When boy bands were all the rage back in the late nineties, Five always appeared to have an edge on their competitors; whilst others were performing slurpy ballads, Five were encouraging their fans to Slam Dunk (Da Funk) or appearing alongside Queen at the Brit Awards doing a fine rendition of We Will Rock You. With a certain grittiness and streetwise appeal, the group broke the mould that up to then had become a little too staid.

Whilst members of Westlife or Boyzone could be taken home to meet your mother, any one of the five would have been good mates to hang around with the boyfriends of their mainly female fanbase.

Like many pop acts of that era, Five became overworked with their huge success; fatigue set in, leading to the subsequent breakup.

Fast forward almost twenty-five years, and Five are back and probably a bigger touring draw than previously; the current Keep On Movin’ tour had dates doubled due to the enthusiastic response from their fans – many of whom would have been far too young to witness the band live the first time around.

As Scott, Sean, Ritchie, Abz, and J appeared on stage at the Leeds Arena for their second appearance, the screams from the audience were deafening; the excitement was palpable, and the enthusiasm was as infectious as the current bout of flu.

With the huge sign displaying “The Real Comeback of 2025” in what seemed to be a reference to some of their peers’ more mediocre returns this year, Five was doing things by full measure. This was never going to be some glorified personal appearance, unlike some of the current comeback tours. With a full band in tow, Five were here to rock the party.

The chemistry and camaraderie that made the group such an appealing prospect over a quarter of a century previously were apparent within the first ten minutes of Five arriving on stage. As the hits followed and the party continued, it begged the question of why it has taken so long for the original full line-up to reform.

With Sean Conlon coming from Leeds, tonight was a homecoming one; “Are you ready to party on a Saturday night in Leeds?” was a question that offered an easier answer.

The dance routines were as precise as back in the day, with the crowd quick to replicate some of the moves. Closer to Me brought a more reflective note; the track was their last single to be released before they disbanded.

A medley of Jump Around, Place Your Hands and Get Lucky showcased precisely their influences of rap, rock and pop, respectively.

With Everybody Get Up and Keep on Movin’ closing the set, Five still had the edge – and voices to match. It really didn't get any better than this in terms of being the year's biggest pop music comeback. A huge triumph that can surely continue if Five decides to get back into the recording studio to bring some magic back to the music charts.


The tour visits Liverpool Arena on 30th November.

https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/five-liverpool-30-11-2025/event/3700626ACD675374