A million love songs later ... and Hampden swoons

Thursday 23 June 2011

THERE is a world in which almost the only men are Gary, Robbie, Mark, Jason and Howard.

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN: Take That performed to a huge Hampden crowd whose spirits were not going to be dampened by the weather. Pictures: Colin Templeton and Colin Mearns

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VICKY ALLAN

That alternate universe of pink feathers, bunny ears, giddy squeals, and multi-generational heart flutters descended on Hampden Park in Glasgow last night as hordes of mainly women arrived in the rain, their enthusiasm undampened, for Take That’s 1.8 million ticket selling Progress tour.

Some of them had drunk a fair bit, as had been feared and predicted given the Manchester leg of the tour hit the headlines last week as more than 100 women were admitted to hospital after heavy drinking. Some, who had stood outside the stadium since early in the morning, still seemed oddly sober. One couple of ladies in pink glittery horns declared: “We’re not the drunk ones. We’d prefer a cup of tea or coffee.” Meanwhile, small clumps of women sat drinking alcohol from plastic soft drinks bottles, holding off entering the stadium because they knew they couldn’t take that booze in with them. In the Beechwood pub near the stadium, it seemed like there was more oestrogen than alcohol in the building, and the barmaid confessed that the female to male ratio was the highest it had ever been. One bride-to-be and “massive fan”, Gemma Barclay, was celebrating her hen-night Take That style and drove over from Falkirk in a Hummer. Her heart, she said, belonged to Robbie. “My fiance,” she said, “has accepted it. He’s always known how it is”. Her friend, Emma Faichney, pointed to a grape-like bunch of illuminated pink balloons floating nearby. “They’re to draw Robbie’s attention,” she said, “we’re hoping he notices them and picks Gemma out.”Faichney was wearing small white Take That tattoos, which she pointed out were 20 years old. “I got them with a seven-inch single I got when I was 14 and I kept them ever since. I was obsessed for a wee while.”The event often seemed to have mothers and daughters competing in their dedication to Take That. Mother Claire Hamill and her 19-year-old daughter, Alisha, both declared themselves Robbie fans. Claire recalled she hadn’t had much chance to go to the Take That concerts first time round because she was a teenage mum, but back then she used to bounce Alisha in her baby chair to their early albums. “I’m saving myself for Robbie,” Alisha said. “I’m hoping I’m the one he picks out from the audience today.”Another 30s-something multiple Take That concert-goer had travelled from St Albans in Hertfordshire taking a 7am flight, dragging her white-haired mother, who admittedly did seem to know the lyrics to Back for Good, with her.She jumped when she was given the opportunity to get a seat upgrade. “Mum’s never been before, so this is like make or break. ”However, possibly few were as loyal as 43-year-old Julie McFarlane, who had already been to two concerts on this tour alone and was, according to the words on her own t-shirt, “Mrs Take That”. Though she had a husband back home in Eyemouth, Julie did indeed seem half-married to the band, and had brought her three daughters and best friend along on this occasion. “Take That could stand there and burp and I would be happy”, she said.One group of six women from Kilmarnock turned up in a pink limo declared themselves to be “mummies on the loose”. Between them they had children ranging from five-months-old to 18-years-old. Elaine Wyllie had left her baby at home for the first time since birth, but, she said, she wasn’t going to go that wild. “I’ve got sports day tomorrow.“We’ve all got the school run and sports day tomorrow.” That in many ways is the Take That tour: One part mad, boozy carnival of women, the other sensible, grown-up mums out for just a small shot of fun.

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A million love songs later ... and Hampden swoons

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