NEVER mind Nathan Jones – these girls have definitely been gone too long but it’s great to have them back.

This was the first official tour featuring the original line-up in 30 years so it was just too good to miss.

Bananarama (Siobhan Fahey, Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward) were the trailblazing girl band of the ‘80s.

Their phenomenal chart success even earned them a listing in the Guinness World Records.

And the place was going bananas before the trio even appeared on stage – people were singing, dancing and cheering from the moment the lights dimmed.

And when we finally got to clap eyes on them, the girls looked better than ever in sparkly, black tailored suits.

They sounded stronger too, starting with Nathan Jones and then belting out one hit after another accompanied by a four-piece band in the background that added a bit of muscle to some of the lighter Stock Aitken and Waterman numbers.

The three come-back queens dusted off all their old dance routines in front of a large video screen featuring special effects and some of their old pop videos.

There were hardly any fillers - just killer hits. Cruel Summer, Venus, Really Sayin’ Something, Shy Boy, Robert De Niro’s Waiting and so it went on.

The girls looked as though they were having the time of their lives and there was plenty of easy banter between them.

Siobhan left the bananas in 1988 to form Shakespears Sister but you would have thought from last night’s show that they’d never been apart.

They performed a rather poignant version of Stay - one of Shakespears Sister's biggest hits - together.

And the packed audience (some of whom were clad in snow-washed denim dungarees) lapped it up singing along at the tops of their voices.

Three guys even turned up dressed as convicts based on the pop video Love in The First Degree which was the brilliant finale.

Bananarama are certainly guilty of creating some of the best feel good and memorable music of the eighties. Simply brilliant.