Take That has graced stadiums worldwide, performing for millions. However, their journey may have begun in a modest social club in North Wales.
The band’s recent Netflix documentary unveiled that lead singer Gary Barlow’s inaugural performance occurred at Connah’s Quay Labour Club at the young age of 11. Details of the documentary can be found here.
Club treasurer Susan Jones, who learned of the songwriter’s mention of the club via social media, remarked to the BBC that the venue “made Gary Barlow.”
As one of the most prominent bands of the past three decades, Take That has sold over 45 million records globally and achieved 28 UK Top 40 singles.
In the Netflix documentary, Barlow reminisced about his debut gig at the Flintshire club in the early ’80s.
“I had bags full of manuscripts of songbooks and I’d see written underneath it, ‘words and music written by Neil Diamond,” Barlow said.
“Imagine having words and music, my name.”
While his debut performance at the club was more than 40 years ago, some of the staff still remember the Brit Award winner playing the organ before he shot to fame in one of the world’s biggest boybands.
Jones said she only realised Connah’s Quay was featured in the documentary because of social media.
“One of my friends posted it and tagged me in it,” she said.
“It’s really exciting, it’s quite a good feeling [that] we’ve had a superstar here.
“Loads of people have come to me quite shocked that they didn’t know it was one of the places he started off.”
While she wasn’t sure what lead to Take That, Jones said the club had “made Gary Barlow”.
Super fan Yvette Clark has seen the band perform 15 times, including in Spain and Italy.
She has also travelled from her home in Mold, Flintshire, to visit the social club with friends, saying it was refreshing that Barlow is still “fondly thought of” in Connah’s Quay.
“It was your proper traditional social club,” she said.
“And you could just see Gary Barlow on that stage singing.
“It was like, ‘Oh my God, you can just see him as this little kid trying to pave his way’.”
Clark is hoping that the star returns to where it all began, and that social media posts about the club reach Barlow.
“It sounds quite fanciful to somebody who’s not a Take That fan, but they are those kind of guys.
“I’m quite sure if Gary had a quiet moment he wouldn’t think twice about just going back there and visiting them.
Formed in Manchester in 1990, Take That was built around the vocal and song writing abilities of Barlow alongside Robbie Williams, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Howard Donald.
Since then, the group has achieved nine number one albums, 12 number one singles and 13 tours, all while having a 10-year hiatus between 1996-2006.
Now without Williams and Orange, Take That has announced a tenth studio album is in the works and is preparing for a stadium tour in the summer.
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