It was with anticipation that we queued outside Sheffield Arena clutching our Westlife tickets on Saturday, nervous that we would be stuck fast in the middle of thousands of hardened boy band fans and glow-stick waving teenyboppers.

Despite being a keen pop music fan, I have never been brave enough to visit an arena tour and proudly admit to liking Westlife.

But I needn't have worried.

Thousands of youngsters, teenagers, mums, grandmas (and even dads and boyfriends), clambered to their feet and cheered as the Irish pop-band shot up through the stage into a frenzy of fireworks.

So we grabbed a couple of glow-sticks and joined in the fun.

Early favourites such as Swear It All Over Again and Flying Without Wings were followed by a routine of Seventies and the chance for members of the audience to mount the stage and join the band in their rendition of Queen Of My Heart.

The highlight of the show came when, sitting on a circular platform, they were hoisted into the air and flown around the arena.

There's something strangely pleasurable about looking up to see the boys from Westlife sitting two metres above your head while they sing Unbreakable and get pelted with toys and giant pants bearing Irish flags.

The finale saw them bang out Uptown Girl in their tuxedos, plus the long awaited World Of Our Own, before disappearing into another fireworks display.

Exhausted from a night of singing and dancing, we ditched the glow-sticks and drove home.

Despite my earlier misgivings about even going to the concert, I am glad I headed West...

Updated: 12:15 Monday, July 21, 2003