Take That Deliver A Joyful Journey Through The Eras At BST Hyde Park 2023

by | Jul 9, 2023

The lineup for the Saturday session at British Summer Time all but promises to be a nostalgic return to eras past. A journey through songs some of us sang into hairbrushes, and others danced to in flared corduroy. 

Take That @ BST Hyde Park 2023

(L-R) Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen of Take That perform on stage during Day 5 of American Express Presents BST Hyde Park on July 1, 2023 in London, United, Kingdom. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)
(L-R) Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen of Take That perform on stage during Day 5 of American Express Presents BST Hyde Park on July 1, 2023 in London, United, Kingdom. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)

The fact that the day coincides with London’s annual Pride parade couldn’t be more serendipitous. Around the park the crowd is a colourful and joyous mix of generations – there are the 20-somethings delighted for The Script, 30-somethings rejoicing the original Sugababes lineup, and the 60-somethings counting all the former members of Take That. It also feels particularly busy, and it’s no surprise that the festival has completely sold out for the day – about 65,000 people are in attendance, to be exact.

The crowd cheers when all three original members of Sugababes – Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Siobhán Donaghy – march into their positions on stage, choreographically of course. The trio, barely aged and donning their own 90s outfit (a trend that has also seemingly returned to the mainstream), bring with them a vibrant energy and style. Together they performed ten back-to-back tracks with only a few short intermissions to shyly promote their upcoming tour. But they certainly don’t shy away from all of their hit songs – Freak Like Me, Red Dress, Overload and, from the soundtrack of Love Actually, Too Lost In You, before concluding with Push The Button and About You Now. It’s a lovely, and sweetly humble performance.

Sugababes @ BST Hyde Park 2023

The Sugababes (L-R) Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy, perform on stage on Day 5 of American Express Presents BST Hyde Park on July 1, 2023 in London, United, Kingdom. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)
The Sugababes (L-R) Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy, perform on stage on Day 5 of American Express Presents BST Hyde Park on July 1, 2023 in London, United, Kingdom. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)

The Script is up next and their arrival is a moment that feels particularly sentimental. It was the band’s first festival show since the death of co-founder Mark Sheehan in April – a moment the band tributed through the song If You Could See Me Now late in their set. Early on the band, led by frontman Danny O’Donohue, gave the crowd plenty of opportunities to sing along to long-term favourites such as The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, Rain and Nothing – a warm welcome that didn’t’ go unnoticed – “we feel like we’ve made so many friends today, thank you”, said Danny, as they gratefully said goodbye.

  • The Script @ BST Hyde Park 2023
  • The Script @ BST Hyde Park 2023
  • The Script @ BST Hyde Park 2023
  • The Script @ BST Hyde Park 2023

Headliners Take That are next and the crowd is a little rowdy. A few tipples in the sunshine and hours of anticipation have made them excitedly anxious – it’s clear they won’t leave disappointed. When it’s obvious the time has come, the roar of their fans is deafening. These fans are legit, so much so that when Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald run to the centre of the stage there is no music – just an acapella version of their opening song The Flood sung almost exclusively by people before them. The stage is busy with back-up dancers running up and down some makeshift stairs, your eyes drawn to the many hundreds of things happening at once. It’s chaotic and wild, it’s Take That.

A few songs in and the band welcomes Britain’s Got Talent’s Calum Scott for their most recent release, a remake of Greatest Day, before moving into a piano-led rendition of the song, Dancing On My Own by Swedish pop star Robyn (made famous by Scott on BGT). The camera pans around Calum, the same way it might do if he were performing at Eurovision, and perhaps sometimes it feels more like we’re there rather than the centre of London. Douze points for escapism!

There were pop anthems old and new, and with each one a very literal visual display in accompaniment – Shine involves thousands of phone torches, A Million Love Songs sees love hearts fill the giant screens, and Relight My Fire triggers (you guessed it) a row of flamethrowers along the stage, and a sneaky entry by 60s pop icon Lulu. As one fan put it before the show: “Take That feels like it could be a parody, but it’s very real”.

There’s a short break to allow the trio (and the audience) time to catch their breath after such a high-energy first half. The pause opens the door for some very enjoyable, and very British, banter. As Mark Owen thanks the audience for coming to see them after “four very long years” he goes on to pick his favourite banners in the audience: ‘this song is older than us’ draws a few giggles, ‘I think of you when I shag my husband’ roaring laughter, and today is my greatest day, I made it through cancer’ a long and emotional applause, which leads the group into a special song dedication – The Garden.

