Take That's The Circus rolled back into Cardiff and left me wanting more. Not more because it was lacking, but more because it was a spectacle you didn't want to end.
I wasn't lucky enough to see The Circus back in 2009. I was also 28 at that point and I don't think I'd fully rebooted my warm and cosy appreciation for a band so rooted in my formative teenage years. Now longer together as a trio than they ever were as a five-piece, Take That sit in a special place in my heart, their lyrics emblazoned on my brain.
Such is this long-term appreciation for Gary, Mark and Howard (with everlasting memories of Robbie and Jason) I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity of seeing The Circus now it was coming back around. The colourful bombast of it all I just found too tempting.
And by the end of a high-octane, constantly action-packed two hours, Take That achieved the impossible: I could have partied through another two hours of the highly impressive, joyfully energy circus-themed gig. What a show indeed.
The Performance
The three, so honed in on their craft and performance, just exude a connection like the best I've seen. Their on-stage shorthand with each other is as heartwarming as it is unsurprising. They've spent 35 years as Take That and it pays off.
One minute you're tearing up at the softer, thoughtful, The Garden while they're taken to the main stage on the back of a massive animatronic elephant. The next it's party time with an acrobatic turn for Shine as showgirls danced around, or the pulsing drum intro to Never Forget, always anthemic, which got the biggest roar of the night from the crowd.
The sections of the show, all connected by different displays of circus talent - tightrope walking, acrobats, fire eaters, gymnasts - pace through at a breakneck speed. It's amazing.
Visual Spectacle
Visually this is also impressive. We go from black suits, sparkles, circus outfits and sad clown make-up to military garb. A giant hot air balloon, rain machines. God, it just goes on and on and, of course, there's a load of songs too.
It swings from the high-energy early '90s dance/house pop from Take That and Party and Everything Changes - Pray is in the middle of that, of course - to 90s ballads like Babe and Back For Good, and the reunion hits like Patience and Shine.
Honestly, I was dancing non-stop from about minute 15, so it's hard to pick the highlight. But I always have a soft spot for 1991 hit Do What You Like - the song I first saw them sing on ITV's The Chart Show.
Personal Reflections
The last time I saw Take That live was in Cardiff for their 2019 Greatest Hits tour. They've always achieved the feel good factor and, more so since watching their new Netflix documentary, they and their superfans utterly deserve that.
Without droning on about the documentary's revelations, the band's ups and downs detailed within it made me savour the show even more. They love this.
Gary Barlow dreamed of this his whole teenage life, doing gigs in working men's clubs, and Mark and Howard found their calling as irreplaceable members of Take That. Since 2006 their contributions have been nurtured and enjoyed.
With their monumental back catalogue of upbeat hits, iconic sing-a-longs and the 110% and then some they put into their live shows, may Take That entertain us for as long as they can.
