Shane Filan upbeat in Manila leg of concert tour

MANILA, Philippines — Fans of ex-Westlife member Shane Filan trooped to World Trade Center despite bad weather last Wednesday, October 1.

When lights dimmed past 9 p.m., shrieking fans rushed towards the stage. Filan opened his almost two-hour show with “When I Met You” from his “You and Me” debut album.

Manila was the last leg of his “You and Me” Asian Tour. This was also his first ever Asian concert tour since he had gone solo after Westlife disbanded two years ago.

“This is the last show of this tour, we picked Philippines as the last stop,” he told fans.

Filan was upbeat and he was able to sustain the high energy throughout the entire show. He was a crowd-pleaser — gamely posed for photos and replied to fans’ “I love you’s.” Apparently, he still had those boyish charms even after moving on from Westlife.

His repertoire included songs from his debut album, as well as Westlife hits and a mix of old and contemporary tunes.

Some of Westlife hits that he sang in the concert were “Uptown Girl,” “What Makes a Man,” “Swear it Again,” and “You Raise Me Up.” From his own album, some of the songs he crooned were “About You,” “Once,” and “Baby Let’s Dance.”

He also had a duet with The Voice of the Philippines’ Season 1 runner-up Klarisse de Guzman, who also served as his front act. They sang “Flying Without Wings,” one of Westlife’s big hits.

Giddy fans

Aiza Mae Domasian, a Shane Filan and Westlife fan, couldn’t hide her excitement even after the concert.

“It was amazing. It was my first time to watch and I felt like crying. I loved “You Raise Me Up and “Flying Without Wings.” That’s their [Westlife] trademark, they sing from the heart.

“Even if I had work I made time for it and it was worth it because I’m a diehard fan,” said Maricris Aquino.

Jenny Roque of Shane Filan Philippines, one of Filan’s fans that welcomed him at the airport the night before, was able to steal a kiss.

“I love Shane always from the start until forever! I could not sleep and eat after that kiss. He was shocked,” she said.

Shane Filan Philippines, led by Jeyps Perez, also handed an award to Filan to show their appreciation to the Irish singer. They handed the trophy in the middle of the concert.

Another show in 2015

Filan also tried to do some dancing at the concert when he sang Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and Avicii’s “Wake Me Up.”

But one of the highlights of the night was when he picked a lucky fan to join him on stage. He chose one of the audiences at the farthest part from the stage. The girl’s banner read: “Today’s my birthday. Can I get a hug?”

So the fan got a hug from Filan, and he also sang “Happy Birthday” for her and he serenaded her with “Mandy.”

Filan’s encore was “Knee Deep in My Heart” and “Everything to Me.” The show ended with a promise that he will back to Manila with a brand new album in 2015.

“I’m so glad that the Philippines was my last show. I’ll see you again next year with a brand new album, 2015. With my new album, next year, Philippines, you’re gonna sing with me again,” he said.

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