Irish-bound Take That’s bond

AFTER operating as a threesome for more than a decade, Take That believe they are telepathic.

The reason why their shows are always so slick is because Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald can predict one another’s next move before it happens.

Speaking ahead of the first night of their This Life tour, which hits Ireland this month, Gary said: “When we get on that stage, there’s a telepathy that we have as a band – where we always have each other in our peripheral vision.

“As Mark moves, and Howard moves, I know where I need to be – there’s an invisible line that keeps us all together. We’ve been a three-piece for 10 years now, so it’s what we’ve got used to.

“It is always the same, even before when we were a five or a four-piece. That bond even comes out when we are just sitting in a room together. It feels normal.”

This time the seasoned performers have opted to keep staging very minimalistic – mostly in white with their signature stairs.

The idea came about when Mark went shopping for props but could only find white card, then designed a version of the stage himself.

Sign

Mark said: “They only had white card in the shop, but I thought that’s better than nothing. It took me a day to build, after a lot of mucking about and looking at shapes. I had stairs and a little sign saying, ‘This Life on Tour’.

“Once it was ready, I sent a picture to the others. They said they liked it – especially the new colour.”

But they’ve gone all out on effects, with fire and water fountains just some of the ideas they got approval for.

Gary said: “Honestly, some of the conversations we have had are ridiculous. Like, ‘Shall we have a line of fire across the stage?’ ‘Ooh yeah.’

“‘What about huge fountains of water?’ ‘Definitely...’

“Essentially, it’s just us three lads sat in a room coming up with crazy ideas – and maybe one in 10 of those ideas are good enough.”

And the two large moving staircases have already put them through the paces: “Believe me, our legs are bloomin’ tired already.

“Although, you should see the size of my calves…”

Take That play two nights at Dublin’s 3Arena on April 22 and 23, plus Cork’s Virgin Media Park on June 20, Malahide Castle in Dublin on June 21 and Belfast’s Ormeau Park on June 22.