WESTLIFE STAR TAKES TO STAGE AT JP’S PARTY PUNTERS SINGING THE BLUES AFTER TOUGH DAY

Byline: ALANA FEARON

WESTLIFE star Shane Filan kicked off his solo career early – when he raised the roof at a private bash in Cheltenham.

The You Raise Me Up singer, 32, surprised guests at a party thrown by JP McManus when he started singing karaoke.

It may have been a nightmare opening day at Prestbury Park for Irish punters but Shane did his best to lift the nation’s battered spirits by belting out a few hits.

Mogul JP threw the party to celebrate his horse Aflie Sherrin winning the Handicap Steeple Chase and Shane and Gillian were among his VIP guests.

Irish goalkeeper Shay Given revealed: “I’m here with Shane [Filan] so the craic is good.

“It’s a pity I wasn’t here on Tuesday night because Shane was on the karaoke at JP’s party.

“I hear he’s good at it.” Shane said on Tuesday that he was just weeks away from signing a solo contract after Westlife announced in October they were splitting up.

The Daily Mirror learned last month that several top record companies are battling it out to sign the millionaire singer who has been dubbed the next Michael Buble.

But they’ll be shocked to hear that the dad of three has jumped the gun and kicked off his solo run, a few months before his 14-year career with Westlife officially comes to an end.

But the star wasn’t the only Irishman going on a solo run at Cheltenham.

Shane was on the karaoke at JP’s Meath jockey Barry Geraghty was the country’s new hero last night after racking up a stunning hat-trick of wins on day two at Prestbury Park. Wins on Simonsig, Bobs Worth and Finian’s Rainbow in the Queen Mother Champion Chase made his tally of wins for the week four.

Credit/Source: Irish Daily Mirror – Published on 15.03.2012

WESTLIFE’S Shane Filan is set to become the new Michael Buble – with three major labels battling to sign him. 
The Irish Daily Mirror can reveal the singer has a number of multi-million euro offers and is currently deciding which to go with. 
The 32-year-old is the only Westlife member who will continue to be managed by music mogul Louis Walsh after the band’s final shows later this year. Songs are already being picked out for Shane’s debut album which could see him become one of the biggest singers to come out of Ireland since Ronan Keating. 
An insider said: “Everything seems to be going perfect for Shane right now. Having three labels fighting over you is about as good as it gets. 
“It’s going to be a tough decision picking who he goes for as the offers are all extremely good. 
“But for Shane a lot of it is coming down to what they can offer him. 
“He wants to be sure there is good promotion waiting for when he begins as a solo artist. 
“Behind the scenes his team are already eying up the songs that will go on his first record. They want to make sure the album is absolutely perfect. 
“It seems to have been decided that Michael Buble is the person Shane should aim towards becoming. 
“If a tenth of the people who bought a Buble album buy Shane’s first album he’ll be an immediate success.” 
Westlife are set to go their separate ways in June when the Flying Without Wings band play their final farewell shows at Croke Park. 
But there will be no rest for Shane, who will head straight for the studio immediately after saying goodbye with bandmates Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne. 
An insider added: “This is going to be a hugely hectic year for Shane. 
“The hope is to get his album out towards the end of the year when there’s still a buzz after Westlife.” 
Credit/Source: Irish Daily Mirror – Published on 1st March 2012   

Byrne just doesn't know what the next step is after calling it a day

IN GOOD NICK: Westlife’s Nicky Byrne is looking forward to the future – whatever it may bring

IT'S been a dramatic few weeks in the world of Westlife - and that's before they face into the emotional rollercoaster of their final shows this summer. Towering Mark Feehily recently announced his shock split with longtime English boyfriend, Kevin McDaid, a boyband-star-turned photographer. And The Voice of Ireland mentor, Kian Egan, got the best Christmas present ever when he and his gorgeous wife, Jodi, became first time parents to baby son, Koa.

Shuffle caught up with Nicky Byrne and Shane Filan to find out how they will cope with the traumatic months ahead as they close the Westlife chapter after 14 years at the top of the charts. The boys admit that all the Westlife lads are "scared" of what lies ahead.

