Music review: Boyzone, Hydro, Glasgow
Boyzone, Hydro, Glasgow ***
Heavy on nostalgia, with videos of their fresh-faced youth playing almost constantly behind them, the songs were interspersed with documentary footage of the group in reflective mood. One of these served as distraction for the four to suddenly appear on a small, island stage in the midst of the audience. Paying tribute with affectionate tales of their lost member, Stephen Gately, who died in 2009 of a congenital heart defect, they sang Dream, a new number featuring demo tracks of his voice, which proved well-judged and genuinely affecting.
Elsewhere, tracks like their by-the-numbers cover of Cat Stevens’ Father and Son and insipid ballads like Words drove the audience to what must still be gratifying shrieks of excitement. Their rendition of Billy Ocean’s When The Going Gets Tough was bouncy, playing to their puppyish harmlessness. And they put plenty of doe-eyed sincerity into No Matter What. Such is the lingering bond between Boyzone and their fans, it’ll be a surprise if this actually was their swansong.
JAY RICHARDSON