Whatever has been written about Westlife in the past, you have to admire their persistence.

Defying the convention that boy bands die a welcome, grisly death after at most four years, the group have endured the departure of Brian McFadden with admiral tenacity and gone on to unveil a series of new sycophantic ballads and up-tempo froth.

But that longevity has also bred a little more depth than you would expect from a boy band and that was evident at the Brighton Centre.

Opening with Flying Without Wings, the four boys, Kian, Nicky, Shane and Mark were lowered down from the ceiling on mini podiums. Those who can't stand the band may have been wishing for a technical hitch to sent one or all of them crashing to the ground but in the event it offered a rather God-like entrance as the band, dressed in all white, floated down from on high.

A stunning backdrop offset the slightly bizarre, almost tacked-on feel of the band, either side of the stage, as the boys launched into their lengthy back catalogue of hits.

Against All Odds, the Mariah Carey duet, and When You Tell Me That You Love Me, the Diana Ross duet, were both performed with the female divas warbling on video screens behind the band.

It was like an award show where the recipient couldn't attend but were present via satellite link-up.

And if there were to be any awards for this show it would be for the sheer amount of costume changes.

Barely a song went by without the addition of a jacket, the loss of a T-shirt or the loosening of a tie.

But when Westlife donned the top hats and tails we were on to what they do best crooning in their cheeky, Sinatra-esque, choreographed way.

Uptown Girl, Swear It Again and Queen of My Heart all followed before a double encore involving the new track Raise Me Up, taken from the album and title of the tour Face to Face.

One encore was obviously not enough for this audience.

As I said you have to admire the boys' persistence.