Take That star will play greatest hits sets for passengers departing from Southampton for the Norwegian Fjords on P&O Cruises’ new flagship
Calling a pop singer a “cruise ship entertainer” used to be an insult.
But Gary Barlow has said that the next Adele will be discovered working the passenger vessel circuit after signing up to perform for holidaymakers travelling with P&O Cruises.
Barlow will repeat the intimate shows, staged in the ship’s theatre, on a cruise to Spain and Portugal.
Star names setting sail
Barlow is the latest big name to swap stadiums for the high seas. John Bon Jovi entertained 1,000 passengers on the Norwegian Pearl’s four-day cruise from Barcelona to Palma last year.
Glass cases containing the rocker’s stage costumes were displayed on board to give fans an “immersive Bon Jovi experience.”
Indie band Belle and Sebastian staged their own bespoke cruise across the Mediterranean. A hand-picked bill of bands, including Teenage Fanclub and Mogwai, delivered a taste of Glasgow in the sunshine for 2,000 fans.
‘Next Adele’ on cruise
With a “captive” audience, cruise ships, once the province of cabaret entertainers like Jane McDonald, are now a lucrative addition to the live music business.
Barlow believes they will become an important testing ground for new artists, as grassroots live music venues diminish.
“We want to showcase new talent,” said the singer, who will be musical director of The 710 Club, a late-night intimate music bar on the 5,200 passenger Iona.
“The ones who stand out can pick up a guitar or stand by the piano, sing live and engage the audience.”
“The Adeles and Ed Sheerans of this world. There aren’t many venues where you can do that now but the more gigs you do, the better you get, and six months on a ship will give you that.”
Debauchery on high seas
The Cruise circuit has also given a new lease of life to guitar-shredding veterans.
Next month’s Monsters of Rock jaunt from Florida to Belize, headlined by Extreme, promises “five days and nights of decadence and debauchery” on the Independence of the Seas.
Fans will pay thousands of pounds for VIP packages allowing them to meet their idols. Tickets for Barlow’s cruise shows are a bargain £25 each – although berths on the Iona start from £789.
