Take That are gearing up for the next chapter…
Howard, Gary and Mark have made a big anounncement ahead of their final gigs on the Circus Live tour(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for ABA)
As the triumphant Circus tour comes to a close this week with final stadium shows in Manchester and Dublin, Take That are gearing up for the next chapter of their musical journey. And the band’s Mark Owen, Gary Barlow and Howard Donald today made a major announcement outlining exactly what’s next.
For the band have confirmed that they will release a new song this week, to the delight of fans. And with the title of Sweet July, it couldn’t be more timely.
Fans are already speculating whether the song could make an appearance on the setlist when the band return home to Manchester on Wednesday night for their fourth and final Etihad Stadium show on the Circus Live tour.
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The band took to social media to share the news that the song will be officially released this Friday, July 3. It is the second single taken from Take That’s upcoming 10th studio album and gives fans another taste of what to expect from their exciting new project.
Sweet July was first teased at the opening show of the band’s run at London Stadium over the weekend, a venue they last played at the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.
The track was officially announced on the band’s social media on Monday afternoon, in a video which saw them sing and dance with the incredible cast and crew of The Circus Live.
The trio are firing on all cylinders with Sweet July, a sultry summer song that delighted fans who were the first to hear it on the pre-show playlist at London Stadium last week. Now fans here in Manchester will be full of anticipation about whether it will get an airing on Wednesday night too.
(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for ABA)
The band, first formed in Manchester back in 1990, play their fourth and final Etihad Stadium gig on Wednesday, after three triumphant earlier gigs. It has left many fans agreeing that these were the band’s best EVER shows of their career.
The new song sees a beat-driven verse and staccato vocals topped with a classic, euphoric Take That chorus. It’s taken from the band’s forthcoming 10th studio album, due for release later this year with full details under wraps for now.
The Circus Live has delighted audiences up and down the country this summer, as fans old and new packed out stadiums to witness the spectacle.
Across two hours each night, Gary, Mark and Howard delivered a masterclass in showmanship, with a huge live production and a cast of 40 dancers, acrobats, firebreathers, stiltwalkers and the famous 30ft tall mechanical elephant, which transports the band through the crowd to the main stage in a moment of pure magic for fans.
Alongside the huge set and live production, the show also includes a striking wardrobe which showcases the best of British fashion craftsmanship.
The Circus show has boasted incredible outfits worn by Gary, Mark and Howard(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for ABA)
The band’s silver jackets were created by British designer James Long, and were intricately constructed using trinkets, antique coins, lace and vintage paraphernalia sourced from antique markets.
Adding to the show’s playful circus aesthetic, the tartan worn by the clowns was designed by Henry Holland for his former label House of Holland, while the clowns’ iconic bowler hats were crafted by renowned milliner Stephen Jones.
Completing the dramatic costume design, the ringmaster jackets were hand embroidered by Hand & Lock, Britain’s oldest embroidery atelier, which has supplied royalty and military embroidery since 1767.
Originally staged in 2009, The Circus Live broke UK records as the fastest-selling tour in history, with over 600,000 tickets sold in under 5 hours, and over one million fans attending the sell-out shows across the UK and Ireland.