FORMER Westlife star Shane Filan is enjoying life as a solo artist and is looking forward to bringing his new tour to Salisbury.

The Irish singer says he has “upped the ante” for this year’s Love Always tour, which is at City Hall on Saturday, October 14

“The production is a lot more glamorous and bigger - it is a very slick show. The set list is really strong because we’ve got all these songs to mash in, between the Westlife songs and my own songs and the singles off the albums mixed in with all the Love Always songs. It is a really enjoyable show. There are a lot of upbeat songs in there, which is good too, and a few little surprises to get the crowd going.

“It is a really fun show to perform.”

There will be plenty of opportunities for fans to sing along to their favourite love songs.

“That is the good thing about this album, all the songs are famous and people know the words which is very important for a live show - they just react better to it,” says Filan.

Speaking about his solo career, he says: “It is different but, you know what, I love it. It is one of those things that you kind of find your way. When we started Westlife we didn’t know what to expect and found our way. We were in the boy band bubble of madness but this is still the same thing - it is just a different kind of thing because its solo.”

“I love being on tour and my whole crew. It is a really humbling experience seeing your name on the door and on the tickets. I feel very proud to be doing what I do.

“Three albums in, it is just going great and I’m happy to be here. It is amazing to be doing this and calling it my job. It doesn’t feel like a job and it is the dream job and I’m still doing it which is great.”

This will be Filan’s first time performing in Salisbury. He says: “I’m looking forward to it. I always like playing new towns and cities, you don’t know what to expect and what the crowd will be like but you always remember your first gig when you go to a new city. You want to create new memories for people and put on a great show. I walk out on stage every night going ‘this is going to be the best show ever’.”

But, for Westlife fans it seems unlikely that a reunion is on the cards. “There’s no plans or talk about it. It is a question I get asked a lot. The honest truth is I honestly don’t know. I can’t see it happening any time soon. But look five years down the line, I don’t know, it could happen possibly,” he says

“We are all busy doing our own things and enjoying life. Everything is good and I love what I’m doing at the moment. You never know, it is one of those questions that will be answered in time.”

“It might never happen - it is one of those things. I don’t think about and don’t focus on it. I need to focus on something I have full control of and that is my solo career and that is my most important thing in my life.

“If the question pops up in the future it is something we all would probably have to talk about and see where it is at. It still might not happen - it’s one of those things you just never know.”

Tickets for the Shane Filan Love Always tour are available by calling 01722 434434 or going to cityhallsalisbury.co.uk.