WESTLIFE DEBUT NEW VIDEO TODAY

Chart toppers Westlife will be premiering the video for their next single, 'My Love', on their website today (25th September).

The Irish boy band, whose single 'Against All Odds' with Mariah Carey is currently at Number One, are giving fans a chance to see their forthcoming promo on www.westlife.co.uk. The site is still being constructed and will not be officially launched until 23rd October, but in the meantime you can sneak a world exclusive peak at the heartthrobs in a clip of their video by visiting the site's 'Departure Lounge'. The new improved site will feature 'The Lounge', 'The Cockpit', 'In-Flight Entertainment' and the 'Luggage Hold' for fans to find out every detail about Westlife. It will also include news, photos, biographies, videos, downloads and blipverts. 'My Love' is taken the boy's second album, 'Coast To Coast', which hits the shops on 6th November. The long-player will include Westlife's Christmas single, 'Angels Wings', which is already looking like the favourite for this year's seasonal Number One. Bookmakers William Hill are offering odds of 6/4 of it hitting the top spot.

www.dotmusic.co.uk

WESTLIFE BREAK OWN RECORD

Westlife have made pop history by becoming the first act to have six consecutive singles go straight to the top of the UK chart. The boy band first entered the Guinness Book Of Records earlier this year when their fifth single, Fool Again, went straight in at number one. Their latest record-breaking release, a version of Phil Collins's 1984 song Against All Odds hit the top spot on Sunday.The band's runaway success eclipses even that of their co-manager Boyzone's Ronan Keating.

Dream come true

Boyzone have achieved six chart-topping singles, but these were spread throughout six years of releases. Fellow Irish stars B*Witched were the first group to have their first four singles go straight to number one. And the Spice Girls secured the number one spot with their first five singles, but did not enter the charts at the top. Westlife's Against All Odds was recorded in Italy with American singer Mariah Carey. The group said in a statement: "We're all over the moon to be breaking our own record. Working with Mariah, our favourite singer of all time, is a dream come true.

It's extra special for us to be breaking this record with her."

Carey originally recorded the song for her own latest album but after meeting Westlife in Los Angeles and hearing their work she suggested they collaborate on a new version. During a break from shooting the movie All That Glitters in Toronto, she said: "Westlife have been fantastic. "They were fun to work with and we just clicked creatively. I'm really thrilled that Against All Odds has gone straight to number one. It was always one of my favourite Phil Collins songs growing up."

TAKEN FROM WORLDPOP.COM 

Westlife have been confirmed to perform at this years Disney Channel Kids Awards Final. Kian said, " It's a great thing to be involved in, it's so interactive with the kids. Disney gave us a great opportunity last year so this is our ' thank you' to them." They will join S Club 7, Artful Dodger, A1, Atomic Kitten, Vengaboys and a host of others in the ultimate celebrity event for kids. The final will take place at the London Docklands Arena on the 23rd September and will be shown on the Disney Channel on the next day at 2:30pm. Westlife have been nominated in the Favourite Male Group and Band of the Year categories.

Westlife's second album is to be titled Coast To Coast, worldpop can exclusively reveal.

In a recent interview, Kian Egan explained why Coast To Coast was the natural name to choose. 'From the west of Ireland to the east of Ireland, we're coast to coast,' he told worldpop. 'And the name even works in a broader perspective, from one coast to another, worldwide. There's no title track,' Kian added, 'but we do sing the words 'coast to coast' in one of the songs.'

What's more, Mark Fehilly revealed that the fivesome's eagerly-awaited follow-up to Westlife will include their first ever up-tempo songs. 'It's gonna be fun to check out what people think when they hear the first proper up-tempo song from us,' he smiled, even admitting, 'On the first album we left everything up to our record company and perhaps there were too many ballads on there.'

However, Kian defended the group's past single choices. 'People always ask us why we do so many ballads but it's because they're good songs,' he explained.

Westlife have confirmed that Against All Odds will be included on their new album as well as Mariah Carey's. 'I think we'll stick I Have A Dream on there too cos it wasn't on the first album,' Kian added. 'We're also talking about a third cover,' he continued, 'a Brian McKnight hit, but I'm not sure whether it's gonna happen yet.'

