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Nov 14, 2025 By Adrian Peel Photography by Adrian Peel Web Exclusive

Amazingly, in 32 years of going to concerts, I’d never actually seen a boyband live before. New Kids on the Block, Take That, The Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, One Direction, etc - I’ve never seen any of them, so was very pleased to get the chance to witness the return of Five, described in their late 90s/early 2000s heyday as a “boyband with an edge”, whose music I really rather enjoyed right from the word go (although I probably wouldn’t have admitted that to my friends at the time!).

To the delight of the group’s legions of fans - most of whom I guess would be ‘millennials’ - the quintet announced earlier this year that they were getting back together. Having reunited with different line-ups in the past, this would be the first time that all five original members would be on board since the band initially split in 2001.

The words “The wait is over!” flashed up on the screens as the drummer laid down a funky beat - “The boys are back”. Then one by one, each member’s name and face appeared on the screens: Abz, Sean, Ritchie, Scott and J - and it was the latter who seemed to get the loudest cheer.

“Five bad boys with the power to rock you,” was then emblazoned on the screens and so it seemed fitting that “Slam Dunk (Da Funk)” - the explosive number that contains that particular declaration - should open the show.

To screams and wild cheering, the boys appeared and started dancing in unison, and suddenly we were back in 1998.

I was immediately impressed with their singing, carefully-choreographed dance routines and stage presence, and the lighting, elaborate staging and special effects were also top-drawer - there was certainly no shortage of pyrotechnics!

After the second song, the equally energetic “Shake”, the band addressed the crowd for the first time. Sean spoke of the “twists and turns” and “ups and downs” that had led the five members to this point, before asking “Are you ready for a sing-along?”

The insanely catchy “Got the Feelin’” then kicked in, with the audience responding in kind to this pop/rap classic. It was definitely an early highlight - as were the infectious “It’s the Things You Do” (a song I’d forgotten all about, to be honest) and the fantastic “When the Lights Go Out”.

Jason Brown, affectionately known as ‘J’, the oldest member of the band, spoke of the fact that at “49-and-a-half-years old”, he never thought he’d be back singing on a stage.

He reflected on his time in the group during their sometimes turbulent career - as did the others throughout the show (there was a little too much talking, truth be told) - and praised his bandmates as being “amazing human beings”.

He advised that if there’s anyone from your past that you’re wanting to talk to, just pick up the phone and do it (good advice). He also noted that Five are currently having the “time of our lives”.

After a slick cover of the Human League’s “Human” (a remixed version of the song appears on Five’s debut album) and an emphatic rendition of my favourite Five song, “If Ya Gettin’ Down” (what a tune that is!), the boys went off stage while their musicians carried on playing, coming back out with a change of outfit (they were now all dressed in black) and singing their version of “We Will Rock You”, which was good but I think I prefer the original.

The five members walked out amongst the crowd while singing “Rock the Party”, which brilliantly samples “Grease” by the great Frankie Valli, on their way to the ‘in-the-round’ stage in the middle of the arena.

Once there, Scott recalled how the day after the band broke up in 2001, he married his then-girlfriend, Kerry. This led to a story about the emotive “Closer to Me”; how it was Five’s last single before they went their separate ways, and that they were now “turning sad memories into happy memories”.

Another great song I’d forgotten about - one of those that you instantly know but you’d forgotten who sang it - was the melodic “Until the Time Is Through”, which was one of 10 taken from their still-solid self-titled debut album.

The youngest member of the band at 44, Sean Conlon, who was possibly the quietest member when it came to speaking - though he’s one of the band’s best singers - remembered how he was only 15 when Five first came together in 1997 (they put out their first LP the following year) and travelled to Sweden to record.

The main set ended on a high thanks to the supremely groovy “Let’s Dance” and the euphoric “Everybody Get Up” - during which I saw people in the audience copying the dance moves first unveiled to the world in the song’s memorable video.

The encore began with a well-chosen medley of covers - House of Pain’s “Jump Around”, “Place Your Hands” by Reef and a more recent hit, “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk.

“London, you’ve been absolutely amazing,” said Scott over the intro to “Keep on Movin’”, a UK number one from 1999, which, needless to say, went down a storm. “Thank you so much - we really appreciate you.” And that was that.

If I was feeling cynical, I might say that Five had only got back together to make some money for their retirement, but they did genuinely seem delighted to be back doing what they do best and once again enjoying each other’s company, just as old friends should.

“The REAL comeback of 2025,” proclaimed a message on the screens at the start. Oasis fans might dispute that, but there’s no doubt that the return of Five has been a triumph. Long may it continue!