Take That Etihad Gig Review: Circus Spectacle and Family Joy

Take That have arrived in Manchester for their homecoming gigs, and although the circus wasn't in Liverpool last night, it was just up the M62 at Manchester's Etihad Stadium. Thousands of Take That fans were at the home of Manchester City yesterday (June 19) for the first of the band's three homecoming performances.

The Circus Live Returns

The Circus Live broke UK records back in 2009 as the fastest-selling tour in history. More than one million fans got to see Britain's biggest boyband in the flesh after 600,000 tickets sold in less than five hours. The tour received rave reviews for its breathtaking theatricals, incredible scale and, of course, the famous mechanical elephant that was unlike anything ever seen before.

More than 17 years later, Take That - with mechanical elephant in tow - have brought the tour to new audiences and die-hard fans wanting to experience it all over again.

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A Night to Remember

Despite not seeing their world famous tour nearly two decades ago, I was one of the lucky people in the audience last night as the now three-piece boyband - made up of Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald - rolled back the years and brought out their back catalogue of hits.

The crowd was in high spirits after performances from American singer Belinda Carlisle and Irish pop rock band The Script. Then Circus performers appeared on stage, a telling sign that Take That were not too far behind.

As some of the performers, wearing what appeared to be cloud patterned suits, headed towards the centre stage while flinging through the air on a teeterboard, you really got a taste of what was to come. This wasn't going to be any old show.

After an opening performance from the show's cast, Take That were revealed from beneath a huge swarm of brightly coloured balloons to rapturous cheers. "Today this could be, the greatest day of our lives," sang Gary Barlow, as the familiar intro of Greatest Day played out into the stadium.

As blue confetti filled the air and a circus performer drifted into the sky onboard a balloon, it was hard not to be impressed by the size and scale of the show. From the return of the huge walking elephant while performing The Garden, to the band taking turns to ride around the stage on a unicycle, it really felt like every single moment had been thought out. There wasn't a second to miss.

More Than Just Theatrics

Of course, the over-the-top theatrics were out of this world, but there was something extra special happening in the stadium. Everywhere you looked there were mums and daughters sharing embraces, while groups of friends danced the night away. Everyone was living in the moment.

Never Forget was the stand out song of the evening for me for this exact reason. Watching on as thousands of people joined in for the song's iconic clapping choreography was an unforgettable experience, and the reaction from the crowd suggests it won't be forgotten by many others either.

There were also some tender moments between the band. Howard and Mark walked with their arms around each other, while Gary followed closely behind, while performing Say It All. There was also a lovely moment where Gary shared Howard's microphone during Patience, appearing to give each other a look of, 'Wow.' It felt like they all genuinely wanted to be there.

For me, live music doesn't get better than that. An incredible crowd, breath-taking show, and a band that shows no signs of slowing down. That was truly magical.