Gary Barlow Gives Fans a Break in Manchester
British singer and Take That frontman Gary Barlow is touring England with his Songbook Tour 2025. After a hugely successful tour with Take That last year, it’s time for a solo journey. In the Songbook Tour 2025, Gary takes his fans on a trip through his songbook. A tour filled with songs he wrote from the age of 15 up to the present day. Large concert halls and stadiums have now made way for cosy and intimate theatres. Last Thursday, Gary Barlow returned to Manchester for a hometown show at the O2 Apollo.
The opening act was performed by 22-year-old pianist Brad Kella. With beautiful instrumental pieces on piano, the slightly nervous Brad Kella played his way into the hearts of the Manchester crowd. Entirely self-taught, Brad learned to play the piano, which led to impressive original compositions. He also treated the audience to a Coldplay medley on piano.
At exactly quarter past eight, Gary Barlow kicked off his hometown show in the packed O2 Apollo in Manchester. Manchester is where Take That was born, which is why concerts by Take That and its members always feel extra special in this city. The mainly female audience welcomed the Take That frontman with open arms. By opening with “Open Road” and “Greatest Day”, Gary made a very strong start. During “Greatest Day”, the first round of confetti was launched into the venue, and the fans sang along loudly.
The emotional and uplifting “Let Me Go” created an early highlight in the setlist. Together with his excellent band, Gary turned the stage into a party and sang enthusiastically. The a cappella part gave everyone goosebumps and a sense of unity, as the loud clapping from the audience almost drowned out the music. The 2020 release “Incredible” also had a place in the setlist during this tour. The brass section added a beautiful and highly spirited touch to the concert, giving the whole performance an even more playful character. For Gary, it was a joy to be back home in Manchester, where the sun was shining that day. The very passionate and loud fans went wild.
As part of the Songbook Tour 2025, some classics were given a fresh new twist. In a beautiful medley of songs from the ’90s, the tracks received a jazzier sound. “Sure” and “Everything Changes” followed each other smoothly. When performing the 1993 track “Whatever You Do to Me”, Gary referred to the live recording from “Live in Berlin 1994,” where he shone a big spotlight on the ecstatic crowd. He thought it would be fun to do the same again in Manchester, which resulted in a wonderful trip down memory lane.
That Gary Barlow is a true entertainer—both as frontman of Take That and as a solo artist—was evident during this concert. The magic between Gary and his band was palpable, and he had the fans completely on his side. The selection and structure of the songs on the setlist were deliberate and carefully thought out. There was not only plenty of singing, dancing, and clapping, there was also room for emotional and more intimate songs. A new segment was introduced in the show where Gary gave his fans a brief moment to sit and rest, which—somewhat surprisingly—was met with huge applause. When the first piano notes of “Forever Love” echoed through the O2 Apollo, an audible ‘Ahhhh!’ could be heard from the audience, as this debut single by Gary holds a special place in their hearts.
Many songs originated on Gary’s piano, including the track “A Million Love Songs”, which he wrote at age 15. Support act Brad Kella took a seat behind the piano for this one. The saxophone sounds by bandleader Mike Stevens made the performance irresistible, and the crowd sang along loudly.
The unofficial final song of the evening was “Rule the World”, during which Gary asked fans to turn on their phone lights to create a sea of lights. It looked stunning. With the Take That classic “Never Forget”, this nearly two-hour concert came to a close. Fans in the front row received a handshake from Gary, and the rest of the Manchester crowd went wild.
Not only was Gary Barlow more intimate and personal with his fans during this show, the audience also got a beautiful glimpse into his craftsmanship as a songwriter. With many years of experience, he knew exactly what the audience needed and delivered it with great enthusiasm, including the familiar dance moves from Take That’s very first number-one hit “Pray”.
