From X Factor to over two million concert ticket sales and their first ever outdoor tour, JLS aren’t done yet. Eve Davies caught up with backflip sensation Aston Merrygold and farmer-turned-pop-icon JB Gill ahead of their Summer Hits Tour, which stops at Cardiff Castle on Sun 7 July.
It seems JLS just can’t stay away. The 2008 X-Factor heartthrobs are returning to the Welsh capital for the sixth time since reuniting in 2020, with a Cardiff Castle date booked in for early July. What keeps bringing Aston Merrygold, JB Gill, Marvin Humes and Oritsé Williams back? In our short call, Aston and JB tell me it’s the crowds that are easy on the eye – blush! – as well as strong vocalists.
JLS will have been away from Wales for eight months by the time they perform at the castle, and the band are looking forward to getting back to the “very good-looking crowds” they always find here. “We’re never disappointed with the view in Wales, inside the arena and outside, of course,” Aston says.
If you’ve ever been to a summer concert at Cardiff Castle, I’m sure you’d agree that it’s a special venue where history meets modern music culture. The stage is backed by the 2000-year-old fort and the crowds span the castle grounds. “It’s nice that this time we get to come to the castle and really experience the beauty of Wales,” Aston says.
There’s something about an outdoor summer concert that pours happiness into people – a festival vibe without having to commit to three plus nights sleeping in a tent in a muddy field. But performing outside without the acoustics of an arena is no walk in the park. The performers and crowds alike must turn up pumped. JLS have never struggled with getting a Welsh, or any other, crowd going and I’m in no doubt that they have the vitality to take on the outdoor show. Luckily, Wales is a nation of strong voices. “Wales can sing!” remarks Aston. “You’ve got some amazing singers produced from Wales, and every tour the voices don’t disappoint us…”
Some of the band’s fondest memories are indeed Cardiff-based. “Something always happens in Cardiff,” says Aston. “I don’t know why there’s always some kind of drama.” (Let’s be honest, chaos is in the Welsh nature.) A standout memory for the band was during their first arena tour: as Aston recalls, the band were mid-song before a power cut zapped all lights in the arena, along with the keyboard from which all the backing tracks were played. The only things left on were the four members’ microphones.
Security rushed onstage with torches to usher the band off – but, calm in a crisis and giving the lucky crowd that was there that night extra bang for their buck, JLS stayed on stage and sang a capella, pulling songs from their archive for a 15-minute slot until the lights came back on.
This writer has been to two previous JLS concerts – the first, in 2011, was also my first ever concert (you could say I’m a ‘day one’) at what was then called the Liberty Stadium in Swansea. The other was their Everybody Say JLS: The Hits tour, which stopped at the Utilita Arena Cardiff in October last year, and an occasion suitably summed up with one word: energy. With two decades of performing behind them, the boys know what it takes, especially in pre-tour training, to put on a stellar tour by now.
![JLS](https://assets.buzzmag.co.uk/uploads/2024/07/JLS-1-1024x683.jpg)
Ever since they rose to fame on Saturday night TV juggernaut X Factor, JLS have shown determination and dedication to making great music and delivering great performances. What exactly goes into putting on their sell-out tours? Aston praises the band’s work ethic, the team behind them and audiences in front of them.
“It’s all down to the preparation of us as individuals, making sure we come into rehearsals ready, trying to be as fit as possible and on point ready for the very first show. And then it comes down to our team. We’ve got an amazing team around us that gets us ready and help us put on the most amazing shows. And then it’s down to the fans as well.” The energy JLS can bring to the stage reflects the energy and noise they are given before from the crowd, JB adds. Crowd participation is pivotal to the quartet; as Aston puts it, “It’s a team effort when it comes to a JLS show.”
On show days, Aston, JB, Marvin and Oritsé enjoy a relaxed morning and afternoon, spending time with or calling family before signing some goodies to give away, a light dinner and vocal and physical warm up. The boys pray together and slack each other up before taking to the stage, JB tells me.
If there’s one thing JLS do, it’s please their fans with their flirty personalities and fiery performances. “We know what it takes to hit a certain level,” says Aston, “and I think anything underneath that just basically isn’t good enough. We would never want to blow people below par, or below great.” With such determination it is no wonder that the boyband are holders of several esteemed awards, including a brace of Brits in 2010, and have several number one hits to their name – the likes of Beat Again and She Makes Me Wanna among them – and multi-platinum albums. With 432,000 followers and 6.2 million likes, the band are now rising TikTok stars too.
Touring looks a bit different for the band now the four members have nine children between them. Speaking about how they manage dad life alongside pop star life, Aston says, “It’s a juggle, that’s the nature of the game. There’s no handbook for it or anybody to hold your hand and say this is how you do it. You’ve just got to find your way. I think we’ve all been doing pretty well and that’s definitely testament to our wives. They hold down the fort as much as physically possible whenever we’re away.”
Aston says he is so grateful that him and his bandmates are still able to live their “crazy dreams and do the crazy things” that they have been doing for years, thanks to their supportive families. “We’ve got great kids. They’re excited and very respectful. They love and understand what we do, and they are happy to share their dads with crowds of people and have those moments that they enjoy just as much.”
Aside from Cardiff Castle, JB says Glastonbury would be a dream place for the boyband to perform. And the four members all agree that the favourite song onstage is JLS’ 2009 chart-topper Everybody In Love. “It’s always been our encore song and it’s never failed to get the crowd involved putting their hands up and singing along,” says JB. “We’ve got some incredible memories of performing that song. It always goes down a treat no matter what audience we are performing in front of.”
Their comeback tour in 2021 saw a reunited JLS perform to more than 350,000 fans, and with support from Lemar, their Summer Hits tour is looking to be just as popular: I’m sure Cardiff Castle will be alive when this evening rolls around.
JLS, Cardiff Castle, Sun 7 July.
Tickets: £45. Info: here
words EVE DAVIES