  • BST Hyde Park 2023
  • BST Hyde Park 2023
  • BST Hyde Park 2023
  • BST Hyde Park 2023
  • BST Hyde Park 2023
  • BST Hyde Park 2023

It’s moments like these that make you realise the thin line between band and audience. Throughout the show there’s a sharp sense of togetherness not often felt at gigs these days. At a time where mobile phones, Tik Tok and Instagram stories can truly ruin those unique and beautiful moments you can only experience live, the nostalgia that was deliberately threaded into the day via the line-up, also came through in the experience, with people choosing to sing their hearts out and put their phones away (for the most part) to just enjoy the moment. One might say, to simply Take That all in.

  • Take That @ BST Hyde Park 2023
  • Take That @ BST Hyde Park 2023
  • Take That @ BST Hyde Park 2023
  • Take That @ BST Hyde Park 2023
  • Take That @ BST Hyde Park 2023
  • Take That @ BST Hyde Park 2023
  • Take That @ BST Hyde Park 2023
  • Take That @ BST Hyde Park 2023
  • Take That @ BST Hyde Park 2023

Review of Take That at BST Hyde Park on 1st July 2023 by Lilen Pautasso. Photography by Dave Hogan.

Guns N’ Roses At BST Hyde Park 2023: Rock On A Scale Only Legends Could Achieve

The Molotovs @ Electric Ballroom (Derek D'Souza)

The Molotovs Deliver Message Of Hope With Sold-Out Electric Ballroom Show

Rising British rock outfit The Molotovs took over Camden’s Electric Ballroom a sold-out show that cemented their reputation as one of the most exciting young live acts in the country. The gig came just days before the release of their new single Rhythm Of Yourself, out 31st October via Marshall Records, as the teenage sibling duo aim for a remarkable third consecutive UK No.1 physical single.

Courting @ Oslo, London (Charlie Harris)

Courting Share Deluxe Version Of Third Album ‘How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story, Or: Lust For Life’

Liverpool four-piece Courting release the deluxe edition of their acclaimed album, How to Thread the Needle and Come Out the Other Side to Tell the Story, Or: ‘Lust for Life’, out now via Lower Third Recordings.

Henge performing at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea (Simon Reed)

Matthew C. Whitaker Unveils Dreamlike Solo Single ‘Lucid Dreamer’

Best known as the magnetic frontman, guitarist and songwriter for space-rave pioneers HENGE, Matthew C. Whitaker steps...
GUV (Victoria Prestes)

GUV Announces New Album ‘Warmer Than Gold’ – Out 30th January

Guitar pop visionary Ben Cook — formerly known as Young Guv — has announced his new album Warmer Than Gold, set for release on 30th January. The record marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Cook’s long-running project, now simply known as GUV, and arrives with the vibrant lead single Let Your Hands Go.

Sophie Grey (Maximilian Stafford)

Sophie Grey. Reimagines ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ Ahead Of London Dates Supporting Sting

Rising electronic pop artist Sophie Grey. returns with a dazzling new take on Video Killed the Radio Star, reworking the Buggles’ 1979 classic into a lush, synth-driven dreamscape. The single — out now — arrives as Sophie prepares to open for Sting across three London shows later this month as part of her global Middle of October tour.

The Churnups (Foo Fighters) @ Glastonbury Festival 2023 (Kalpesh Patel)

Foo Fighters Return With Dark New Single ‘Asking For A Friend’ And 2026 North American Stadium Tour

Foo Fighters have returned with Asking For A Friend, a darkly melodic new single that channels both introspection and...
Bon Jovi (Mark Seliger)

Bon Jovi Announce Long-Awaited Global Return With ‘Forever Tour’ — Including London, Dublin & Edinburgh Dates

Global rock icons Bon Jovi are set to make their long-awaited return to the road with the announcement of their 2026 Forever Tour — a series of monumental concerts that will see the band perform across New York, Edinburgh, Dublin, and London, marking their first full-scale live performances in years.

The Nocturnal Affair (Press)

The Nocturnal Affair Return To The UK With Wednesday 13 And The SoapGirls

Las Vegas dark rockers The Nocturnal Affair are set to return to the UK this November, joining Wednesday 13 and The SoapGirls on the Mid Death Crisis UK Tour. Following their triumphant summer run alongside Wednesday 13, Drowning Pool and Max Cavalera’s NAILBOMB, the band are back to deliver their haunting brand of “dark rock” to British audiences once again.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing