Take That

13/05/2009

The rise of the man band: how the new Fab Four became pop's great comeback kings

by Jasper Hamill

They were beloved of teenage girls, sneered at by their boyfriends and quickly forgotten soon after they split. Although call centres were placed on suicide-watch when the news came that Take That were no more, the fallout sent shockwaves through the nation’s pop fans.

Sniffy music critics predicted that the band would simply fade into obscurity, just as they predicted the boy band/girl band trend of the ’90s would fade away as a generation of fans grew up. The omens were certainly dire for the disbanded Thatters, as Robbie Williams stuck two fingers up to them, emerging from a period of chubby dissolution to dominate the pop world with a more masculine, cooler sound than the boy band ever managed.

But all bets on who won in the Take That vs Robbie war are now off. Williams’ album Rudebox bombed while Take That’s comeback release soared to the top of the charts, as the lads snaffled up lucrative deals with brands like Marks & Spencer. More impressively, their Circus Tour, taking place this summer, has sold an incredible one million tickets, meaning almost one in 50 Britons will see the renewed foursome.

Compare these sales to Glastonbury, the undisputed titan of music festivals, which boasted of selling all 137,500 tickets five months before the event itself, and the sheer scale of Take That’s achievement becomes clear. Factor in the cost of tickets – £40 to £50 – and clearly the fab four are officially the biggest band in Britain, and a cash cow of ludicrous proportions.

Peter Robinson, editor of Popjustice magazine, explains how it happened. “They’ve staged one of the most perfectly executed comebacks that I can remember; that anyone can remember. It’s due to the level of public demand to see them back. When they announced they were doing an ITV documentary, people were quite excited about it, then there was this idea that they’d get together in the same room and people went a bit mental about it. Then they signed a new record deal, sold millions of albums and it’s all gone very well. Well done Gary Barlow.”

The most remarkable thing about their comeback is that they did it entirely without Robbie Williams, who was unarguably the UK’s most successful solo artist of the past decade. And yet his career has now flopped. He seems a remote, strange figure with a reputation as a UFO-spotting loony, leaving the stage was clear for Take That to show him who’s really pop’s top chops.

“Gary Barlow has grown up with his audience in a way that Robbie Williams hasn’t,” adds Robinson. “When Robbie was in his 20s, going to Glastonbury with the Gallaghers, it all looked very cool to his audience but when people reach their late 20s, settling down and being an adult becomes important. Robbie hasn’t settled down and looks a bit sad to people. Whereas Gary Barlow, who was old before his time, and seemed a bit boring in his 20s, now makes sense to people and seems like a guy that his fans would like have as a husband, or even be.”

The man band look like they’re enjoying themselves more than they ever did in their youth, buoyed by flattering press attention and the ego-boost of their rejuvenated popularity. In a recent interview, Barlow said the stress of first time around has disappeared.

“It was a bit like a running race last time,” he said. “We were trying to keep up with it all, as well as dealing with being back as a band. This time it was easier. We just loved every minute of it and had fun together. There are no rows in Take That. I don’t even know if we could ever insult each other. I think the reason we are still here is that our music is good. Simple as that. If it were even just a bit crap, then we never would have had this second chance.”

The songwriter even seems sanguine about his old rivalry with Robbie. Back when Barlow was lampooned as the fat, unattractive one being demolished by Williams in the charts, such equanimity would have been unthinkable. “It’s funny, I’ve noticed people are less obsessed with that now,” he says. “It still crops up but not as much, which is good. We love Robbie but people see us as a four-piece now.”

The boys are not the only blast from the past this year. Boyzone are preparing a comeback; the Britpop Wars have reignited, with Oasis and Blur both playing big gigs. But there is no doubt Take That are the hottest ticket, even amongst those who once scoffed.

Pop guru Robinson explains: “There’s been a change in who‘s interested in Take That. The generation buying their records are past the age where it’s important they’re cool or their mates don’t laugh at them, they’re in their late 20s or early 30s. They can’t be bothered trying to be cool and argue about pop music any more.”

Jan Berrington runs a website called Take That Appreciation Pages, which started as way to keep fans together after the split. She will be watching them three times on the Circus tour, rather than the nine gigs she normally goes to, because she’s not a fan of stadium shows.  She claims men have always been interested in the band, but says Take That Mk II are even bigger amongst blokes, both straight and gay.

“Men were always interested in them,” she says. “When I went to see them in 1995 there were a few guys, but  when I saw the opening night in 2006 there were a heck of a lot. I brought my husband, because he wanted to know what the fuss was about, and he was on his feet, clapping and dancing. Take That have to be seen because they are so amazing, and men realize that as well as women.”

Harvey Smith, 32, from Bridge of Allan, is one. His girlfriend liked them the first time around, but he certainly didn’t. “I hated them, but now I quite like their songs. I would even go to see them and wouldn’t be embarrassed about telling my mates.”

Take That have shattered all perceptions about ill-fated reunions. The hormonal 16 year olds that  have grown up, but then, so have the band. Take That now look legitimate; playing their instruments, writing top tunes, and possessed with the swagger of the pop greats. Put simply, it’s one of the most astounding comebacks ever. Even the most miserable of music snobs can’t fail to be impressed.