"It's not like taking a break," Nicky Byrne points out."When we took a year off after Croke Park in 2008, I thought, 'I'll enjoy my life; I'll holiday, I'll do a little bit of work.' This is different: we're making a career decision that is final and that's going to be scary.

"How we are going to face our final show I don't really know. It's easy to predict that we're all going to be sad and that we'll cry and hug each other. But it's the aftermath that scares us because we just don't know what lies ahead.

"Waking up the day after our last show is going to be a really weird feeling. It's going to be like, 'OK, what are we going to do now?' None of us want to sit at home shining our golf clubs."

Singer Shane Filan, sitting on the edge of a couch in a plush hotel room, nods in agreement. "It is going to be scary and it scares all of us, but we also know that Westlife has to come to an end," he says.

"We're together 14 years as a pop group, which is bananas.We're wondering what else is out there in life, having spent half of our lives in a band. It's been amazing, but we also know there are other things in life that we'll never get to do unless we make the break and give it a go."

SIMPLY THE WEST: The forthcoming tour will be the last for Westlife, who have spent 14 years in the pop business

Shane reveals that all four members of Westlife want to remain in showbusiness - and he will be the first member to launch a solo singing career. Louis Walsh has already agreed to be his manager. "Shane is going to be huge as a solo singer," Louis tells Shuffle.

Shane admits: "I know it's a tough world out there and we are all going to have to prove ourselves outside Westlife.There will be a lot of pressure on us because we'll all be under a microscope no matter what we do."

Despite their apprehension about the future, the Westlife lads say they are also facing into the unknown with a sense of excitement. "We feel nervously excited that we have a challenge again because Westlife had stopped being a challenge," Shane admits.

"In the last few years it was nearly like auto pilot. And while we loved doing the live concerts, the business side of running Westlife was draining the joy out of it for us.The business side is stressful."

Filan and Byrne laugh at the reaction they got from some media people following the announcement of their split. "It's like when someone dies, suddenly we were great," Nicky laughs.

"I remember reading stuff through the years - and you only remember the bad things - about us being a karaoke band or whatever. And, do you know, probably some of them were right.

"But as soon as we said we were quitting, there was nostalgia for the group and loads of journalists and radio people were saying nice things about us. If we'd known they felt that way about us we might have stayed on."

WESTLIFE'S last Irish concerts will be at Croke Park on June 22 and 23.


Source: http://www.sundayworld.com/entertainment/music.php

By Paddy Clancy 

Shane Filan has moved to England as he prepares to kickstart his solo career.

The Westlife star, 32, his wife Gillian, and three children Nicole, Patrick and Shane, moved from Sligo to Surrey during the Christmas holidays.

Although they lived for several months at a time in the Georgian-style house at Cobham, the family has decided to make it a more permanent home while Shane develops his solo career after Westlife break up following Croke Park concerts in June.

Eldest child Nicole, six, is already attending a school near the home Shane bought three years ago.

A close family friend said he and Gillian have no intention of breaking their links with Sligo and will return often and will retain their sprawling home outside the town.

The friend added: “They adore Sligo and will always regard it as their home. But Shane has realised London is the best place to be for his solo career.

"Cobham is in the London commuter-belt. He has spent so much time on the road around the world with Westlife. He wants to spend more time with his family so he and Gillian decided the best thing for now would be to move to their home outside London.

“He can concentrate on his new career and not be away from his family so much.”

Shane and Gillian can take their children to a number of parks near their new home and also to nearby Chessington World of Adventures. He can also indulge his passion for golf at Wentworth, where he has played several times.

Louis Walsh, currently on holiday at his Miami apartment until February, has already announced he will continue to manage Shane and has predicted he will be the most successful solo artist of Westlife after the band splits next summer.

Louis said he could see Shane having a career like big band singer Michael Buble.

He added: “Shane is going to be a big artist. I will only manage someone if I believe in them.”


Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2012/01/13/shane-filan-moves-to-england-to-boost-solo-career-after-westlife-115875-23697002/#ixzz1kDE2K97D  

Guidelines From Hong Kong to Shenzhen Bay Sports Center for Westlife Farewell Tour in China:

1. Through Lo Wu 羅湖口岸 (Suitable for who living in north&east-NT, KL, HKI)
    - Take the Shenzhen MTR 深圳地鐵 in 羅湖站 (羅寶線),
      then transit to 蛇口線 at 世界之窗站, and off train at 後海站.
      //Total: 17 stops Duration: 43.49mins Fees: RMB6//
      ***Remind: Lo Wu 羅湖口岸 close at 00:00***

2. Through Shenzhen Bay 深圳灣口岸 (Suitable for who living in west&south-NT)
    - Take B2P bus (from Tin Shui Wai) or
    - Take B2 bus (from Yuen Long) or
    - Take B3/B3A/B3X bus (from Tuen Mun) to Shenzhen Bay 深圳灣口岸
    (But the service of return trip - B3A: 2335 B3X:2210)
    Then:
             a. By taxi to Shenzhen Bay Sports Center directly
                 fees: around HKD30 (not confirmed, just heard from others on internet)
             b. Walk a distance to 海月站 then take MTR to 後海站
                 //Total: 2 stops Duration: 3.27mins Fees: RMB2//
                 (The distance is not short for walking from 深圳灣口岸 to 海月站)
             c. Take bus Route 90 90號巴士 to 世界之窗站, then use MTR to 後海站
                 Bus //Total: 5 stops Duration: 13-20mins Fees: RMB2//
               +MTR //Total: 3 stops Duration: 13.22mins Fees: RMB3//
      **Remind: Shenzhen Bay 深圳灣口岸 close at 00:00***

3. Though Futian 落馬洲福田口岸 (Suitable for who living in west&south-NT)
    - Take B1 bus (from Yuen Long/Tin Shui Wai)
    Then:
             - Lok Ma Chau 落馬洲口岸 (which = 福田口岸站 in Shenzhen MTR)
             - And then go 後海站 transit at 福民站 (轉1號線往機場東方向) then
               transit at 世界之窗站 (轉2號線往赤灣方向)
               //Total: 12 stops Duration: 39.1mins Fees: RMB5//
***Remind: Futian 落馬洲福田口岸 close at 22:30***
***May not suitable for return trip*** 

Please don't hesitate to point out our mistakes if you found somethings wrong.
Above information is only for references, please check for the most updated information before you go to the gig. We would not give any responsibilities to any losses, we just try our best to group all the information from the internet.
Have a enjoyable night with Westlife and see you all there on 26/2 xx 

Westlife decided to split up because they felt being in the band had stopped feeling special.

The popular band are set to split after 14 years together when they complete a final farewell tour this year. Although the men are upset to go their separate ways, they also think it is a step in the right direction.

Bandmember Shane Filan said, "It felt like it wasn't special any more, not like it used to be. For the fans it's slightly different but for us it's been like, 'Are we getting better? Are we getting worse? Are we getting to the stage where we aren't enjoying it?' It is half our life. None of us want to let it go and all of us will be crying in June when the tour ends, but it's time."

His mate Nicky Byrne added, "We never wanted to fall down and just be one of those bands that released records all the time, which we felt we were starting to do. And it felt like, 'You know what, lads? We're okay, we've done a lot!'"

The group say that they had been bracing themselves for the split for some time now and that it actually helped them enjoy their recent trip to Asia more because they were calm knowing that the announcement for the split would be made soon.

Westlife member Kian Egan said, "I shouldn't say it but before we went on tour to Asia, we knew what was going to happen. We knew it was our last tour in Asia and when we came back we were going to release the news, so Asia's probably the best trip we've had in years!"

Shane added, "It's probably been brewing for a good year, as we knew we were coming to the 'Greatest Hits' album and the end of our contracts. We'd all been sitting down and talking about the pressure and the stress of trying to make the record and get it right."


Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/music/news-and-interviews/Why-Westlife-stopped-being-special/articleshow/11338551.cms?intenttarget=no