IRISH boyband Boyzone broke the collective hearts of fans when it announced that its 25th anniversary tour last year – which included a maiden stop at the Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil – would be its last project together.
But the power of fans (and social media) has led to the popular 90s group mending many broken hearts, with the boys holding a final Thank You & Goodnight Farewell Tour. Malaysians will get to see Boyzone together one last time on June 14 at the Malawati Stadium, Shah Alam.
Boyzone – comprising Keith Duffy, Ronan Keating, Michael Graham, and Shane Lynch – will play a string of its familiar hits, on top of songs from its last album, Thank You & Goodnight, which is dedicated to former member Stephen Gately who died in 2009.
Fans can definitely expect to sing along with Boyzone’s greatest hits such as When You Say Nothing at All, No Matter What and Love Me for a Reason.
According to Duffy in a recent phone interview, the surprise tour happened because fans, whom the group is “very in touch” with on social media, kept “asking us to come see them”, and also because of the team that helped secure the many spots for its concerts.
Duffy added: “Everybody knows the final tour for Boyzone is the last time for us to kind of play together, so we don’t want to miss anywhere, and everything has gone so well, everything has been really, really an amazing experience.”
On putting out the last album for the band, Duffy called it “bittersweet”. The album contains tracks co-written with the likes of Ed Sheeran (Because), and Callum Scott (The Joke is on Me).
“Thank You & Goodnight is probably the best work that we’ve ever done, the best album we’ve ever released,” he added.
“To be in our position 26 years after we first started, and still to have the success that we have and the loyal following that we have, we’re very, very lucky. So we love what we’re doing.”
The excitement of hitting the road to go on tour “never gets old”, said Duffy, adding that the energy from the crowd feeds the excitement.
“The best audience are the ones who are really excited, and they’re loud, and they get involved in the show. The more energy that [fans] put in the show [means that we have] more good energy to give back to them, so it’s very exciting.
“I really, really love to do it, and you know, we’re very excited about coming to Kuala Lumpur, and to do our show there, to show the people what we have to give them.”
Joining the group as a guest performer here is another famous face from a popular boyband, Brian McFadden of Westlife fame.
Great friends since 1998, when Westlife supported Boyzone on its UK tour, Duffy and McFadden began working together as Boyzlife three years ago, playing the greatest hits from each pop group.
Duffy will be focusing his time and energy on Boyzlife, once Boyzone ends its tour at the London Palladium in October.
“Boyzone will finish but Boyzlife will continue to do Boyzone music, continue to do Westlife music. That’s what I would be doing, that’s what I would be spending my time on.
“This is the last time, but we’re going out on top, we’re going out with a big bang, we’re going out with our best music, our best album – so you know, we’re very, very proud of what we’ve achieved.”
