Take That leading man Gary Barlow reveals all - including a domestic confession that won our hearts. Photo / Supplied
The Herald sits down with Take That’s Gary Barlow to chat about the band’s new album This Life, their upcoming show at Auckland’s Spark Arena and their transformative journey from boy band to global phenomenon to musical legends.
Down-to-earth isn’t often a term we relate to big-named greats hailing from the spotlight. However, when Gary Barlow - the multi-award-winning, songwriting leading man of Take That - chatted to The Herald on a sunny afternoon, his humble nature was the most surprising revelation of all, bar his admission to taking out the bins.
Barlow, who has been singing, songwriting and trailblazing for more than 35 years, has affirmed himself as a legend in the music industry. The artist has explored every crevice of the music scene, forming part of one of the biggest boy bands of the 90s and foraying into a successful solo career, as well as imparting his musical knowledge to aspiring performers via programmes such as X-Factor, Let It Shine and Walk The Line.
So what does he credit to his and his band’s longtime success?
“I put it all down to our audience”, Barlow says.
“We are so lucky because we have had this audience who’ve stuck with us for years and years and years. And I think it’s unusual”, shares the singer.
“In return, you know, what we try and do is just try and make the best music we can make for them and do the best shows we can possibly make for them.”
Take That will play Auckland’s Spark Arena on November 14, returning to Aotearoa for the first time since 2017.
“We really can’t wait to see our New Zealand fans,” Barlow confesses, before revealing his favourite thing about our little island.
“New Zealand wine,” he gushed. “Come on, what’s there not to like?
“I did the whole vineyard thing up on Waiheke Island,” he shares. “It’s one place I cannot wait to get back to, that is. I’ve been telling my family we’re going back there at some point, so I’m trying to make that happen.”
With New Zealand and the world at their fingertips, Take That seemingly have it better than most, but all hasn’t been smooth sailing for Barlow and his bandmates.
Take That famously disbanded back in 1996, following Robbie Williams’ shock exit from the group. However, they made one of the biggest comebacks in musical history in 2005, and have been bringing a steady supply of hits to eager ears ever since.
Despite his now-fierce musical legacy, Barlow’s brief hiatus from the spotlight during that time was marked by confusion and contemplation, something many a 20-something-year-old will relate to.
“I was sort of 25 and I didn’t know what I was going to do next,” Barlow confesses, adding: “There was a few years of trying to work out what, you know, what I was gonna actually spend the rest of my life doing.”
So what other talents or interests did Gary Barlow pursue? Ever-humble, the star could only respond with a dig at his expense.
“Do you know what, Megan?”, he laughs. “I’ve gotta be honest with you. I am useless at anything else.
“I’m lucky. I’m lucky enough to have a little bit of talent with music and what I’ve tried to do is stretch that talent across all these years. But I’ve had a bit of luck along the way and it all kind of just worked.”
A little bit of luck isn’t exactly how we’d put it.
Barlow has personally written 13 number-one hits and 24 top-10 songs. Take That have had 12 number-one UK singles, nine number-one UK albums and have received eight Brit awards, and currently hold the record for the most performances at London’s The O2 with a stunning 34 headline shows.
Don’t let Barlow fool you - he’s put in a lot of hard mahi to be here.
“I think great music comes from a lot of hard work and a lot of songwriting”, he says. “If I’m making an album, I don’t just record 10 songs. I’ll write 100 songs to get 10 songs.
“And then there’s that little bit of luck, that little bit of fairy dust, that comes at the end that helps it sort of connect with people.
“And that’s one of the hardest things is getting that connection between music and audience”, confesses the artist. “It’s something we strive for. It’s the reason we do it.”
As the artist becomes the audience, Barlow confesses there is one song he not only connects with on another level, but wishes he wrote himself: Elton John’s Your Song.
“There’s a few perfect songs in the world but that is definitely in the top five. I just think it’s just a wonderful piece of music.”
The musician has far from lacked in the lyrical department, being the brains behind songs such as Greatest Day, Once You’ve Tasted Love and Pray.
And with the recent release of Take That’s ninth studio album, there are sure to be many more hits on the horizon.
Describing the record as “a celebration of our voices”, Barlow says This Life emphasises the vocals and harmonies of the band, something that had taken the back seat in recent musical ventures.
“We made the whole album about really hearing us. And turning the vocals right up.
“I feel like somewhere along the way we’d kind of forgotten that,” he says, adding that the album “really took us back to our voices.”
Along with a 35-year-long career in music, Barlow also boasts a 24-year marriage to wife Dawn Andrews, who was a dancer on Take That’s 1995 Nobody Else Tour.
Family is an important aspect of the star’s life and he couldn’t help but honour his wife and her support of his often-stressful career.
“She is the one holding the fort back there, doing the drive to school and back and all those things and I’m the one away working”, he confesses.
Which prompted the only question to ask a multi-award-winning, songwriting icon.
Does Gary Barlow ever take out the bins?
“You know what, now and again I do”, the star admits, before erupting in a chuckle. “When I’m back I definitely, definitely try and take the bins out.”
Megan Watts is a lifestyle multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald whose passions include honest journalism, backstage band chats and doing things for the plot.