Pop and puppy love in full swing

I've been moved more while watching episodes of The Simpsons, but Aisling (10) thought the gig was "brilliant" and Sarah (6) deemed it "excellent". Silly costume changes, ropy cover versions, a dance troupe, special effects, smoke, fire, cowboy hats and Mexican waves - yes indeed, folks, the panto season is still in full swing. Boyzone have four more gigs to play at The Point and Ronan Keating implied that they might just be touring later on in the year. So much for the threatened going away and dreaming it all up again 12-month break we've been reading about.

But really, perhaps they should consider doing just that. Entertaining as this concert was in a popcorn/hotdog/greasy chips/sparkly headgear and look-out-behind-you way, it was primarily a shallow exercise in puppy-love pop techniques. It was also as radical as a Sonny Knowles gig, which, after five years of doing this stylised cabaret stuff, shows that the Boyzone camp has no obvious desire to deviate from its usual Hi-Di Hi routines.

With a set list featuring a large number of their greatest hits as well as several solo songs (including the first airing of material by Mikey Graham and Keith Duffy), there were few genuinely involving moments, and only the stage set showed any marked signs of improvement. So we had Stephen Gately actually taking off during Bright Eyes, Keith Duffy getting pulverised during When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going and - by far the highlight of the show - Ronan Keating sitting on the Notting Hill park bench and singing When You Say Nothing At All.

Even the most risible parts of the show (Ronan singing She Moves Through The Fair while wood nymph-babes were pirouetting around the stage; Keith singing Will I Ever See You Again; and the party-time medley of Motown/Grease/Prince songs) were offset by the audience response which, to a little girl, was resolutely ecstatic.

Throughout, Boyzone literally popped up and popped down. Those who think the band is going to pop off had better revise their schedules.

Boyzone play at The Point tonight and also next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.