THEY are one of the most famous boybands in the world – but after 30 years in showbiz, Take That are feeling their age.
Over the next three months they will belt out anthems such as Never Forget and Relight My Fire in a hugely anticipated Greatest Hits Live tour across the UK and Europe to nearly a million fans.
And in the midst of the gruelling schedule, it’s hardly surprising that Gary Barlow, 48, Mark Owen, 47, and Howard Donald, who turns 51 on Sunday, are thinking about their advancing years.
Howard says: “This is a physical tour, especially the first 40 minutes of it.
“We’re all very fit but I think it’s one of those, as you get older you always tend to claim that this is probably going to be the most energetic shows, but I think that’s because we’re getting older that it becomes harder.”
Being able to put on the lively routines Take That are known for weighed on Mark’s mind.
He said: “We wanted to do a special show. We wanted to feel at our best to get up there and be able to give our best, so we’ve been looking after ourselves and I think we’re at one of our fittest.
Everybody’s focused for this tour.”
Backstage is a sedate affair these days compared to when they formed as a five-piece with Robbie Williams and Jason Orange in 1989. Back then, thoughts were about screaming groupies and lycra outfits — now it’s wrinkles and tea.
Howard says he’s “relieved” he’s managed to keep a full head of hair, as he may have been ditched from the band if he’d lost it.
He adds: “I’ve been fearing going bald since I was 18, seriously, I have.
“We would have had a new member if I’d have got a bald patch.”
A hair transplant isn’t something Mark needs to worry about. He’s still sporting his long, straggly barnet that he told The Sun last year was an attempt to get a cameo role in Game Of Thrones.
When I ask the three whether they might consider plastic surgery, Mark says he wouldn’t rule it out.
He quips: “See us in five years. Watch this space.”
But squeamish Gary says: “It’s not for me. I don’t like going anywhere near a syringe.
“That’s what puts me off. It’s not the way I look, I’m not that bothered about looks, it’s the procedure.”
Gary of course went through his own transformation, losing five stone, and launched Barlow’s Bootcamp, where he dishes out exercise and diet advice on social media.
I meet the boys in their communal dressing room, with infusers dotted around the room and two huge fridges packed with rosemary water.
They’d just come out of a vocal massage session, which sees a specialist physio rub their throats and chests, before health-freak Gary knocks up a brew while Mark strums his guitar. Howard reveals the stick he gets for his facial hair.
He says: “I have loads of beard haters constantly messaging me. They’re always heckling me saying ‘shave ya beard’, ‘shave ya beard’. Beard haters are not nice.”
Having racked up 12 No1 singles — more than The Spice Girls, Elton John and Blur — and sold millions of records, you might think they had achieved their dreams.
But the band has never bagged a Mercury Prize nor an NME Award. And although they have won eight Brit awards, the coveted lifetime achievement gong has proved elusive — which particularly irks them as US singer Pink was awarded it this year.
Howard blasts: “We’re not going to get anything from the Brits. We’re not bloody Americans, we’re Brits. It doesn’t make sense to me.
“There should have been some recognition for the 30 years, 100 per cent. You need to tell them.”
Gary also grumbles at the situation urging me to “tell them”, with Mark quickly adding: “I mean, they gave it to Rob one year so maybe they think they can’t give it to Take That again.”
And while they’re in a reflective mood, there’s something they would change if they did it all again — their name.
Mark says: “There have been times when we’ve been a bit embarrassed about our name.
“We used to apologise when we introduced ourselves saying ‘We’re Take That’ and thought we should be called something different.” Gary adds: “It’s a little bit like The Pet Shop Boys — as a name you think it’s stupid.
“When you say the name Take That you do tend to think of us in a stadium or something, but it is a crap name.”
But they had a lucky escape — the other suggestions were the even more cringeworthy The Cutest Rush and Kick It.
Speculation was rife that the Greatest Hits Live tour, which kicked off in Sheffield just over a week ago, would mark the end of the group.
But they insist they will be back for “chapter three”. This time around though, Gary and Mark, who each have three kids, and dad-of-four Howard have prioritised a much-needed break with family after the tour.
Howard says: “We’re going to rest for a bit and not even think about any other tours or albums.
“This is the end of Part Two and when we feel like it, we can come back and start talking again about where we want to go next, rather than having the pressure of coming straight out of a tour and thinking, ‘Right come the middle of the year we’ve got to start writing another album and go over to LA and do this and do that’.
“It’s actually really nice, because we’ve all got big families and we want to spend time with them rather than saying ‘We’re only going to stay with them ’til August and then we’ve got to go over to LA and do another album’.
“It’s nice to say we know we’ve got another few years.”
Mark adds: “This tour is a way for us to show our gratitude and we wanted to go out with something really special.
“And I think we might have made something special.”
Gary says: “I don’t think we could even begin to imagine doing an anniversary tour remembering where we started.
“It really means a lot to us this — little did we know in 1989, when we were all stood looking at each other, that here we would be celebrating 30 years and on one of the biggest tours we’ve played as well.
“It just doesn’t make sense. You’re meant to lose popularity the longer you’re around but I don’t know, we keep coming back.” Howard adds: “Everyone loves a trier”.
The tour features regular references and footage of their former members Jason, 48, and Robbie, 45, who has been busy with a residency in Las Vegas.
And even though they haven’t performed as a five-piece since 2014, it seems there’s still hope for a reunion in the future.
Howard says: “Jason’s been off the radar in the past but he’s back online and emailed us before the tour to say good luck.”
Robbie also recorded new footage of himself singing some of the band’s tracks to feature on the tour.
At the rate they are going with their never-ending success, a full reunion will be on the cards for their 50th.
