Two diehard fans donned wedding gowns as they attended the first part of the concert of famous Irish boy band Westlife in the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Monday.
Katryn Leonor, 29, and Shara Ann Salcedo, 28, arrived at the boy band’s “Wild Dreams Tour” in the Philippines on February 20 dressed as brides.
The band is in Manila for their two-day concert associated with their eleventh and twelfth albums “Spectrum” and “Wild Dreams.”
The boys also performed their nostalgic hits such as “I Lay My Love On You,” “My Love,” “Uptown Girl,” “Fool Again,” “Mandy,” and “If I Let You Go,” among others.
Among those looking forward to their Manila visit were Katryn and Shara, who caught people’s attention with their attires.
“Hindi po ako na-inform na concert ng Westlife. Akala ko po kasal namin ni Kian,” Katryn quipped to an interview with reporters. She was referring to Westlife member Kian Egan.
“Same po! Kabit po ako ni Shane,” Shara joked, referring to another member, Shane Filan. “Hindi, joke lang!”
When asked about the reason for their gimmick, she said it has always been their dream to be in the VIP section.
“Sabi namin, gagawin namin lahat, kahit ‘di man lang kami mapaakyat sa stage, kung baga, ma-acknowledge lang nila kami. Gano’n lang!” Shara explained.
“That is correct po,” Katryn added.
Katryn said she has been a fan of the boy band since 2017, while Shara said has listened to them since kindergarten because of her father.
For Katryn, Westlife’s music saved her life and continues to inspire her “every day.”
“You’re not just a boy band, pero parte kayo ng buhay ko. Sobrang nagpapasalamat ako sa inyo and, whatever we’re doing right now, we’re doing kasi na-inspire niyo kami,” she said.
“‘Yun nga, since college din ako, ‘yung music nila, nagpapatanggal ng stress sa akin, nung high school ako,” Shara said.
“So, parang dream ko na rin ‘to, sabi ko, ‘Pag nagka-work ako, i-pu-push ko ang VIP. Hindi puwedeng hindi. Hindi puwedeng mamatay ako na hindi ako nakakapaag-VIP!'” she added.
Both of them were able to set foot on stage with their idols in the end.
Shara also dedicated a Facebook post to the boy band, their fellow fans, friends, and other people who supported them.
“Thank you so much, Westlife, for coming back here [to] Manila and for giving us a chance to be with you guys on stage!! Dreams come true indeed (loudly crying and red heart emojis),” Shara wrote on Tuesday.
“Til’ now, I can’t move on huhu… you [mean so much] to me and have a big part in my heart forever and ever!! THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY WILD DREAMS COME TRUE,” she added.
Shara said they only wanted to be “acknowledged” by the band but the Lord had given them “much more” than they had expected.
Westlife was one the most popular boy bands of the 2000s, performing ballads and club-worthy pop songs that cemented them as one of Europe’s most successful acts.
The band has released six platinum-selling records in the United Kingdom and has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, helping them eclipse the popularity of fellow pop titans like Boyzone.
