Three decades after Boomania catapulted her into the UK pop spotlight, Betty Boo returned to the stage at Future Yard in Birkenhead with a set that proved she’s still doin’ the do, and then some.
Opening with “One Day” from her latest album Rip Up the Rulebook, Betty took a moment to read the room—gauging the energy, letting the atmosphere build. But once she found her groove, it was full throttle from there on in.
The staging was minimal, just Betty, a backing vocalist, and two mic stands. But that simplicity let the music shine. Behind them, flashing images from her Boomania era lit up the backdrop, creating a pop time capsule that set the tone for a night of joyful nostalgia and playful reinvention.
The classics came thick and fast: “Where Are You Baby?”, “Hey DJ / I Can’t Dance (To That Music You’re Playing)”, and the ever-infectious “Doin’ the Do”, which got an early spin mid-set and had the crowd bouncing. But she wasn’t done with that one just yet.
New material from Rip Up the Rulebook stood confidently beside the hits, showing Betty hasn’t lost her knack for catchy hooks or smart pop writing. “It Was Beautiful”, “Am I Dreaming?”, and “Bring On the Summer” all brought a more personal, reflective layer to the night. These weren’t just new songs—they were proof of her creative evolution.
A real treat came when she performed Pure and Simple, the Hear’Say chart-topper that she co-wrote. Hearing it in Betty’s distinctive vocals gave the song a fresh edge—still instantly recognisable, but with a playful, unmistakably Boo twist. It wasn’t a reinvention, just a great pop moment delivered in her own style.
She also treated fans to “Let Me Take You There”, offering a nod to her underappreciated GRRR! era and building a bridge between her pop icon beginnings and her ongoing creative journey.
Then came the finale, and what a send-off it was. Returning to “Doin’ the Do” for a second, final time, Betty let it rip. The room exploded. Every lyric was shouted back at her word-for-word, arms in the air, smiles all around. It was more than a performance; it was a shared memory in real time. For a moment, Future Yard was 1990 again, and Betty Boo was exactly where she belonged,centre stage, owning it.