When Gary Barlow decided to embark on a solo tour in 2018 he went north armed with the knowledge that some of his biggest fans were from Dundee.
It was no surprise that the Take That frontman and former X Factor judge had decided to perform at the Caird Hall on April 20 during a 49-date tour of the UK and Ireland.
Barlow said he wanted to play in Dundee because his surprise appearance at super-fan Jill Campbell’s 30th birthday party at the Apex Hotel at City Quay in May 2016 had given him an indication of how good and welcoming the crowds in the city were.
Jill had waged an online campaign to try to convince him to travel to Dundee after he announced he would play intimate gigs for fans celebrating milestone birthdays.
Jill rewrote the Take That song Back For Good and played and sang in the now-viral video at prominent Dundee landmarks alongside Barlow cardboard cut-out and masks.
Barlow emerged from the fire exit at the Apex Hotel to wish her happy birthday before launching into a rendition of Greatest Day while she watched with tears in her eyes.
They danced together and hugged during the special visit.
Barlow took to Twitter afterwards to thank Jill for inviting him to the party.
He wrote: “We had a wonderful night in Dundee. Thank you for the invitation and thank you Scotland for a beautiful, scenic drive #bonniescotland.”
Barlow was getting up close and personal
Jill said Barlow told her that he loved how the people of Dundee had greeted him.
Few were aware that Barlow was actually no stranger to Dundee.
He had first performed at Buddies Nightclub in the early 1990s with Take That who were brought to the Broughty Ferry venue by promoter Tony Cochrane for £100.
Barlow’s 2018 solo tour would take place between Take That’s 2017 Wonderland extravaganza and 2019’s world tour to coincide with their greatest hits album.
Barlow said he decided to downsize for this tour; instead of focusing attention on arenas like Glasgow’s SSE Hydro, he was playing concert halls and open air venues.
He would also perform in Perth the night before Dundee.
That would prove to be just as special.
The official asking price for tickets to the Dundee concert ranged from £68.50 to £51 and £38.50.
In Perth costs ranged between £68.50, £50.50 and £38.
Mega-fans queued outside for tickets from as early as 4.30am.
Peter Sime from Lochee was one of the locals who braved the early-morning chill.
“I’m here for my wife but I’m sure I will be with her on the night,” he said.
“It’s a great excuse for a night out. She is a massive Gary Barlow fan.
“It’s not very often you get big names coming to the city so it is great they are trying to bring more big acts.”
Tickets sold out within 10 minutes after box offices opened at 10am.
Little wonder.
Barlow had written countless number one singles since first finding fame with Take That in 1989 as well as being a six-time recipient of the Ivor Novello Award.
Suddenly tickets were going for as much as £400 on resale sites.
Barlow himself took to Twitter to back fans condemning the ticket touts.
A night Barlow fans will Never Forget
The great man himself spoke before the Dundee performance and said the craft of taking a live audience on a journey was a lost art which he was aiming to resurrect.
“I’m the last generation that started off singing in social clubs,” he said.
“My parents would drive me there and people would scowl at this young lad with blonde spiky hair about to come on stage. But I loved winning them around – I would make the people go from scowls to standing up clapping.
“That was my apprenticeship.
“When I go on tour I have two hours to take an audience on a journey.
“From having them going crazy at the beginning, you make them cry a bit in the middle and then you have them happy at the end.”
He did.
Dressed in a trendy black suit with flashes of red, Barlow received a thunderous welcome from the mostly-female crowd at the 2,200-capacity Caird Hall.
Pop stars that command this kind of devotion are few and far between.
He opened the show with his last solo hit, Since I Saw You Last, then launched into a crowd-pleasing string of Take That hits, including Greatest Day, Pray, A Million Love Songs, Love Ain’t Here Anymore and Back for Good.
The audience relished every single minute of the two-hour set.
Barlow then endeared himself to this already enamoured crowd with witty self-mockery when he accompanied 1993’s No.1 hit Pray with comically bad dad dancing.
His trademark dry sense of humour was on show throughout.
“I’ve got a feeling the ladies are going to be leading the night tonight,” he said.
“Fellas, you will never queue for the toilet at my shows.”
Ticker tape and Take That
Barlow led his 10-piece band through hit after hit including 1997’s Forever Love and 2013’s Let Me Go as confetti rained down on the crowd at the Caird Hall.
The then-47-year-old proved that he was the consummate entertainer.
The Courier review said: “After wowing Perth fans, an adoring Dundee crowd lapped up the former Take That star’s hits, from his earliest days, A Million Love Songs was written when he was 15, to more recent work.
“Seated at a baby grand piano and backed by an 10-strong band, he had the audience in raptures.
“Interaction is key for Barlow, whether encouraging the crowd to belt out smashes like Pray or inviting an audience member on stage for A Million Love Songs.
“Barlow’s recent focus has been stage show The Band, about Take That’s rise to meteoric heights so it is no surprise an element of theatre has crept into this tour.
“Old disputes with former band members are long-since settled and Take That’s driving force is relaxed about referencing band mates.
“Providing a fitting crescendo were Rule the World and Never Forget.
“How could we?”
As for Barlow, who would bet against him returning to Dundee again?
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