On September 15, Shane Filan returned to Manila for a solo concert at the KIA Theater. The 39-year old Irish singer, who is known as the lead singer of the immensely successful boyband Westlife, is no stranger to the Philippines.

After the band announced their split on 2012, Shane has then pursued a solo career. Since 2013, he had also visited Manila several times to promote his albums, holding mall shows and meet and greet sessions. By himself, he effortlessly drew crowds consisting of old and new fans alike.

Filipino balladeer Jed Madela opened the evening with an impressive performance of “Wind Beneath My Wings”/”Hero” and “Di Matitinag”. Upon entering the venue, he jested, “Akala niyo si Shane na ‘no? Pero bakit mataba,?” (‘You thought it was Shane’s turn, but why is he fat?) which the crowd accepted in good humor. Joke aside, his stage presence was amazing and his vocal prowess even more so.

Shane Filan’s concert at the KIA Theater was such a treat. Having seen a few of his mall shows for the past 5 years, his major solo show that evening was the one I looked forward to the most, and it definitely was the most memorable one yet.

Shane entered the stage in a simple yet classy black suit. The stage set-up was simple, having only a led screen at the back, but his charisma as he performed live was fascinating. He started his set with “Everything to Me”, “Unbreakable”, “This I Promise You” and “Heaven” which were tracks from his solo albums.

One fond memory of the evening happened at the middle of the concert, when Shane asked the crowd for a favor. As it turned out, that night happened to be the birthday of his 10-year-old son, Patrick. “I’m missing his birthday at home, but I couldn’t think of a better place to be than in Manila tonight,” he said. He then asked everyone to sing a birthday song Patrick while he took a video of it to send to him. Amusingly, he was very particular about the song ending with “dear Patrick” in contrast with the typical Filipino version of just ending it with “happy birthday to you”. “You forgot his name! That’s not gonna go down well in Ireland,” he joked. The crowd went on to sing the whole song twice to get it right.

It doesn’t end there. One lucky fan got a chance to come up the stage to get signed poster and more. Anna, who was holding up a banner saying “I’ve been waiting 16 years to get a hug from you”, actually made her dream a reality. She attended the concert with her husband who also got to do the same, plus they got a selfie with Shane. “I guess I just bring people together, don’t I?,” he teased.

The second half of the concert focused on the more nostalgic side as he started performing songs that were originally by Westlife including “My Love” and “If I Let You Go”. Manila also got another special moment as Shane Filan called on Jed Madela to perform “Flying Without Wings”.

“You’re such a good crowd. It’s incredible. The place is packed! Everbody is smiling at me! I don’t think I’ve seen so many happy people. It makes me very happy. It makes me smile, too,” Shane said to the crowd with a beaming smile on his face.

The most amazing thing about Shane Filan is his voice and the way he sings with such vitality and character. Next to that is the fact that he simply enjoys singing live, and you can see it in the way he holds himself onstage. In contrast to the sold-out arena shows that Westlife had before, the KIA Theater is rather compact. With the lights fully open, he scanned the crowd and took the time to look at people’s faces. The effort he makes to connect with his fans is astounding.

Shane is also very appreciative of Manila. “Every time I’m here, I feel like I’m welcome all the time. It’s like a second home.” Having been to Manila a lot as a member of Westlife and as a solo artist, it seems that he has grown fond of our country.

He also performed “You Raise Me Up” (which he claimed to be his favorite Westlife song). For the (unexpected) finale, he sang the upbeat “World of Our Own”.

Three weeks ago, I would have ended this article with something along the lines of “The nostalgia was overwhelming, it was really nice to hear the good, old songs from my childhood”. Well, those words are still true. After the show, I found myself reeling over Westlife’s old albums and the nostalgia damn near made me drown. However, much to my (and the world’s) surprise, Westlife announced on October 3 that they are indeed getting back together for new music and a new tour. I guess that’s one more thing we can all look forward to from here on out.

Special Thanks to Wilbros Live

by Sandra Mae Laureano