The show goes on, sans Orange

LONDON - Take That will tour as a trio for the first time next year, with Jason Orange having quit the British pop group and Robbie Williams not participating.

The remaining members - Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald - will perform 24 concerts in eight arenas in Britain and Ireland, starting in Glasgow on April 28.

They will also play in Belfast, Dublin, Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester and Sheffield, ending in London on June 9.

"Playing live is something we love the most about what we do and we're looking forward to putting on the most amazing show we can," the band said in a statement on Friday.

"It will have been four years since our last tour, so we're really keen to get back out on the road to play some of our biggest songs from the last 20 years alongside our new ones."

Take That's seventh studio album, III, is to be released on Dec 1. Orange is not featured on the new album and his departure was announced in September, as the singer had decided that he did not want to carry on as part of the band.

Take That started as a boy band in 1990 in Manchester, North-west England, and soon began racking up huge album and singles sales with a string of pop hits.

Williams, who now lives in the United States after forging a highly successful solo career, left the band in 1995.

The remaining foursome split a year later, before returning as a "man band" in 2005. Williams returned in 2010 for an album and tour.