Backstreet Boys Open Australian Tour In Melbourne

Backstreet Boys kicked off the first show of their Australian tour in Melbourne Friday night and fulfilled the ‘guilty pleasure’ of some 10000+ 30something females.

Musically Backstreet Boys was a moment in time, albeit a very long time, and the peak time was 1996-2005. In that time for that audience the only act close to them was NSync. Those two American boybands started a trend of labels signing lookalike and soundalike acts from Boyzone and One Direction out of the UK to Human Nature out of Australia.

The Backstreet Boys became that teen act of the time that the fans of the time would take through their lifetime. While they will never be written up for their musical brilliance, their innovation or their musical influence on other acts, Backstreet Boys will continue to grow old with their audience and that was evident at their first Rod Laver Arena show on Friday.

There were no young kids in the audience. These mums weren’t here to pass on their youth to the next generation. There was barely anyone over 40 and there were definitely very few men. There were certainly no queues for the men’s room but the lines for the bar were longer than at a Metallica concert. These ladies were out for a good time and they expressed it vocally. When Backstreet Boys are in town it is the trigger for the girl’s night out.

The lack of children was interesting. Unlike a Stones, AC/DC, Metallica or Kiss concert made up of an audience spanning generations, the ladies left the kiddies at home. Backstreet Boys will die with their fans. There is no evidence they are being passed on to the next generation like the rock groups are.

As the Backstreet Boys came on stage this audience screamed LOUD. When BB1 gave permission for the crowd to “act crazy like you are 15 years old again” the volume from the audience only increased. It was ear piercing.

There was no backing band. With the exception of the acoustic set this entire show is sung live to prerecorded music. That didn’t matter. The audience was here to reminisce through a setlist that was a musical photo album.

Backstreet Boys, Melbourne, May 8, 2015

The Call   (from Black and Blue, 2000)
Don’t Want You Back  (from Millennium, 1999)
Incomplete  (from Never Gone, 2005)
Permanent Stain   (from In A World This, 2013)
All I Have to Give  (from Backstreet’s Back, 1997)
As Long as You Love Me  (from Backstreet’s Back, 1997)
Show ‘Em (What You’re Made Of)  (from Black and Blue, 2000)
Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely  (from Millennium, 1999)
Breathe  (from In A World This, 2013)
I’ll Never Break Your Heart / We’ve Got It Going On  (from Backstreet Boys, 1997)
The One  (from Millennium, 1999)
Love Somebody  (from In A World This, 2013)
Shape of My Heart    (from Black and Blue, 2000)
In a World Like This  (from In A World This, 2013)
I Want It That Way  (from Millennium, 1999)
Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)  (from Backstreet’s Back, 1997)