Nothing reminds me that I'm getting old (so are you, by the way) like seeing how much my former idols have aged, and the chances of realising this cruel fact has been quite high recently here in Bangkok, first with the Backstreet Boys' concert earlier this month, followed by Boyzone's performance on Sunday, soon to be followed by Blue next month. Should I also point out that some of these guys were popular when cassette tapes were still the mainstream medium?
Boyzone celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2013, and 20 years can do a lot to you — your appearance, your metabolism, your joints, and so on. However, Boyzone members Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating and Shane Lynch were on top form in their "Bring Back The Memories Boyzone BZ20 The Anniversary Tour" concert at Impact Arena on Sunday.
The last time the boys (men, actually) were in Bangkok was 17 years ago, and this time, the Irish boy band returned with one member missing — Stephen Gately, who passed away in 2009.
They kicked off the concert with Love Is A Hurricane, which was more of a puff than a hurricane because most of the fans didn't know this song. The second song, Picture Of You, saw the show picking up the pace, followed by a steady rhythm of major hits mixed with lesser known ones in between.
Keating, as always, was in the spotlight, and there were times the concert appeared like it was a one-man show, with Keating taking all the glory. Understandably, as the most popular member of the group, with that ridiculously angelic face, he probably deserved the extra attention. Meanwhile, Graham (the happy-looking one with the dad bod, in case you don't remember) was particularly quiet, and hardly said anything to the audience. Lynch, on the other hand, seemed to be having a really great time with himself and did not really connect with the other lads.
In terms of interacting with the crowd, Duffy was the best entertainer (I might be biased based on how sexy he has turned out to be during the past two decades). He even took a fan's phone and snapped a few pictures of the audience, the ambience, and his band mates. If you, the lucky owner of that phone, is reading this story, I will have you know that I am beyond jealous.
I had expected to hear more major hits in this concert, but only a handful were picked for the night — Words, When You Say Nothing At All, No Matter What and Love Me For A Reason. Their less famous songs like Ruby, Who We Are, and Love Will Save The Day did not really hit home, but the fans were too busy screaming for Keating to notice anyway.
There was one particularly touching moment, when the four guys paid tribute to their late band mate Gately. Graham described Boyzone without Gately as a "perfect puzzle that's missing one piece". They picked Gave It All Away as a song dedicated to Gately. The four guys sang the song, and used the old soundtrack in the parts formerly sung by Gately. Coupled with the collage of Gately's images in the background, the moment was both heartbreaking and heartwarming.
Boyzone are known for ballads and easy listening tunes, and that type of song just never dies. Their songs are still played at weddings and restaurants today and sound totally time-relevant. As apparent in the recent concert, the newer releases might not be as successful as their Said And Done album in 1995, but by and large, they are one of the most loved boy bands of all time. They'll easily draw this many fans if they decide to come back again for their 40th anniversary tour.
From left, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating and Shane Lynch.
