Gary Barlow’s Take That statement made me confront an uncomfortable truth

As a man grappling with the reality that my youth is behind me and I’m entering a stage of life that, quite honestly, I’m not even a little bit ready for, I find myself impacted by the most unexpected pieces of news. 

Because I was left dealing with some intense self-reflection after reading that Gary Barlow said Take That’s The Circus Tour is probably one they’ll never do again because they’re getting too old.

Unfortunately, I was not able to make round two of The Circus Tour, a celebration of the 2009 show which was one of the most breathtaking live displays pop music has ever seen

But even seeing the odd social media post from a friend showed just how intense a spectacle this was, and the physical toll Barlow mentioned in his statement was plain to see. 

And as I reflected on this close of a chapter from a band who transformed themselves from the Smash Hits heavyweights of the 90s into one of the most innovative and ambitious live acts in the world, I realised just how quickly they’d grown older, and how quickly I have watching them. 

I’ve been lucky enough to see Take That at least 10 times when, throughout my entire childhood, I never thought it would be possible. 

I remember so distinctly the moment in 1996 I first laid eyes on Gary, Mark Owen, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Robbie Williams – who just so happened to be living next door to me, staying at his mum’s house, at the time.

My cousin had the Take That And Party VHS and was watching it over a bowl of Corn Flakes when I was transfixed by these five young men flipping, gyrating and performing such mesmerising choreography in total unison.

Just as I was becoming a die-hard, though, the most devastating news struck. To quote a weepy Gary Barlow at the band’s press conference a few months later: ‘I’m afraid the rumours are true. Take That are no more.’

My mother then gently explained to me that, as much as I loved Take That, they were never going to make new music and, no matter how much you love something, it can let you down. It was cruel, it was tough, and it was the first important life lesson I learned from Take That.

And now, 30 years later, after seeing them time and time again performing their bold and acrobatic choreography like they were still in their early 20s, the band has taught me something else. 

Life has moved on further than I’d have liked it to, and quicker than I anticipated. Take That are getting older, and I too am teetering on the edge of middle age.

This particular stadium tour has seen the now three-piece perform 17 shows across the UK and Ireland. 

In it, these men in their 50s are reimagining the most celebrated (and lucrative) show of their careers, the tour of another time and place when they were still joined by Jason Orange and were in their late 30s.

But in an Instagram post celebrating the end of a triumphant rodeo, Gary said: ‘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.

‘So, it’s with an extremely heavy heart that I leave The Circus in my past. I got to run away with The Circus twice. Now I’m running towards our next exciting, brand new show.’

I have no doubt he’s right and there are so many exciting shows ahead for the band. 

For as long as they’re still standing, there won’t be a day when Take That can’t sell out stadiums.

But Gary’s statement was surprisingly challenging for a fan like me who can’t remember when they haven’t been a huge part of my life. 

Because it wasn’t just about the ageing of the band; it was about us too, the fans who have aged with them in what feels like the blink of an eye. 

And when with statements like Gary’s, I realise I’m just not mentally equipped for that.

Until quite recently, I’ve been able to say with total conviction that life is long – there is plenty of time ahead to let time fix, heal and guide you into life. Suddenly, that stops ringing true. 

Reading Gary’s statement is a timely reminder, from the most unlikely of places, that life is actually incredibly short; that the band who could backflip well into their 40s are entering a chapter I never really imagined they would, and with that, so are fans like me.

This year my dad turns 80, I’m currently planning my 40th birthday, I met someone last week who wasn’t old enough to remember the Spice Girls in their heyday, and recently I pulled my calf muscles just by bending over, which I fear is going to become much more of a regular occurrence.

A Take That documentary was released on Netflix earlier this year. It features only a few seconds of footage of the band now; they’re backstage and Howard is complaining that he doesn’t like mac and cheese to a genuinely concerned Gary. 

Away from the acrobatics and stadium-filling anthems, they have become grumpy old men. It was strangely beautiful to watch, seeing these young boys we’ve adored for so long age into some sense of grounded normality. 

Perhaps that’s what growing older really looks like – becoming much more comfortable with who you are, feeling less pressure to conform. 

That’s why Gary’s post landed so heavily with me. It’s not really about the prospect of never seeing The Circus again. It’s the reminder that life, and so many of its defining moments, are finite.

It’s refreshing to hear a band with the electric energy of Take That acknowledge that one chapter of their career is ending while embracing the fact that there are many more to come. 

They might look a bit different, but at their heart they’ll still be the same band, singing the same songs that somehow never grow old, even when we do.

And as hard as it can be to realise your childhood heroes are growing older, there’s something comforting in knowing we’re growing older with them too.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.