Ronan Keating plans Gately album

BY ROBYN DOWNEY AND ROSE STIRLING

Irish pop star Ronan Keating and the remaining members of Boyzone will restart the group later this year with a new album dedicated to the late Stephen Gately.

The 32-year-old spoke to Stuff.co.nz at his Auckland hotel before his concert at the Villa Maria Estate Winery on Sunday night, and said his death had "shocked" the group.

Gately died at a holiday spot in Majorca last October after suffering what was believed to be a pulmonary oedema.

Still showing signs of grief, Keating said the sudden death of his band mate - nicknamed "Steo" - came out of the blue.

"It was a phone call, that's all we got. We had no idea ... he was healthier than ever - it was devastating."

Keating said Gately's untimely death was not just a shock to him but also to the other members of the band - Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch.

The new album, called Brother and expected out in the middle of the year, was not a tribute to Gately but Keating said it would definitely be dedicated to him.

Some tracks will include Gately's voice that were recorded just before his death.

Keating described the album as "totally different" - like Coldplay meets U2. 

"It's pop rock," he said. "The song Gave It All Away has a reggae sound.

Keating is no stranger to public loss after his mother Marie lost her battle with breast cancer in 1998.

However, he found solace in his wife, Irish model Yvonne Connolly, whom he has known since the age of 12. The pair started out as friends, he said.

"It was nothing - we were just kids and friends, a little crush but Dublin is a small town and everyone was hanging out together. Then she was with someone else and so was I, then we became really good friends, I fell in love with her and of course had to tell her and it all started from there."

His wife was "the practical one" in the marriage but he described himself as "the dreamer".

"She's makes it all happen, maintains the family life and makes space for me to float in and out, which is an incredible talent."

The constant pressure of travel could take its toll. But after about three days back, he was into his family life, with full duties as a husband and father - like taking the kids to school and football practice, grocery shopping at the supermarket and walking the dog.

Later that night during Keating's concert, the singer freely came down off the stage to interact with his mostly female fans - shaking and holding hands and even allowing some to hug him.

He belted out some of his best known hits like Life is a Rollercoaster, Loving Each Day As If It's Your Last and When You Say Nothing At All.

Fan Helen Davidson had come all the way from Geraldine to see her idol and said her husband sang Keating's songs to her.

"I've been a fan of Ronan's for years and you've got to have a dream when time gets on, " she said.

Aucklander Jan Currie had been a fan since the Boyzone days.

"His songs do a lot for breast cancer fundraising and he's so touching with what he's said about Stephen Gately. When he said he and the other boys didn't want to leave him alone in the church after he'd died. I thought that was really lovely," she said.

Keating encouraged full audience participation during the concert, singing some of his lyrics and then holding the microphone out to the audience to complete the lines.

He was wildly encored towards the end, with standing ovations to many of his well-known hits.

A cover of Midnight Oil's Beds Are Burning got punters up on their feet before Keating held up a glass of red wine as if to say "cheers" to the audience and ended with The Long Goodbye.

He then announced he was going home to "hug my kids but I plan to be back later this year, would you like that?"

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- © Fairfax NZ News