the best concert I have ever been to," said Piyush Sharma, 28, who attended the concert with his wife.
The band was formed in Sligo, Ireland, by the name 'IOYOU' by Egan, Feehily and Filan in 1997 with Byrne and Brian McFadden joining them a year later. The group was later renamed as Westlife.
They released their first single in April 1999 and have since released 12 studio albums, including 2021's "Wild Dreams".
The group ended its act and the Indian leg of the tour with the soaring anthem of "You Raise Me Up", and everyone, as if on cue, flashed their camera lights towards the stage to capture the magical moment and their childhood idols for one last time.
Westlife's "The Wild Dreams" tour was brought to India by BookMyShow Live.