The picnics were well under way and the audience were settling in for the evening when a stir washed over the crowd. Had the more eagle-eyed among the fans spotted something? The disquiet continued as the sight of a helicopter appearing over the back of the stage brought a wave of screaming. People surged to the fence to catch a glimpse of its occupants. As the doors opened, the screaming intensified as Westlife alighted. The boys arrived on stage and opened the show with Flying Without Wings. Tempo liftedIt was a strange choice of song to start but they soon upped the tempo with a lively rendition of Hit You With The Real Thing. As the chorus kicked in, fireworks sprayed from the top of the stage and the pace for the evening was set. The show was choreographed to a tee. Westlife may not be the world's most talented singers, but they certainly know how to entertain! Not afraid to stray from the rule book, they performed a pared down swing-inspired version of Uptown Girl complete with top hats, tails and canes. Costume changesTheir ability to make songs their own came to the fore with an extended version of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean which saw them cavorting in front of dancing silhouettes. Dressed in Thriller-style jackets, hats and sparkly gloves, they may not have had all of Jacko’s moves but they captivated around 10,000 fans. Their charm shone through when they spoke to their fans. Currently in the middle of a run of outdoor shows, this was their first time at Blickling. Keen to make an impression, they explained why they had arrived by helicopter. To sum up, they were showing off, but, by then, you were prepared to forgive them the extravagance and willing to believe that maybe they were just trying to prove one of their more famous lyrics true! Unexpected coversThey performed several 'new' cover versions including an accomplished rendition of Robert Palmer’s Addicted To Love but the oddest moment came when they launched into a cover of The Pussycat Dolls' hit Don’t Cha. Slightly shaky at first, you couldn’t help thinking that they may have taken one step beyond their ability, but they pulled it back and managed to infuse an R 'n' B feel that you wouldn’t expect from four lads who have have built their fan base on melodic pop. The gig featured several costume changes, but this didn’t slow down proceedings. The speed with which they changed from all white suits to jeans, T-shirts and jackets was amazing and highlighted the discipline with which the show had been put together. By the time they finished with Mandy there were few dry eyes left in the house. They left the stage but soon returned to rapturous applause to close with Queen Of My Heart and You Raise Me Up. The latter was significant because it was the first song to feature the infamous stools! They all rose up on cue and brought the night to a fitting climax. Unjustified criticismWestlife get a lot of stick, but on the strength of this gig it seems unjustified. They may not play instruments or write timeless classics but they know how to put on a show. Manager Louis Walsh recently made some harsh comments about the band and their attempt to distance themselves from his decisions when jokingly introducing Seasons In The Sun as "his idea" didn’t go un-noticed. Reports of their demise ever since Bryan McFadden’s departure two years ago are definitely unwarranted. Westlife played at Blickling Hall on Saturday, 15 July, 2006. | 
