The Wanted returned to Cardiff last night after a seven-year hiatus, with their Greatest Hits tour taking place across the country this March.
Separating in 2014 to pursue solo projects, the band reunited in 2021 for a charity concert to raise money for cancer charities, after member Tom Parker was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2020.
Releasing Most Wanted: The Greatest Hits last year meant that the boys were back on stage, with their adoring fans all reuniting to see them once more.
Straight from the USA, support act Harper Starling, who is performing in the UK for the first time, got the crowd going with her new single “Say My Name (Why don’t ya babe)”. Starling, who has Tourette’s syndrome, was greeted by a welcoming Cardiff audience and even says herself, symptoms disappear when she gets on stage and her performance takes over.
Estonian DJ Rozell and singing sensation HRVY were also there to keep things warm before The Wanted took to the stage, with the audience raring to go.
Opening with number one hit All Time Low, the boys could hardly be heard over the screams of fangirls who hadn’t seen their idols in over seven years.
Performing hits like Walks Like Rihanna, Chasing the Sun and I Found You, the band had everyone up on their feet singing and dancing along for the entire show. They also made two fans’ dreams come true when they were chosen to go on stage and be Heart Vacancy Girls, where the boys sang the famous love song on their knees to them while gazing into their eyes.
After leaving the stage, the crowd erupted into cheers for more, and the boys returned for an encore of Gold Forever, before Max and Jay left the stage for Nathan and Siva to announce that £1 from every ticket sold on the tour would be donated to a brain tumour charity in honour of Tom.
With just four of the five members on stage for the majority of the show, the audience all expressed their love for missing member Tom, with chants echoing around the arena and many fans holding banners in the air.
It was a heart-warming moment when Tom joined his fellow bandmates on stage for the final and iconic song Glad You Came sitting on a throne, smiling and singing along as the crowd erupted into cheers, with most fans shedding a tear.
With dates in Birmingham, London, Nottingham, Manchester and Liverpool still on sale, this moving reunion is not one to be missed. Find tickets here.
