Being one of very few men in a crowd of thousands of screaming women can be a little daunting and, well, embarrassing.

Especially when it involves a fully-charged pop concert by one of the biggest-selling boy bands of all time.

How and ever, nobody really cared about the male hack near the front bopping his head away to You Got It (The Right Stuff).

It was all about Joey, Jordan, Donnie, Jonathan and Danny, aka New Kids on the Block, when they came to Dublin on Wednesday night.

And, seeing as how the reformed Boston boy band never played in Ireland the first time around, you can imagine what the excitement levels in the venue were like as the curtain rose and the, erm, kids made their entrance.

Over the next two hours, the group set out to prove that a 15-year absence has done little to affect their boy-band credentials.

Pants

And, despite a few cringe-worthy moments involving some ridiculous dance routines, bizarre costume choices (you're not 17 anymore, guys) and, of course, the sight of Donnie Wahlberg strumming a few chords on the guitar before displaying the huge shamrock on his underwear, these guys put on one hell of an entertaining show.

It's fair to say that the boys, all of whom are now in their late thirties (although eldest member Jonathan turned 40 last year) have been hitting the gym hard. Indeed, they'd give any of today's annoying youthful copycats a run for their money in the fitness department, and, even when the fans look a little exhausted, Donnie and Co go about their business, effortlessly leaping from one routine to the next amidst the groovy live instrumentation behind them.

Having released their new album The Block last year, it's no surprise that a few new tunes are given a live airing. But something tells me that these women didn't come to hear the newbies, and it's the likes of My Favourite Girl, Cover Girl, and Hangin' Tough that truly create a stir.

Sure, the guys often look and sound a little out of place and touch, but within the second hour they begin to relax a bit more both with each other, and the audience.

And, whether it involves spinning their bodies around the floor, or hitting some surprisingly high notes, it soon becomes clear that for all of their cheesiness, these kids really are a talented bunch.

No other man seems to believe me, though. . .

- Chris Wasser