The following apology was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and Clarifications column, Friday April 16 2004
In the review below, we initially referred to Westlife as 'the most successful British boy band'. Coming, as they do, from Dublin and Sligo we couldn't have been more wrong. Apologies.
Their album title insists Westlife are Unbreakable, but cracks have started to appear in the boy band's 32m-album-selling edifice. Three of their last four singles have failed to join the ranks of the Irish band's previous 12 number ones. More significantly, Bryan McFadden's departure (officially to spend time with wife Kerry) has been seen by some as the moment that will trigger the band's decline, in the same way Robbie Williams's exit eventually scuppered Take That.
Not a bit of it. Westlife are just carrying on where they left off: with ruthless professionalism. Gigantic video screens capture every expression of painstaking sincerity. They sing into reproduction BBC mics; black outfits against a white backdrop provide a similarly "classic" feel. More awkwardly, singer-charmer Mark Feehily introduces "One of our favourite songs to sing on the bus after a few drinks" which turns out to be a track from latest album Turnaround. "They're all their 'favourite songs'," murmurs a young fan, with a maturity that should alarm the marketing department.
Otherwise, the effect on their devoted audience is similar to a religious cult; for any refuseniks, they're surprisingly funny. Band members disappear through trapdoors, indulge in preposterous dance routines and wobble their knees to the beat while helium voices render a Beatles classic as Hilp! There's the suspicion that Westlife's success is one enormous, Situationist in-joke.
Nobody misses McFadden. Unlike Take That, Westlife have four identikit robot charmers who can grin just as cheesily as they did as a five-piece. McFadden isn't mentioned directly, but one robot refers almost tearfully to their "tough year", which prompts a display of sympathy. Now that really is professional. Maybe they should be running the country.
· Westlife play the Brighton Centre (0870 900 9100) tonight, then tour.