WORSTLIFE? BOYBAND SINGER HATES HIS LOT

Westlife singer Bryan McFadden has been complaining about his millionaire pop star lifestyle, saying he misses having "a regular life".

McFadden, 20, reckons that constantly jetting around the world has left him so exhausted that he wishes he'd never joined the hugely successful Irish boyband.

The singer, who used to earn £150 per week at McDonalds and is now dating Atomic Kitten's Kerry Katona, is set for a £5 million pay packet next Monday September 18 with the release of the band's new single -a version of the Phil Collins hit 'Against All Odds' with Mariah Carey- which is expected to go straight in at Number One.

But McFadden, who had to pull out of an American tour months ago citing "exhaustion", is still not happy. He said: "There are times that I regret what we do, Sometimes you wish you'd never done this, you just want to go home. I Couldn't get a normal job in Ireland today because of our success. It would be impossible. I miss just having a regular life. Getting up at 8am and coming home again in the evening and being free to do what you want. Most people can take a day off, we can't. They can get out and get drunk on a Saturday night but we can't."

According to British tabloid the Daily Star McFadden's comments have caused outrage in the music industry, especially at a time when the UK is enduring a petrol crisis.

"These idiots don't know they've even been born," said an insider. "They've never had to slog round dive pubs playing for one man and a dog, they've been handed success on a plate because they're pretty boys. They should be grateful. They're living proof that though the country's on its knees, boy band pop stars are still up their own backsides."

www.dotmusic.co.uk

KIAN'S TATTOOS

WESTLIFE'S Kian Egan has fallen out with his dad since his old man found out about his tattoos. It's nice to know you can never be too famous for a clip round the ear from your father.

(From The Sun)

BATTLE OF THE BANDS

IRISH lads Westlife are certainly in fighting mood at the moment — they’re going to go head to head with the Spice Girls. Both groups are releasing their album on the same day — November 6. The girls’ LP is called Forever while the boys still haven’t got a name for theirs.
Head of Universal Publishing Stephen Jones warned: “Westlife must be crazy. The Spice Girls have sold around 40 million records worldwide — compared to Westlife’s seven.”
But the boys’ spokeswoman hit back. “We’re ready for them.” she boasted.
Let the battle commence.

(From NOTW Website)

BATTLE OF THE BOYS

JUST when you thought the pop war between Westlife and Five was over, it’s on again.
In the green corner we have ‘Irish Ironman’ Bryan McFadden.
In the yellow-belly corner is Five’s ‘Jabbin’ J.
Six-footer Bryan told me: “J’s always moaning. He’s got to realise he’s in a boyband and nothing else. He’s been very arrogant since he went out with Mel C, God knows why!”
C’mon, J, don’t take that, give me your side. 

(From NOTW Website)

STABLE STOCK
WESTLIFE'S Shane Filan has just bought himself SEVEN horses.

Fresh back from the band's U.S. tour, Shane tells me he bought the pedigree nags in Ireland in one week, setting him back £35,000.
He says: "My family buys and sells horses but originally I was only going to buy one. Then my brother Liam said he thought I should buy all seven. Liam thinks they could be worth £40,000 each in a few years' time so I see it as an investment. Money is there to be spent and I love it that I am helping the family business."
The boy's clearly no foal.

WESTLIFE LIGHT UP BLACKPOOL

Irish heartthrobs Westlife are set to light up Blackpool next month when they switch on the town's infamous illuminations. Billie Piper is also set to join the boy band for a one-off show in the town on
Friday September 1st.  Blackpool's head of tourism, Jane Seddon, commented: "Having Westlife to switch on the illuminations will ensure a spectacular family show to launch the millennium lights." 

The event will be broadcast live in a special edition of the 'Friday
Night Is Music Night' on BBC Radio 2 which is hosted by Ken Bruce.  Blackpool's illuminations are thought to attract around eight million visitors to the seaside town each year and they'll be shining brightly
until Bonfire Night on Sunday November 5th.

"We do this because we love doing our job, but at the end of the day, we do have to make a living. It's just like anybody photocopying an
interview in you guys' magazines and selling it for cheaper, it's not a
very nice thing to do, and we do not support it in any way. I suppose
it's nice to know that it's reaching out to people, and more people are
getting music, but at the end of the day, the people doing the MP3 thing are like robbers. We do not support it in any way."  

