ShareBoyzone performing their Thank You And Goodnight – The Farewell Tour at The Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Tuesday 29th January 2019
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Boyzone bid a rousing but emotional farewell to their fans at the Motorpoint Arena last night and left many of their adoring fans in tears.
A seventh and apparently final album, Thank You And Goodnight, released last year marked the 25th anniversary since their first appearance on The Late Late Show, and whilst their dance moves have not improved much, Ronan Keating, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy can still captivate a packed arena.
Entering the stage from above, on a platform like window cleaners working on a tall building, they began the night with Who We Are.
Except for two glamorous backing singers, there was no band, just the four of them singing and having a laugh as Isn’t It A Wonder was quickly followed up with Coming Home Now. Their famous covers were given an airing with the likes of Baby Can I Hold You, You Needed Me and Father And Son which received a particular rapturous reception.
Half way through the show, a video was played on the huge screens where they shared their memories of the late Stephen Gately who passed away suddenly in 2009. Dream, a new song featuring Gately’s vocals from a salvaged demo was performed from an island in the crowd with a specially lit smoke pillar representing their missing fifth member.
Making their way back to the main stage with a walk through the audience, the screaming reached record breaking decibels and once back a sofa saw them seated for new song, a lovely ballad, Love. Other new songs including Because by Ed Sheeran with its clever lyrics worked well with Keating’s honeyed vocals.
Keeping their classic hits coming, the crowd stomped and cheered all the way through until No Matter What and A Different Beat closed their set.
For the encore, they returned for a glorious rendition of When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going, a blistering Life Is A Rollercoaster before Picture Of You, finished a night that encompassed everything that the fans wanted and everything that a farewell concert should be. In the end they seem to be having so much fun, you suspect Boyzone may well be back.
