In the past five years the US pop band Backstreet Boys, who were hugely successful in the Nineties, have lost a member and released two very underwhelming albums.

But this week the boys were definitely back with a vengeance as they performed to an almost sold out crowd at the 02 Arena.

The group, which now consists of Nick Carter, Brian Littrel, AJ McLean and Howie Dorough, had the audience in the palm of their hands while they belted out their older hits like Quit Playing Games, Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) and I’ll Never Break Your Heart as well as showcasing some of their new material.  Read full article.

You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a gaggle of women in their late 30’s sing I Want It That Way outside the 02, complete with M&S knicker flashing. In fact, the whole place was teeming with oestrogen, waiting impatiently for four grown men to grace the stage and make them swoon. After much anticipation (and a booing session when Jedward arrived and took their seats), the Backstreet Boys finally emerged, belting out Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) to thunderous cheers. So far, so good. Then, rather unfortunately, the cracks appear and the show ends up becoming a rather tedious affair.
 
Perhaps the ‘boys’ feel that if Take That can come back strong after their wilderness years, then why not them? Sadly, I couldn’t help but think I was watching the cast of Dad’s Army. They’re very much men now, and the leaping about and (much) younger female dancers only added to the fact that their glory days are long behind them. The music itself is great, holding up surprisingly well after nearly 10 years. But why on earth do they throw away a bunch of memorable hits and sing about a third of them? The One, Quit Playing Games, The Call, Shape Of My Heart, all granted a verse, chorus, and then tossed aside. There was no real chance to enjoy some of their past successes in such a swift fashion.  Read full article.

Remember the Backstreet Boys? The baggy trousers, the Kangol hats and those upbeat pop anthems that reverberated throughout the 1990s: I Want It That Way, As Long As You Love Me and Everybody (Backstreet’s Back), among myriad other lyrical gems.

Well, steady yourselves, people, because Backstreet’s back, part two. The quintet is down to a quartet (Kevin Richardson, the oldest member, left on friendly terms in 2006), but the boys are surging through the European leg of their new tour like a musical Hadrian’s army and before arriving for their first-ever Middle East gig in Dubai on December 17.

The tour is called This Is Us, appropriately named after their latest and seventh studio album, which was released last month. You will no doubt have heard the catchy first single, Straight Through My Heart, on radios across the land.   Read full article.

“WE’RE not Backstreet Men — we’re Backstreet Boys.” So goes the T-shirt slogan for the current ‘This is Us’ tour, which can be all yours to take home for €30.

This year the O2 arena has already hosted New Kids on the Block and witnessed Boyzone’s last Dublin headliner with Stephen Gately.

In June, Take That dramatically raised the bar for boyband reunions with a dazzling Croke Park date.

While one may snigger at this prospect of a bit of cheesy mid-1990s nostalgia, Backstreet Boys genuinely are one of the most successful acts of all time with over 100 million album sales.

Sadly, the stage set for ‘This is Us’ contains no surprises, opting for the usual ‘ The X-Factor’ meets ‘Eurovision’ format. Indeed, most of their music plays it very safe, ploughing the same well-worn furrow of generic boyband pop by numbers.

It’s a night of sugar-sweet saccharine vocals and banal lyrics, but a close-to-capacity crowd lap it up.

To be fair to the Backstreet bunch, they’ve enough of a catalogue of hits to keep the show ticking along.

‘Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely’, ‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)’ and ‘Quit Playing Games with My Heart’ are signature songs which have aged remarkably well.   Read full article.

American boy band the Backstreet Boys are heading down under, after adding New Zealand and Australia to their world tour.

The band – Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and AJ McLean – released album This Is Us earlier this year, and are now on the European leg of their successful tour.

“We are so excited to bring the This Is Us tour to New Zealand and we can’t wait to see you in March 2010 dancing in the audience” they say.

They will play the Vector Arena in Auckland on March 11 and tickets go on sale on Monday December 7.  [Source]

Boy Band stars the Backstreet Boys have demanded turkeys and a Mercedes E class car as they prepare to jet into Zagreb later this month.

The group, who will perform at Zagreb Arena hall on 27 November, said they wanted the turkeys cooked so they can have a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner while they are in the city. They also asked for water and local beers to help wash the meal down, according to local media.

And the stars also want a Mercedes E class car provided for them so they can sightsee around the capital in luxury.  [Source]