WHATEVER else you expect from a Boyzone concert – nifty stool work, emotional key changes, cute accents – you don’t expect the pretty boy balladeers to rock you.

But the Irish fivesome tried everything to sway people’s favour their way, from shamelessly plundering other artists’ back catalogues to tipping out every trick the Arena had to offer.

After the guessing game of how they would come on – hydraulic platforms, cossack uniforms and up tempo hit Love You Anyway –it was an underwhelming start with some of their blander songs like I Love the Way You Love Me. With a cheerful nod to their now 30-something years, they brought out the stools for Father and Son. What made the glow sticks really go into meltdown was the lively, if baffling, rendition by Stephen Gately, the babyfaced favourite of the group, of Beyonce’s Single Ladies.

And it just got stranger. Next up was a lengthy Queen medley, with the lads emerging through the floor and full Freddie Mercury get up for I Want to Break Free, replete with hoovers. Under Pressure, We Will Rock You and Radio Ga Ga followed and our boys returning to the stage triumphantly in ermine cloaks, crowns and sceptres. Mostly mimed as far as I could make out, but nonetheless entertaining. Love Is a Rollercoaster brought an aerial romp and fearless acrobatics in gold, leather and lace, and they dropped the camp stuff for a beautiful rendition of Better, which seemed to suit them even more now they’re older.

Boyzone don’t have the material or underdog appeal of Take That, costume changes were too leisurely – and tame for the most part – and there was a question mark over how much actual singing went on. But Keith Duffy’s chatty charm made up for Shane Lynch and Ronan Keating’s less easy stage presence and the

theatrics, lack of pretentiousness and borrowed songs satisfied a nostalgic crowd. And yes, they looked pretty hot too.