We set off from Teesside at 3.00pm on Tuesday 31 May to pick my friend up in Eston. It was the last date at Sunderland before Take That Tour moved on to Manchester. There were plenty cars on the A19 but no real hold ups and it wasn’t long before we were approaching Sunderland City Centre looking for somewhere to park. Having seen the bus station while driving round my mate txted suggesting the Civic Centre. We eventually got the turning for it after a few goes round with it being one way and missing the turn off. All parked up at 4.20pm we headed past Mowbray Gardens, Yates Bar and off for a sandwich and drink.
It was off to the Stadium of Light walking over the Wearmouth Bridge down North Bridge Street and turning left at St Peters Rail Station. The sun was out, I looked at the merchandise on sale. Deciding a T-shirt was a better option than the rather expensive programme, I purchased a black T-shirt with all 5 of the band on and with all the tour dates on the back.
Time to queue to go in, we showed our tickets and got an orange wrist band. The next queue was to check bags and scan the barcode on our tickets. We all queued for a bottle of water and soaked in the atmosphere just where all the refreshments were in the car park area, which attracted fans of all ages. At around 6.15 we decided to go in and see which part of the stadium would be the best. Our tickets were for either pitch side or any of lower tier seats. We walked in to the stadium, it was the East Stand one of the side stands, looking down on pitch side it was already pretty packed. We saw some Lower seats in line with the main stage and decided this would be a good view especially for when the band members come to the side of the stage.
The sun was blazing on the East Stand while we waited for the support act Pet Shop Boys to come on. The Pet Shops Boys came on around 7.15pm and were really good. I didn’t know many of the songs to be honest. Go West really got the crowd going as did Always on My Mind. They did about a 40 minute mix. The seats were all filled and the pitch side was looking even fuller. Not long to wait to see Take That back together as a five live.
There was a 60 second count down with the crowd all joining in for the last 10 seconds on the big screen on stage. Then on came Take That. It was around 8.30pm as Gary, Howard, Jason and Mark came on to the big stage. Loud cheers and screaming round the stadium greeted them to which they responded waving to the crowd then moving their arms down and saying shush. Then Gary started singing the first song of the night Rule The World. We got a close glimpse of them with Gary and Howard going to our side and Jason and Mark the other side then swapping around.
The next song was about to start, all four of them ran to the B stage with Gary saying ‘what a beautiful evening for this.’ That next song was Greatest Day, a minute into the song all four of them moved from each corner of stage on to a lifted platform and a huge cannon blast fired yellow confetti out from the stage flying all over. I even managed to grab a piece in my seat. It was yellow tissue and it looked amazing. Hold up a Light was the next song with the four of them on the B stage joined by acrobats and flames, it really did look spectacular. More was to follow with another highlight being Shine a Caterpillar from the main stage from where they walked to the B stage joined by Alice in Wonderland characters and Gary on the piano.
It was soon Robbie Williams time to get in the spot light. He was lowered to the stage and entered to Let Me Entertain You. Robbie said ‘Come on Sunderland, remember me?’ He really gets the crowd going and on their feet. You sensed the atmosphere had gone up another few levels. It looked spectacular, with all the fans pitch side waving their hands in the air and the sight of all those orange wristbands. Then Robbie was telling the crowd to ‘bounce.’ Another fave of his, Rock DJ, was played next, his energy running around on stage transferred to the crowd. Robbie shouted, ‘it’s Sunderland’s last night lets ‘ave it’ and ‘20 years in the making 15 years in the waiting, five years deliberating it is the progress tour 2011’
He followed up by singing Come Undone and Fee, where he went in to the crowd on a cradle high fiving lucky people before finishing his solo singing for the night with the amazing Angels. He really is a showman and commands the stage like no one else.
Then was the moment everyone had been waiting for, the five singing live together on tour for the first time since the 90s. Dancers performed an amazing routine taking place on a wall of water while the five sang from the highest part of the stage. Robbie threw himself off the top of the stage at the finale part of Flood upside down via suspension cables. While the rest of the band came down in a lift each down to the stage.
Take That followed on with other songs from their new album Progress with SOS, Underground Machine with Howard on the drums. The band move to the B stage to perform Kidz where they started an entertaining old skool dance off involving Jason and Howard. Back to the main stage for Pretty Things the first time the OM was used the nickname given to the robot. Gary and Robbie were lifted up by OM arms as a ballet dancer between the two stages.
The five of them all joked on stage about the old days and what song they should sing next. They sang bits of Promises and Do What You Like with Gary on the piano. Robbie said ‘what about a Million Love Songs?’ this was partly played with Babe, Everything Changes before Gary got one of the dancers to bring them drinks with Gary, Howard and Jason having Red Wine, Mark and Robbie got milk. Then it was back to singing some more of their 90’s hits Back for Good and Pray. The crowd really knew the words to all the hits from 20 years ago.
The new single followed, Love, Love which is on the new Xmen film, with all 5 of the band on the OM Robot which was more in a laid down position. OM started moving down towards the B side stretching out to his full height of 20 metres for the next song, Never Forget which was very memorable for the sight of the crowd pitch side all putting their arms in the air. It looked absolutely amazing!
It was coming close to the end of the show as the band started singing No Regrets and turning it in to Relight My Fire performing on the B stage with dancers. Gary sang the last song of the Progress Tour, Eight Letters as all the band descended the stairs of the B stage shaking fans hands as they moved towards the main stage. As Gary got back to the stage he thanked his band, director and us amazing fans. Wow! A word I used plenty of times watching it. It had finished but it had been truly entertainment in every sense of the word!
My first Take That concert, what a treat, I know I have missed bits and will look forward to seeing the DVD when it’s released later on in the year. The Progress Tour was truly amazing with all the costumes, technology, lights, colours, acrobats, dancers etc there was that much going on it was stunning, you just couldn’t take it all in. The fans played their part too. Hats off to Take That for the planning, time and effort to put on a top show like that. It had a great balance of new and old Take That songs plus Robbie solo songs.
The day after the concert Robbie wrote on his blog that Sunderland had been awesome and the last night of the four Sunderland concerts was his personal favourite. Which made my day.J I would also go back to Sunderland Stadium of Light is an ideal venue for concerts. The show was worth every penny, I would love to see it again but I think I just might have to wait for the DVD which I’m sure will be a top seller when it’s released.
Roll on the next Tour!
