Singer Shane Lynch, who is in panto in High Wycombe, tells Michelle Fleming why he'd love his old band to have an encore.

SHANE Lynch feels guilty. But Boyzone fans may be set to benefit it seems. The twinkly blue-eyed Irishman confesses: "I believe that we cheated the Boyzone fans when we did not get back together like we said we would. I'd love to do a concert for charity to say farewell to those people who were really dedicated to Boyzone as a way of saying thank you. I feel like we owe it to them."

The band split in 2001 after Ronan Keating pursued a solo career.

Shane insists he is not angry any longer but merely intent on making it up to the fans.

He continues: "We said to the fans we were going to have a break in 2000 and when the time came to come back together in 2001 it was only to find a certain man went off and did his own solo album and then decided to do another one.

"I did have a bit of a thing with Ronan as I was angry about it. Sometimes there are personality clashes and sometimes the truth can hurt.

"I said sorry to Ronan and said it was a bad time in my life. But out of all of us there are still four of us who want to tour. I took part in a television show called The Games and all the boys came down and it was the first time we had been together for five years.

"They are four people who I have travelled and spent a lot of time with and you are going to bond with some more than others, that's life really."

Boyzone rocketed into the charts in 1993 and sold an estimated five million copies of their first three albums.

Shane was still in his teens at the time.

He has no regrets about the decision to take the break from it all when they did and says it did him a lot of good.

He says: "From 1998/99, I spent so many years travelling the road with just a television for company and suitcases and hotel rooms, going out and doing concerts.

"Don't get me wrong, it is an amazing life but we didn't ever have a break.

"You sort of get to the stage where you have enough. We had enough of just seeing each other all the time and we missed family and friends."

These days, refreshed from the break, he still spends a lot of time in his studio, despite the absence of his old comrades.

Boyzone fans should be warned though his latest music is a far cry from the feel-good musical romps that had teenage girls in a tizz.

He says: "If you are into hip hop then you'd like it.

"It's kind of urban pop with a lot of Irish influences.

"There's a lot of Irish instruments in my music and I deliver in the spoken word.

"It's quite bold but I think, what's the point in following suit. You can't do what everyone else is doing. I'm not into what the critics say to be honest I do what I do and that's it. I'll have two albums done by February."

Shane's muscular body is covered with tattoos of all shapes, sizes and colours.

Reminiscent of the film Memento, Shane gets a tattoo as a way of marking special events or times in his life.

"I have 40 hours of tattooing and they all mean a lot for me," he smiles.

"I sort of look at them and remember what I was going through at that time in my life."

His most recent tattoo is that of the day when he was baptised as a born-again Christian.

"Of course when you are young, like many people, you do what you want to do and I did not make for a very healthy life, I was in a bit of trouble and God, well he helped me out I never looked back," reveals Shane, adding with a chuckle: "Though I must admit I still like a pint of Guinness."

Whatever Shane's dreams of getting The Boys back together, fans will be delighted to learn that they need not have to wait too long to see Shane up close and personal.

He plays The Prince for his pantomime debut in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Wycombe Swan, hot on the heels of his stint fronting Channel Four's The Games, where he indulged his life-long love of motorcars.

"It's great fun doing the panto Anita and the rest of the crew are so much fun to work with.

"Of course I'm really looking forward to seeing some of my old fans again."

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is at the Wycombe Swan, from December 10 to January 16.

Tickets: 01494 512000