Boyzlife star Brian McFadden shares band's love for performing in Belfast
Boyzlife are coming back to Northern Ireland and have called Belfast the "perfect place" to kick off their world tour.
The musical supergroup formed by Keith Duffy of Boyzone and Brian McFadden of Westlife will take to the stage at the historic Ulster Hall on January 15 2025.
Bringing together the talents of two iconic figures from the legendary boy bands of the 90s and early 00s, fans can expect nostalgia, fun and feel-good tunes as the duo take on their first world tour.
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After dropping their new single I Would, Belfast Live chatted to Brian McFadden to hear a bit more about the new music, touring plans and the pairs' strong connection to their Northern Irish fans. “I Would" is a celebration of an incredible journey, an ode to staying strong through the hard times.
Chatting about the new single, Brian said: "It was time for us to have some new music.
"Our first original album came out during Covid so we didn't get to promote it and didn't get to travel around the world and perform it so we decided that we'd wait until everything calmed down again before we started a new album.
"I Would is the first single from it and we wanted to write a song that was basically talking about Keith and I and our relationship - when we started eight years ago, everybody kind of sniggered at and said that this is never going to work. Eight years later, we're going on a world tour."
Brian said the song talks about the hardships the pair have been through, the tears cried and the pain suffered to get them where they are today.
"Even though the story is about Keith and I, it's there to be interpreted by anybody else as well," he explained.
"It could be about a relationship. It could be about anything personal."
He said the reception since the song was released on September 6 has been brilliant and fans have been enjoying hearing something they wouldn't usually expect from the pair.
For fans heading to the Belfast tour opening, Brian promised that Boyzlife will bring all the fun you remember from Boyzone and Westlife concerts with Boyzlife flair.
Brian continued: "It's a roller coaster of nostalgia because the songs, over a 30 year span from the very first Boyzone song right up to the new Boyzlife music, will probably bring you back.
"I remember the first time we sang Love Me For A Reason and I remember being 15 and working at McDonald's and hearing it on the radio, and every time we sing it now I visualise myself at the chicken station at McDonald's.
"So for anyone that was a fan of Boyzone or Westlife, it will definitely bring you on a journey from when you first heard us to right now."
No strangers to performing in Belfast, both as Boyzlife and in their respective bands, Keith and Brian love the warmth of NI fans and look forward to stopping in Belfast when on tour.
Brian said: "The reception when you come up here, we love it. We always have, for me anyway, since the early days of Westlife - going to Belfast was our favourite thing to do because the fans are always mad.
"My favourite time ever in Westlife was I think it was our second tour and did 13 nights in the old Odyssey Arena that were just incredible.
"If you think about how small Northern Ireland is, to have 13 nights sold out I think pretty much everybody in Belfast came to the show one of the nights," he laughed.
"It was an unbelievable, unbelievable experience.
"Keith and I have done a couple of big festivals in Belfast over the last few years and again, they've been highlight of the year.
"They've always the most exciting - the crowds are just brilliant. Belfast is very, very important to us and I couldn't think of a better place in the world to kick start the world tour."
The duo are currently in the process of writing the next album and are excited to get to share the new music on the tour next year.
"To start the world tour at the Ulster Hall is the perfect place - it's going to be a bit of a celebration for us as well.
"The first night and the last night are always a celebration so we're very, very excited to kick start the tour there. I just hope that the fans come and see us as we promise to give you a good show."
To buy tickets to their Belfast show, see here
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