Bros reunion expands to full UK tour

Brothers Matt and Luke Goss formed Bros 30 years ago

Eighties pop band Bros have announced a full UK tour, after a one-off reunion gig sold out almost immediately.

The group, whose hits included I Owe You Nothing and When Will I Be Famous, announced they were reforming on Wednesday after a break of 24 years.

They said they would play London's O2 arena on 19 August 2017 - the anniversary of their last gig, at Wembley Stadium in 1989.

The show sold out "in seven seconds" on Friday morning, said promoters.

As a result, six further dates have been added, in Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Newcastle and Glasgow, along with a second night at the O2.

• Interview: Bros promise 'outrageously enjoyable' show

Twin brothers Matt and Luke Goss, who formed the band in 1986, said they were "overwhelmed" by the reaction.

"We're so exited to play these shows, we wish it was next week," they said in a statement. "Summer can't come soon enough."

The full tour schedule is:

• Saturday 19 August, 2017 - London O2 Arena (sold out)

• Sunday 20 August - London O2 Arena

• Tuesday 22 August - Manchester Arena

• Wednesday 23 August - Nottingham Motorpoint Arena

• Friday 25 August - Birmingham Barclaycard Arena

• Saturday 26 August - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena

• Sunday 27 August - Glasgow SSE Hydro Arena

Tickets for the new dates go on sale on Saturday 8 October, at 10:00 BST.

The band sold millions of records in their heyday

Analysis - A victory for touts?

The speed at which Bros tickets sold out broke box office records, says promoter Live Nation. And there's no doubting that the flames they lit in teenage hearts three decades ago have never gone out.

Outside the press conference for the band's reunion this week, middle-aged Brosettes crowded around the doors in T-shirts sporting the legend: "If found, please return to Matt Goss".

Inside, TV host Emma Willis presented the band with the Bros scrapbook she had made, aged 12, in her bedroom. "There's a picture of your backing dancer," she told Matt and Luke, "And I've written underneath, 'Yuck, I hate her.'"

But shifting 20,000 tickets in seven seconds seems more like a victory for touts than fans. With cunning automated computer programmes, called bots, the touts can harvest tickets microseconds after the sale opens, then sell them for profit on the secondary market.

If you want proof, take a look at the four main secondary ticketing sites. At the time of writing, there are 2,768 seats available for the opening night of the Bros tour - more than 13% of the capacity of the O2 arena.

With prices reaching an eye-watering £4,000, you have to hope the fans saved up more than just Grolsch bottle tops.

Bros scored 11 top 40 hits between 1989 and 1991

Bros were fleetingly the most famous band in the world at the tail end of the 1980s. Their debut album, Push, topped the charts in 19 countries and sold more than seven million copies.

They were mobbed by fans, dubbed Brosettes, and inspired a curious fashion trend of wearing Grolsch bottle tops on their shoes.

Speaking to the BBC, the band said the idea for a reunion came about organically after they held an impromptu jam session in a music shop.

"There's a big difference between having to do something and wanting to do something," said Matt. "And that's the key element here: We wanted to be on stage together again."

The concert will be "outrageously enjoyable", they added, featuring special guests and an acoustic section to establish an "informal, relaxed connection with our audience".

Bassist Craig Logan, who quit the band after their first album, will not be part of the reunion, but Luke Goss said he would be "more than welcome" if he changed his mind.

"Craig chose to leave, he now has a successful career in the record business as an executive," said Luke at a press conference on Wednesday. "I'm very comfortable to say that Matt and I are Bros, literally."

Matt agreed: "As the lead singer of the band, my musical connection has always been with Luke. Bros is Matt and Luke."

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