In a momentous collision of two iconic boy bands, Boyzlife took the stage on a night brimming with excitement as the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest unfolded in Liverpool. Featuring Keith Duffy from Boyzone and Brian McFadden from Westlife, two legends of the music industry, the anticipation for this unique collaboration was palpable. As fans eagerly filled the venue, little did they know they were about to experience an electrifying live show that would transport the fans back to the golden era of '90s pop.
In previous lives, Brian McFadden and Keith Duffy were responsible for setting the hearts of many teenagers on fire around the world and selling a whopping 70 million records. I interviewed them way back in 2017 ahead of there initial tour and it was interesting to chat to them about their backgrounds and how the coming together of two major forces in the pop music industry had allowed them to continue the legacy left by both groups.
We were invited to see them in action recently as they took their tour to Plymouth on the night that Eurovision was swinging from the chandeliers in Liverpool, read on to see how we got on.
Up first was Iranian born, American based pop powerhouse SHAB, I chatted to SHAB ahead of the show and found out loads about her musical upbringing and how her move from Iran to Germany as a child and then a further move to the USA in her teens had helped her to carve her career in pop music. Accompanied by her two backing dancers and guitarist, she took to the stage and delighted the audience with some impressive pop-laden tracks including her latest offering ‘Indestructable’ (video available now on YouTube) that reminded me of other superstars in the early days. Dressed in a daring red PVC jumpsuit, she writhed her way across the stage, pulsating her body to the rhythmic beats and melodies that were pumping from the speakers, I don’t think that the audience were ready for what they witnessed but I know one thing for sure, she took away a few more fans from the event and I dare say that many more jumped onboard as she finished up the UK leg of the Boyzlife tour across the country.
Power rock band Alien’s Don’t Ring Doorbells were up next and thinking back, I know that I have covered these guys before, where? When? Heaven knows, I cannot even recall what I ate for dinner last night, let alone where I last saw these guys perform…. They took to the stage and put on a killer show, the audience were more in tune and with their catchy, rock led ditties, they engaged well with the audience who opted for this instead of a night n front of the telly, watching some unknown Scandinavian act win a singing competition that, by rights, the UK should no longer even be a part of after voting to exit the EU a few years back.
Performing tracks from their debut album ‘Arrival’, they kept the gas on full blast, proving that they had every right to be on stage, warming up the audience for the main act. Catch them throughout the summer at various festivals, just remember to leave them enough room to land their spaceship.
After a short break, it was time to welcome the main act to the stage and as soon as they arrived, the audience were up on their feet, swaying along to some of the songs that made the pair household names. I forget all of the tracks that were performed but remember ‘Words’, ‘Love me for a Reason, ‘Flying Without Wings’ and ‘Picture of You’ doing exactly what they were supposed to and whipping the room into a frenzy. There was a touching tribute to Stephen Gately midway through the show, the duo stood back and let the video backdrop do the talking, it showed some amazing video footage of Stephen on stage and horsing around backstage which no doubt caused a few tears to roll as it played.
At one point, there was a young lad dancing with his mother and a rather efficient member of the security team asked them to stop, seeing this, Brian jumped down from the stage and continued dancing with the lad which was a great moment and one that I captured on camera for prosperity.
The hits came thick and fast and whenever a new track started, you couldn’t help singing along (or humming in my case as I didn’t subscribe to Smash hits back in the day to learn the words).
The band were incredible, by the amount of fans that were chatting to them ahead of the show, it was clear that they had been around for a while as most of them were on first name terms which was great to see and only cemented the relationship between the fans, making it an even stronger bond.
Boyzlife's ability to create a sense of unity within the crowd was truly remarkable. As fans basked in the collective euphoria, the barriers of time and place dissolved, and the power of music prevailed. The atmosphere crackled with an indescribable energy, as fans reveled in the opportunity to witness the fusion of two extraordinary musical legacies.
To see Boyzone and Westlife on the same bill is obviously never going to happen and tonight offered a chance to see members from each of these bands take to the stage and perform their classics, which, for some, is more than enough to re-ignite the flame that was first lit back in the heyday and remain burning strong in their hearts.
Words and Pictures - Steve Muscutt