"Westlife": Our Story Book

Westlife were the most popular boy band of 1999, appearing on any television programme with enough space to accommodate their carefully choreographed dance routines, making never-ending public appearances and seeing their first four singles sail to number one in Britain. The latest step in this domination of the pop arena is the publication of Rob McGibbon's Westlife--Our Story, which promises to tell the story of these "five talented Irish lads with the looks and charm to take on the world".This being the World of Pop, where musical talent is often secondary to the issue of looking good and crucially "being nice", the emphasis in this excellently presented book is not on the music of Westlife but on their looks and personalities. Handily, the latter are summed up in one or two words and thus we learn that Shane is "philosophical", Kian "cheeky", Mark "a thinker" and Nicky simply "fun". Bryan, meanwhile, is deemed to be "Westlife's danger element--wild with a creative streak" of which we should all be very scared.McGibbon proceeds to tell the band's story, interviewing the boys about "their pasts and future hopes and dreams". While this does give a rewarding opportunity to reveal some staggeringly embarrassing childhood photos, what really emerges in the end is of a group of charming, hardworking boys who are relishing their opportunities to "live the dream". As such, this book can be viewed as extremely effective and will doubtless be a big hit with Westlife's growing legion of fans. --Steve PriceRead More