A STRANGE mixture of grief and excitement reverberated through the packed Arena, as this was the first tour by Boyzone without Stephen ‘Steo’ Gately.

The Brother Tour was always going to be an emotional return for the ageing pop group without their popular fifth member.

The evening had a sense of farewell to it. It was a chance for Boyzone to mourn with their fans at the memory of Gately who passed away in Majorca in October 2009 as a result of fluid on the lungs.

You couldn’t help being touched by the individual anecdotes from each band member and it brought home that Gately had been a part of their lives since the band’s formation in 1993.

The concert gave the overall impression that Boyzone was still trying to find its feet.

Their older and catchier tunes, such as Words, had the crowd on its feet clapping enthusiastically.

In contrast the unfamiliar new hits, like Ruby from the Brother album, saw people return to their seats, as the songs weren’t as upbeat.

Then came a passionate tribute to Gately.

Boyzone played songs he had written before his death and images of him were displayed on the large screen.

This brought a choked silence. Some women put hands to their mouths as the emotion of the evening threatened to overwhelm them. The final part of the show saw the audience singing along to old classics like No Matter What and Love Me for a Reason, and it was as if the old Boyzone was back.

However, it was apparent that the superior singing ability of Keating outshone and carried the rest of the band.

With JLS and The Wanted representing the future of boy bands, Boyzone seems outdated and the members destined for their own individual careers.

James Broadhurst