The week Westlife and Mariah Carey's duet, a cover of Phil Collins' Against All Odds, hits the airwaves, Mariah has been chatting exclusively to worldpop about her first impressions of the Irish icons.

'They're really great, sweet, people and more importantly they're talented,' she enthuses. 'I don't think it would take anything major to break Westlife in America. I also think American girls will like them a lot!'

So did this American girl fall for Westlife's Irish charm? 'They haven't tried to come on to me actually,' Mariah giggles. 'They've been quite respectful.' But Mariah still reckons it was very nice to have the 'five strapping lads' around her!

Although she's one of the biggest stars in the world, Westlife were quite happy to entertain Mariah with some Irish songs, despite having one or two translation problems. 'To me it sounded like they were singing the f curse,' laughs Mariah. In actual fact, the boys were just singing in Gaelic. Or so they say ...

Their much-hyped collaboration Against All Odds is released next month.

TAKEN FROM WORLDPOP.COM 

STEPS AND WESTLIFE PLAY LIVERPOOL POP FESTIVAL

Pop stars Steps, Westlife, S Club 7, Billie Piper, Mel B and Louise are all taking part in Party At The Pier 2000 in Liverpool later this month.

The annual pop festival is organised by Liverpool's Radio City 96.7 and takes place at Kings Dock on Bank Holiday Monday (August 28th).

The acts will be introduced by 'Brookside' and 'Hollyoaks' actors and Liverpool and Everton football players.

Other artists set to play include Boyzone member Stephen Gately, Alice Deejay, Precious, The Honeyz, Sonique, Madasun, Lolly, Damage, Scooch and Atomic Kitten.

Tickets cost £7 and are available from Liverpool's Virgin Megastore. Profits from the show will be donated to local charity Give A Child A Chance and Nordoff-Robins Music Therapy.

News taken in the Dotmusic site:

www.dotmusic.co.uk

WESTLIFE AND BACKSTREET BOYS GO ON £30,000 BINGE

It's been reported that the boy band's Westlife and Backstreet Boys spent £30,000 on a drinking session in Stockholm recently.

According to a UK tabloid the two groups, who are thought to be worth £70 million between them, made a night of it when they met up in Sweden's capital city.

Westlife were there to record their new album, while Backstreet Boys had flown in to take part in a new TV show.

Collectively they ran up the enormous tab by drinking champagne in Stockholm's most exclusive nightclubs and were taken from venue to venue by grand limousines.

Westlife's Nicky Byrne admitted: "We went out to all the top clubs and really let out hair down. We drove around in limos and the champagne flowed all night."

Their extravagance didn't really hit them until they were presented with the staggering bill the next day.

Byrne continued: "There was a huge bar bill at the end, but it was the last chance to really chill out before the serious work begins."

KIAN'S PORSCHE VICE!

Congrats to Kian from Westlife - we hear he's just passed his driving test! Rumour has it that he now intends to treat himself to not one, but two ultra-cool Porsches! Well, if you're a mega-rich pop prince you may as well spoil yourself... so, any chance of taking us out for a spin, eh Kian?!

Taken from popboys.com

It seems that Bryan has a new girlfriend... he told this in the Party In The Park chat:

bsbperfectfan> Bryan do you have a girlfriend????
Bryan:Yes I am sort of seeing someone now.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE
Westlife's Shane's 21st party in the Bordello...

Keith Duffy had his coat ripped to pieces by fans, Westlife's Brian McFadden sang the theme music from Shaft from the DJ box and Phats from the pop duo Phats and Small sang and danced to his bands own hit "Turn Around" as he partied on the dance floor.
The event will be hailed as "the ShowBiz party of the year" and was held last night in Dublin. The reason for the party was to celebrate Shane from Westlife's 21st birthday.
The massive bash was held in Dublin's top night-club Lillies Bordello which was also celebrating it's first night open after four months and multi-million pound revamp.
Starting just after 8pm.The parties guestlist was guarded and heavy security brought in after the photo rights were sold for £250,000 sterling to the English magazine OK.
Guests included all of Westlife, MTV's Emma Ledden, Miriam, Cecilia and Georgina Ahern (Nicky's girlfriend), Irish boyband 24/7, Atomic Kitten, Boyzone's Keith Duffy, Westlife manager Louis Walsh, concert promoter Dennis Desmond, and TV
producer Shay Healy to name but a few. The party went on into the early hours and by 1.30am Brian McFadden had taken over the DJ's mic and started a party of his own.
Most of the 500 guests were friends of the band aswell as a massive number of Shane's family who made their way up from Sligo for the night.
Taken from showbizireland.com

