Gary Barlow's recent statement that Take That's The Circus Tour is probably one they'll never do again because they're getting too old has left one fan grappling with an uncomfortable truth about his own mortality. Adam Miller, a columnist for Metro, writes that the news triggered intense self-reflection about ageing and the passage of time.
Barlow's announcement and its impact
In an Instagram post celebrating the end of the tour, Barlow wrote: 'Somehow, this one feels a little different. With the other tours, it's always comforting to know there will almost definitely be a next time. But I'm pretty sure this tour won't return. I was 38 when we originally did this show, and I have to say it's been a whole other challenge doing it as a 55-year-old. I just can't see a way I could physically do this show again.'
Miller, who has seen Take That at least 10 times, recalls first discovering the band in 1996 when he saw Gary, Mark Owen, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, and Robbie Williams performing on a VHS tape at his cousin's house. He became a die-hard fan shortly before the band's devastating breakup in 1996, which Barlow announced at a press conference: 'I'm afraid the rumours are true. Take That are no more.'
A lesson in life's brevity
Miller reflects that the band's original breakup taught him that 'no matter how much you love something, it can let you down.' Now, 30 years later, the band's ageing has taught him another lesson: life moves on faster than anticipated. 'Take That are getting older, and I too am teetering on the edge of middle age,' he writes.
The current tour, which saw the now three-piece band perform 17 shows across the UK and Ireland, reimagines the celebrated 2009 show when the band members were in their late 30s. Miller notes that Barlow's statement was challenging because it wasn't just about the band's ageing, but about the fans who have aged with them.
Confronting middle age
Miller admits he is 'not mentally equipped' for the realisation that life is short. He cites personal milestones: his father turning 80, his own upcoming 40th birthday, meeting someone who doesn't remember the Spice Girls, and pulling his calf muscles by bending over. He finds comfort in a Netflix documentary showing the band backstage, complaining about mac and cheese, becoming 'grumpy old men.'
'Perhaps that's what growing older really looks like – becoming much more comfortable with who you are, feeling less pressure to conform,' Miller writes. He concludes that while it's hard to realise childhood heroes are growing older, there is comfort in growing older with them.
