The end is nigh for Westlife, as the boy band bow out next week with two final concerts in Croke Park in front of over 100,000 fans. Before their last hurrah, Kian Egan found time to talk in the latest issue of Hot Press and admitted the Dublin gigs would be emotionally-charged affairs.
"Yeah, we’re throwing the kitchen sink at it, basically. I think the emotion is what matters most, not what special effects we’ll have around us. It’s about the four of us standing on that stage, singing those songs for those people, for the very last time. We’re never going to feel the same as we’re going to feel in Croke Park on June 23. There’s no doubt about that."
Westlife news has been decidedly downbeat this week, as Shane Filan filed for bankruptcy as the property business he started with his brother went under. But Kian insists it hasn't been an issue.
"It’s never affected us as a band and our fans have never reacted negatively to anything like that... I never know what’s in the papers in Ireland. I’ve no interest – but I was home a good bit for The Voice and I’d go out for a coffee and pass by a shop and see all this stuff in the papers on us. And I’d think, ‘Jesus, Westlife are in the papers an awful lot’. I had no idea."
Egan also confirmed that Louis Walsh fought the band's decision to call it quits. "Louis didn’t want it to happen. He understands why it needed to happen and why it should happen. But he just didn’t want it to happen and he was very vocal about it. The four of us needed to make the decision for ourselves. Louis is not doing what we’re doing. He’s the manager. He’s not on the road as much as we are, leaving families behind and living the lifestyle that we’re living."
In terms of other battles, the singer says that the band had to be strong against Simon Cowell over the years. "Simon Cowell was the man we always had to fight against. A typical example was with ’Rainbow Zephyr’, originally [by Downpatrick outfit} Relish. We took it to Cowell and he was like, ‘no, no, no’. We said, ‘just give us a chance’."

For more from Kian Egan as he gears up for his group's farewell, pick up the latest issue of Hot Press (Glen Hansard cover), on sale now.