WESTLIFE OPEN HARRODS SUMMER SALE

WESTLIFE heart-throb Shane Filan today celebrated his 21st birthday in style - at Harrods. Shane and the record-breaking band were at the top London store to open its summer sale.
Dozens of fans waited outside for a glimpse of their heroes, who arrived in a horse-drawn carriage accompanied by the Harrods pipe band. Shane said he was delighted to be at the store on his birthday. "My parents bought me a horse for my birthday but I have not had a chance to ride it yet. I think the boys in the band will get me my present tonight."
Other band member Mark Feehily said: "We haven't got Shane a present yet but we've seen lots of nice things here today. We are going to have a big party in Dublin with the family at the weekend."
And colleague Bryan McFadden said: "The reception has been amazing. It is the first time we have been in England since we got back from the US last month. We had forgotten how great the fans are."
Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed took the band on a tour of his store as dozens of screaming fans followed in a mad scrum to see the band. Mr Fayed said: "It is great to have the boys here today. There are lots of bargains for them to see, Rolex watches, diamonds and menswear, great bargains."
After the tour, the band went to the Georgian restaurant on the fourth floor where they sang a live version of their first number one hit Swear It Again where Mr Fayed joined in with the band. Band member Kian Egan said: "Now we have a new member of Westlife, ladies and gentlemen."
Mr Fayed said: "Yes you have an older man in the band now." 
Westlife broke all UK pop records last year when they became the first group to have five songs to straight into the charts at number one.

WESTLIFE BRYAN COLLAPSES
BRYAN McFADDEN pleaded to be allowed to go home after collapsing on Westlife's gruelling U.S. tour.
The exhausted singer passed out minutes after performing on a New York radio show and was put in a wheelchair because he was too weak to walk. He was rushed to hospital and doctors diagnosed nervous exhaustion and told him to rest.
Bryan, 20, begged record company bosses to let him go back to his parents in Dublin rather than stay in his hotel. When he arrived in Ireland he was helped off the plane, still in a wheelchair.
Bryan told: "One minute I was fine, the next I collapsed. I thought I would die. The doctor said I needed to rest.
"But I wanted to be with Mum and Dad, not lying in a hotel room. So they put me on the first flight out to Dublin.
"We haven't had a day off since Christmas and I spend most of the time travelling. I'm not moaning because I know how lucky I am."
Bryan rejoined the boys in Boston last Sunday after a week off.
He added: "I couldn't take any more time off - this tour's important. The show must go on."
Meanwhile, Bryan's colleague, Mark Feehily, is secretly dating American teen sensation Mandy Moore.
Mark, 20, last week, fell for the 16-year-old beauty, who had a hit with Candy, after they appeared on a U.S. radio show.

WESTLIFE IN A SPIN
WESTLIFE had to cancel a concert after being caught up in a terrifying tornado.
The band were trapped in their hotel by the twister which hit North Carolina during their U.S. tour.
Singer Kian Egan told me: "We were in a hotel room when all the lights suddenly went out.
"I've never seen wind like it. We saw cars being blown away. It was really scary.
"But the worst thing about it was we had to cancel our gig, which was a real shame."

TODAY IS MARK'S BIRTHDAY!

Happy birthday Maaaaaaaaaaark!!!!

WESTLIFE PAY HOMAGE TO DUBLIN

Westlife have announced their intention to play a free gig in Dublin this summer as a 'thank-you' to their home fans.

The concert will take place at Marley Park, organised in conjunction with local Dublin radio station 104FM. This will be the band's only live date in Ireland until next year, manager Louis Walsh says: "They want to do it to say thanks to the radio station for supporting them from the start - and to give their fans here a treat."

Meanwhile, the band are on the Italian island of Capri, favourite hang-out of Mariah Carey, where they are recording with the diva herself. Together they are to lay down a cover of Phil Collins' hit 'Against All Odds' for release later this year.