Pop
Mikey Graham confusion overshadows Boyzone reunion
Fans were left confused when Mikey Graham only performed four songs at the first of Boyzone's reunion concerts.
Boyzone’s long-awaited reunion was overshadowed by confusion surrounding Mikey Graham on Friday (06.06.26) night.
Dubbed Two For The Road, the Irish boyband’s pair of shows at London’s Emirates Stadium were described as a “final farewell” from the quartet but when only Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch stepped out on stage for opening number A Different Beat, the first of many tributes to the late Stephen Gately – who died in 2009 – failed to register much of an impact with the crowd, who were busy questioning just where the fourth member was.
Despite the energy and enthusiasm of Boyzone through the first third of their set – including a nostalgic welcome return for So Good, which they performed for the first time in 30 years – they failed to address Mikey’s absence when speaking to the audience, choosing instead to reflect on the years that had passed.
But after All That I Need, Mikey himself came out solo, dressed entirely in black and seated on a stool, and received huge cheers and applause from the crowd – though he also didn’t offer an explanation as to why he hadn’t been involved with the first part of the show.
Mikey Graham on stage at London's Emirates Stadium
Nonetheless, he showed off his powerful vocals on Words, joined by his bandmates – with Shane in particular staying by his side – Better, and Gave It All Away before disappearing from the stage again just as abruptly, as the remaining trio turned their focus to the late Stephen.
Noting they had changed costumes to honour their pal in red, Ronan said: “It’s because I know him so well, and I know how much he would b***y want to be in this room tonight.
“But thank God, his family is here tonight, Michelle and Tony, his nieces and nephews. Thank you for coming. Our brother’s spirit is alive and well.”
Keith added: “When we’re together we certainly do feel the spirit of Stephen with us. We always have, we always feel his energy, feel his colour, feel his talent.”
While the spirit of the tribute was well meant, the night took a more funereal turn when screens around the stadium bore the names of people the group and fans have lost over the years, and then Shane urged the audience to join him in reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
The latter half of the set featured a host of Boyzone classics, including Key to My Life, Father and Son, and No Matter What, but fans were left scratching their heads yet again when they were asked to step out of the nostalgia and back into the present moment so Keith could plug his new Boyzlife single, Chills. Ronan and Shane left the stage as their bandmate introduced his touring partner, ex-Westlife member Brian McFadden, and they performed the song together before getting back to the reunion business at hand.
Boyzone perform their Two for the Road show in London
After ‘ending’ the show with debut single Love Me For a Reason, the trio returned to the stage for an encore featuring the live debut of Best Night of Our Lives, followed by Picture of You and then ending – bizarrely – with Ronan’s solo smash hit single, Life Is a Rollercoaster, for which they were joined by Mikey once again.
Rating: 3/5.
