18th May Just Take That

Now this might come as a surprise to some of you but I have been to see Take That in concert on two occasions. Both of them were at Manchester, the first time during their supposed 'Greatest Hits' tour which was performed in the round which was jaw droppingly good, the second a few years later which although still very good was just not as good. 

Now don't get me wrong I didn't buy any of the CD's until all their hit singles appeared on one disc and I certainly didn't succumb to hysteria and dissolve into a puddle when they broke up. But I have always been interested in the dynamics of the band: the singer and songwriter Gary, the rebel Robbie, the cheeky chappy Mark and the other two Howard and Jason who were often wrongly derided for simply being 'back up dancers'

Last night I settled down to binge watch my way through the newly released netflix documentary that looked back at the bands career and tried to highlight when, where and why it all went so right, so wrong and ultimately so right again. And it was a great rush of nostalgia, one that I binge watched in an evening. 

And perhaps the surprising thing was how it brought to the fore how the 'minor' members of the band in many peoples eyes, Howard and Jason, were in fact major players in shaping and holding the structure of the group together despite what might be seen as their lack of musical prowess. 

So for anyone who has ever thrown shapes to 'Relight My Fire, sung at the top of their voice to 'Rule The World' or tried in their bedroom to imitate the choreography of 'Pray', this is the music documentary for you.