!! Please don't take SF-NL's news for your own site. In stead put up a link to Shane Filan NL and let people read the news where you found it, on here. I know some fans still take SF-NL's news despite my request, and post it on messageboards rather then posting the site's link. If you're one of them, not wanting to put up a link to SF-NL for some reason, please at least do credit.

 

 'IRRESISTIBLE' WESTLIFE WOO UPBEAT CLAUDIA
 

POP heartthrobs Westlife yesterday charmed supermodel Claudia Schiffer as she became their Uptown Girl when they filmed the video for their charity single.

The 30-year-old German star took the role made famous by Christie Brinkley in Billy Joel's original version of the song.

Schiffer joined the Irish stars as they filmed the video in a diner near London's Kings Cross station.

Schiffer was approached by writer Richard Curtis, the boss of Comic Relief which will benefit from profits raised by the track. >>>>

In the video the Westlife boys are waiters and cooks in a 1950s diner and win the heart of the glamorous star who has popped in with a bunch of obnoxious toffs.

Schiffer said: "Richard Curtis rang me and asked me to do the video and I was delighted to oblige.

"The combination of the song, which I love, working with Westlife, who are lots of fun, and being able to help Comic Relief made it an irresistible proposition."

The band too were delighted that Schiffer won the role.

Mark Feehily said: "I had a poster of her on my wall for years when I was younger it's nice for a poster to turn into real life."

As Joel filmed the original video for Uptown Girl he fell for Brinkley and they later married, but the band laughed off any such ideas.

But Kian Egan joked: "We might go for a few drinks later on and I might chance my arm."

The group have already notched up a string of seven number one singles.

Shane Filan is well used to the experience of working in a diner his parents owned the a cafe in Sligo. "I've worked in a cafe all my life, I'm very used to putting on aprons and stuff."

The single will be released on March 5 ahead of Comic Relief Day on March 16.

Uptown Girl was a smash hit for Joel, who later split from Brinkley, in 1983.

 
Source: SF-NL Archives - 2001

 

 WESTLIFE HAVE MADE A VIDEO FOR ALBUM TRACK ANGEL
 

Westlife have made a video for the album track "Angel", even though the track will never be released as a single.

The song, a cover of Sarah McLachlan's worldwide smash hit, features on their latest LP "World Of Our Own." "We've been constantly releasing singles so now we decided to be more laidback and just to make this video for MTV and other music channels. A non-commercial video is probably the best way to call it since you need to buy the album to get the song," Kian explained. "But it is not going to be a single. We don’t want to overload the market."

The video sees Kian showing off a little-known talent: tinkling the ivories.. "It is shot in black and white with close ups on our faces and I play the piano," he told MTV. "We haven’t seen it yet but I think it will be very good."

It has been suggested that for a future single release Westlife may record another duet with Mariah Carey sometime next year. The guys are performing at the Top of the Pops awards this Friday with Mariah, singing her song 'Never Too Far'. Speaking to a UK tabloid, Westlife's manager, Louis Walsh, explained: "There was real chemistry when they worked on 'Against All Odds'. We want to record with her again because it would be a great way to bolster her profile in the UK and introduce Westlife to the Americans."

Meanwhile, "World Of Our Own" is currently number 1 in the Swedish album chart, the first time Westlife have reached the top spot with an album in Sweden.

 
Source: MTV Asia - 2001

 

 WESTLIFE TO PLAY EXCLUSIVE SCHOOL CONCERT
 

Boyband Westlife are to swap huge arenas for a more intimate performance when they play in front of just 50 schoolchildren in Ireland.

St Killian's School in Cork will be able to boast an exclusive concert by the chart-topping band after winning a charity competition.

Around 1,500 schools entered the Pennies from Heaven competition, which has so far raised over £3.9m (IR£5m) for charities.

Spare coins needed

Children were asked to donate any spare Irish coins they had ahead of January 1, when Ireland swaps punts for the Euro.

The names of the 1,500 schools that hoped to have Westlife play for them were put into a hat and the winner was drawn out on Ireland's Den TV.

Some of the charities to benefit from the money raised are Barnardo's, Concern, Focus Ireland, Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Heart Foundation, the ISPCC and the Simon Community.

 
Source: SF-NL Archives - 2001

 

 BUSY POSTMEN!
 

Postmen were unusually busy this morning as their Valentine's Day postbags were bolstered by huge deliveries for the home of the Westlife lads. Pictured is 7 years old Colm Egan, reading some of the cards which arrived for his brother, Kian.

 
Source: SF-NL Archives - 2001

 

 WESTLIFE MAKE MORE HISTORY WITH CONCERT
 

Pop music history will be made next week — and three young Sligomen will be at the heart of it.

The eleven consecutive sold-out Westlife concerts which kick off at The Point on Monday night will break all previous box office records, with up to 70,000 fans from all over Ireland and abroad making it the biggest pop party ever staged in Ireland.

Initially, the band which began in Sligo less than four years ago, was scheduled to play just two concerts in Dublin, but nine additional dates had to be added to cater for the phenomenal demand for tickets.

“The huge level of interest took us by surprise”, said Mr. Justin Green of concert promoters, MCD. “We anticipated strong ticket sales, but to run eleven consecutive concerts is unprecedented. It will undoubtedly be the biggest pop event ever staged in Ireland”.

Thousands of fans will make the trip from Sligo during the eleven-night run, and members of the Filan, Feehily and Egan families, many of whom have already seen the concert in England, will be present to support Shane, Mark and Kian, as well as their Dublin colleagues, Nicky Byrne and Bryan McFadden.

Meanwhile, the band’s current single, Uptown Girl, has shot straight to the top of both the Irish and UK charts. It is Westlife’s biggest ever seller and could yet become the highest ever selling single in Ireland.

 
Source: SF-NL Archives - 2001

 

 1 MILLION VIDEO FOR QUEEN OF MY HEART SCRAPPED
 

Westlife have been forced to scrap their new £1million video, intended to accompany 'Queen of my heart' after the recent terror attacks in the US.

The video, filmed in London earlier this month, featured the boys taking part in a stock car race, with violent explosions and showers of debris. One scene even had Bryan caught up in a dramatic crash.

Kian said: "There is no way we could show that video now, in light of what happened in America. So we decided to scrap it and have now gone back to the drawing board to try to think of another idea. We hope to start shooting the new video next week."

Mark, also commented: "It was a horrible thing that happened and our deepest sympathies go to all the families."

 
Source: SF-NL Archives - 2001