February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Hard to believe, but it’s true — the so-cute-it-makes-our-teeth-ache quintet first took the stage at Dublin’s Red Box Theatre in 1999, and they’ve been going strong ever since.
The band celebrated the glory that is themselves last Friday when they signed copies of their greatest hits album, “Unbreakable,” at the HMV in Dublin’s Grafton Street. Store bosses were supposedly so excited at the thought of entertaining the pop cuties that they brought in the company’s big gun — the canine mascot, Nipper. Yes, really. The pooch reportedly delighted the crowd of 1,200 fans lucky enough to snag a space on line for the signing.
Westlife then posed for photographers in Shane’s swanky new Ferrari. Avid readers will recall that each of the guys bought one of the ritzy motors a few months ago — hmm, what’s the Irish for “group discount”? — so Shane either drew the short straw for the photo shoot or he wanted to show off the wheels. Plus, maybe he can write it off as a promotional expense now.
That evening, the boys headed to the Red Box to perform some of their biggest hits, like the tender “Bop Bop Baby.” Fans jetted in from as far away as Israel for the show, which we’re sure added an international flavor to the proceedings. Then the boys were whisked away for similar openings in Belfast, Edinburgh, Manchester and London. Because why should Dubliners have all the fun, right?