TAKE That star Howard Donald has told how he is battling nerves ahead of the band’s opening gig at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.
The group are due to kick off a sell-out tour today, which will see them perform to more than a million fans in the UK and Ireland.
It will be their first tour with Robbie Williams restored to the line-up, after his 1995 departure.
And Donald said that despite his excitement about the shows, he was “nervous as well”.
He said: “Things are coming together now, but it’s when you’ll have any technical issues.
“Things have to flow, and if you want to think hard about it, there is a lot you can worry about.”
Meanwhile, bandmate Jason Orange said he was “hugely” excited about the shows, which begin tonight at the Stadium, and was trying to avoid worrying. “It’ll be reet. It always is,” he said. Take That are currently in the top 40 with their single Love Love from the new X-Men: First Class movie.
The group’s main songwriter, Gary Barlow, said it would be the sole track from their forthcoming collection of new songs, Progressed, which will feature during the tour.
“It’s the only one from the new batch that we play live,” he said.
As well as the 200,000 Take That fans making their way to the Stadium of Light this weekend, another 60,000 or so will be heading to Newcastle and Gateshead quaysides for this year’s Evolution festival. Organisers have promised this year will be bigger and better than ever, with acts including Brit Award winners Plan B and Tinie Tempah.
Other top names include Iggy Pop, Clare Maguire, Brother, Katy B, Jamie Woon, Caribou, Detroit Social Club and Annie Mac.
To cope with the huge crowds descending on Sunderland, Nexus, which operates the Tyne and Wear Metro, has put on extra trains for the concerts. They are also offering special DaySaver tickets which passengers can pay for online now.
Sunderland City Council will also be opening a number of car parks across the city, including ones in St Mary’s, Sunniside, the Civic Centre and The Bridges shopping centre.
The main park and walk facility will be available in the Sunderland Enterprise Park, which is around 20-30 minutes from the Stadium.
The University of Sunderland is also offering space for more than 1,300 vehicles at two city centre sites for £5 all day.
Meanwhile, the Wearmouth Bridge will remain open in both directions during the concerts and only two of the three northbound lanes will be closed for pedestrians. But Millennium Way – which surrounds the Stadium of Light – will be closed during days of the concert.
