Two brilliant gigs full of energetic, emotional, perfect pop.

“We’re just stars trying to get back to where we’re from, and one by one, we’re going to leave this planet”

Mark Owen, “Stars”

This line in Mark Owen’s “Stars” always makes a conversation I had with my father, somewhere in the early 80s, bubble into my consciousness. It was around the time of the Carl Sagan series “Cosmos”, which we had been watching as a family. I have a distinct memory of my dad carefully explaining to me the concept of Star Stuff, and how we are all made of the same elements that make up the stars. I would have been all of 6 or 7 at the time, and it was a heady introduction into the magic of the universe.

At the time of Mark’s “Land of Dreams” tour in autumn 2022, I knew that my now 91-year-old father’s time was coming to an end, and in fact it was less than a month after these gigs that his turn would come to leave this planet. So, although he probably had no idea who Mark Owen was, my dad was very much on my mind as I headed to my first Mark Owen gig in nearly two decades.

Anyone who’s read my previous Take That or Mark Owen reviews will know that I have an intense love for the man and his solo albums. He is a truly unique solo artist who rightly deserves recognition as one of the best singer/songwriters in the world today. I saw him live a couple of times in 2003, but missed any subsequent tours due to not paying enough attention at the time, and so, 19 years later, I was massively excited to finally have the chance to experience Mark live solo again.

Which meant, of course, that one gig was never going to be enough, and so I found myself hurtling north to Manchester this autumnal Monday in 2022. Arriving at the Ritz a bit after 7pm, I discovered the queue snaking round the street next to the venue, and it took a whole 20 minutes to get in. Which meant that by the time I got in it was only 15 minutes to Mark time, with the big neon clock on stage ticking towards 8pm.

At the appointed time an alarm rang and the screen revealed Mark backstage, grooving his way through the opening track of “Land of Dreams”, “Superpower” while he moved through the backstage area towards the stage. I was further back than usually I’d like to be, but still had a pretty good view of him once he leapt onto the stage. From that moment, he powered through an extensive setlist of his own solo songs mixed in with a few choice Take That classics. His performance was suffused with enthusiasm and evident delight, and featured a dazzling array of outfits – first a bright and breezy mustard yellow suit, then a shiny purple ensemble ready for a 70s dancefloor, and finally, all in white.

There was of course a heavy focus on the new album, “Land of Dreams”, with almost every single track getting an airing. This is a brilliant album that manages to combine an all-pervasive positive attitude with a sense of depth and acceptance of the transience of existence and uncertainties of life – all mingling with groovy 70’s disco vibes or icily dramatic synths. Hearing these songs live was an absolute treat, in particular its effervescent lead single “You Only Want Me”, the jubilant 80’s-style powerhouse “Rio” and the soaringly beautiful and touching “Being Human”.

Surprisingly, but not unwelcomely, his debut “Green Man” also had a strong presence, with nearly half of the album being played. In particular, the moody rockiness of the title track sounded fantastic. I would have loved to hear more from “In Your Own Time”, an album with huge nostalgic resonance for me, but at least we got a stirringly brilliant “Four Minute Warning”. From ‘How The Mighty Fall’, his second album, there was a gleeful ‘Makin’ Out’, and his third “The Art Of Doing Nothing” had two representatives in the bouncy “Us and Ours”, and the undyingly gorgeous “Stars” – more on which in a moment.

For me, most of the gig passed in an enjoyable blur. I’d been looking forward to this tour so much, and with so much dread that my family situation would prevent me from actually getting to it, that somehow once I was actually there I couldn’t completely engage, get immersed, as though I couldn’t quite grasp that I was actually there, at a Mark Owen gig, after wanting this so much for so many years, then being so scared that it would be taken away from me. But I made the most of it by taking as much vlog footage as possible.

I finally loosened up a bit by “Hold Up A Light”, at the end of the main set, but then the encore began with “Stars”, and I was not quite prepared for how that would hit me. I went from not being fully engaged in the gig, to completely engulfed by emotion, in the space of one song. The fact that I was finally getting to experience this most incredible song live was enough to make it a huge moment, but on top of this, the lyrics burrowed just a little too deeply into the open wounds that I was carrying at the time – the recognition that our time on this planet is finite, and the ones we love will leave one by one. And so I found myself fully sobbing, which I gamely hid as best as I could by distracting myself filming some more footage for the vlog.

Luckily I was able to compose myself during “Child”, a song that I had also worried might set me over the edge of tears, with its delicate, deeply affecting melody and lyrics avowing hope and protection for the most innocent, along with all its the attendant memories of the lost long ago days of the 90s. Then, as though somehow set free from my demons for a moment, I was able to properly party my way through a confetti-strewn “Magic”, the perfect pop of “These Days” and the reverberating and upbeat “World” before an intensely joyous “Being Human” brought it all to a close. Walking back to the hotel afterwards, I felt clearer in my head then had for weeks, so maybe a big old sob to “Stars” was exactly what I needed.

Three days later and it was Thursday, time for the final date of Mark’s tour at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Knowing how packed it can get in the downstairs area of this venue, I got there a little earlier the time, round 6.45pm, and found that they were already letting people in despite doors being advertised as 7pm. I’d learned since Monday that there was a priority queue for O2 customers, so trying my luck I went up to a security dude and showed my app. Thrillingly, he waved me in without any queuing at all!

I zipped in and found a spot to the far left, about eight rows back. It was exactly where I’d hoped I might find myself, close enough to be fully immersed in the action but not in the thick of the crush. Having now definitely made it to both of my Mark gigs without Real Life messing things up, I was in the shiniest, brightest mood I’d experienced all year, even before Mark took the stage. And then, of course, once Mark was there, so close, so amazing, it was a gig full of genuine delight from start to finish. Unlike at Manchester, I was totally immersed from the start, and just revelling in it.

This gig featured the exact same setlist as the Ritz show, and I believe the other two shows on the tour as well. Outfit wise, he appeared at first in a simple get up with jeans and a camel jacket, before dazzling us all in a spacy silver get-up for the middle section, and then taking to the angelic white suit again for the encore, at first covering it with a black poncho.

Mark truly shone this evening, blasting through the set with energy and spirit. It’s rare that a gig leaves you with such a sense of a unique, magnificent talent unfolding gloriously before you, and I felt so lucky to be part of this special crowd, gifted as we were with the bewilderingly secret knowledge that Mark Owen is, in fact, completely amazing.

At the time of this gig, I had a long and difficult year ahead of me, but I left Shepherd’s Bush Empire that evening clutching a new Mark Owen t-shirt and poster, and feeling that just for a moment, everything was good in the world. I’ll be seeing Mark again soon on Take That’s tour for their incredible “This Life” album, but I hope that we won’t have too long to wait before he dives back into the studio, to bring us another solo record and a tour as full of life-affirming joy as this one we experienced in October 2022.