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.
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“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.
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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.
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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.
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WHEN the chance arose to see cheesey 90s chart-toppers the Backstreet Boys on their comeback tour I couldn’t resist.

Who cares that they’re the latest faded popstrels to cash in on the current fondness for nostalgia? I used to worship their dance moves.

Trouble is, I could only remember one song – despite owning the album Backstreet’s Back on cassette – so when they opened with that oh-so-catchy title track Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) – complete with ‘that’ dance move – I was worried.

“What will they do for the rest of the show?” I muttered to my friend, who shares my boy band pedigree.
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