Tuesday 3 June 2008

Don’t 'scream' until you see the whites of their eyes!

Hi, first apologies for not blogging for so long. I know when you start blogging the first thing they tell you is DO IT REGULARLY! But sometimes other more important things just have to come first… (More on that slightly serious note another time.)

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to witness for myself the return of Boyzone to the stage. As previous readers of this blog will know, I became quite a fan of one Mr Ronan Keating some time ago, after discovering quite late the glory of this Irish charmer both in person, and on stage.
I was never a Boyzone fan as such, I knew of their music obviously, but at the time they were around Boybands weren’t really my ‘thing’. So it was with mixed emotions that I approached the forthcoming reunion tour between Ronan and the other four members of the band – was it just about the money? Or was it really, as they kept telling us in carefully prepared pre tour interviews, because they’d put all the bad feeling of the past eight years behind them now, and were ready to give the fans what they’d always promised them - a final reunion tour?

Well the crowds at the O2 arena on Friday and Saturday night didn’t seem to care what the Boyz true motives were – they were there to enjoy themselves and have a ball ‘No matter what!’
I was lucky enough to witness the show from two very different perspectives. On Friday night I was given two VIP passes (Many thanks to those who shall remain nameless, but know who they are...) and as much as I enjoyed being backstage with my husband, and then watching the show from both the wings, and in the so called VIP area reserved for family and friends (one of the better tiered side blocks,) it was nothing compared to the atmosphere of being up close and personal with the Boyz on Saturday night, in my genuine 2nd row centre seats, that I had bought myself from being online at 9am the day tickets went on sale – it was just fantastic!




Ok, I didn’t quite scream when I saw the whites of their eyes, but I sung and danced, and thoroughly enjoyed myself on Saturday night – particularly enjoying the section of the show from a personal trainer's point of view, when the Boyz sang half naked on treadmills, while doing a workout to ‘When the going gets tough!’
I also think being fit (or is that tall?!) helped when the Boyz threw their hats into the crowd after a medley of Michael Jackson songs. It was like one of those slow motion shots you get in a movie, of a bride throwing her bouquet into a gang of desperate single women, as I sailed across the heads of the two ladies (my apologies to you if you happen to read this) next to me, to grab one of the Boyz hats and claim it as my own unique souvenir of the night!
If you’re going to see the Boyz be prepared for a great two hours of tunes and lyrics that will be familiar to you even if you weren’t a true fan ‘back in the day.’
But perhaps anyone with an allergy to dairy, should be pre warned that treatment from the St Johns Ambulance team may be needed during the show, as it was mice heaven as far as the costumes and some of the dance routines were concerned – but that was what I enjoyed about it all, it was just so different from what I’d been used to seeing Ronan do as a solo artist. You needed to take your cheese along with a pinch of salt – I guess a taste many a Ronan fan won’t be able to stomach. But, as with all rich foods – a little of what you fancy does you good once in a while, and as long as Ronan’s new cheddar rich diet doesn’t continue for ever, I can’t see it can do him, or us as fans too much harm – just for the time being…

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a great honest review Ali. It was a pleasure to read it & I think you should offer it for publication somewhere.

Ali McNamara said...

Thanks Mandie :-)

Anonymous said...

You're welcome. It's the truth.