live music

Editor's rating

Venue: Liverpool Echo Arena

Gig played: 29 June 2008

As far as big pop events go, they don't come much bigger or poppier than this - without the involvement of Bob Geldof or Nelson Mandela. It's the final show of Westlife's 10th anniversary tour, on the opening night of Liverpool's annual Summer Pops blowout, at the city's spanking new Echo Arena.

The OTT anticipation is immediately justified when the lads come on stage wearing leather jackets and Aviators to a cacophony of rock guitars and a light show worthy of Pink Floyd: it's clear this isn't going to be a sat-on-stools, stand-up-for-the-key-change run-through of the Irish boys' ballad hits. Many of their 14 No.1 singles are there, of course - but there's also a show-stopping selection of uptempo covers, from The Jacksons through to Robbie Williams via Kool & The Gang's 'Get Down On It', with pyrotechnics that could probably be seen from Dublin.

However, the fact that these tracks form the gig's centrepiece almost serves as an admission of the chronic dullness of much of Westlife's own material. This is further evidenced by a tedious acoustic mini-set of songs from last year's Back Home album, which sees most of the reluctant dads and boyfriends in attendance head off for a Carling.

Despite this, and no matter how much they may pretend to begrudge accompanying their loved ones tonight, the attendant fellas will probably have enjoyed it really. From the final brace of 'Swear It Again' and 'Flying Without Wings', along with the requisite stadium spectacle and emoting, it's clear that no matter how boring their records, Westlife put on a show that only a miserablist like Geldof himself could fail to like.

Jonathan Deamer

Picture: Wenn