It's been 10 years in the waiting, but fans of Backstreet Boys finally got their wish on the night of January 24. As part of their "Never Gone" tour, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson were in town to give their long-tortured fans a taste of what they once could only watch longingly on television.
Prior to the concert, die-hard fans could be seen outside of the Singapore Indoor Stadium, waiting anxiously by the back door hoping to catch a glimpse of the boys. A group laid out a hand-made banner with the words "We Still Love BSB" on the floor outside, and got concert-goers to leave their signatures. There were people of all ages - young kids too young to possibly know about the boys when they just debuted, early twenty-somethings who probably grew up with them, plus working adults just off from work and some older folks with their kids and grandkids.
As the lights dimmed at 8.30pm, the crowd went berserk. The energy build up was so palpable, there was a crescendo buzzing around the stadium as the screams got louder, and the light sticks were in danger of being hurtled across the arena. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, the Backstreet Boys emerged from the top of the stairs to the frenzied cries of the crowd. Launching into an energetic performance of "The Call," the boys proved why after so many years, their fans never left.
Dressed casually, they danced around nimbly, flashing grins at the crowd, while vocally, they sounded as strong as ever. Without a pause, they sang "My Beautiful Woman," a track from their newest album, before they took a break to say hello to their fans. All of them took turns to greet and thank the fans for supporting them all through the years even though it took them 10 years to come back, and were met with thunderous applause.
They performed all the crowd pleasers, from "I Want It That Way" where they got everyone to sing along, to "All I Have To Give" with the requisite hat dance, to "Larger Than Life" where they did the same moves as in the MTV, eliciting shouts of delight from the audience. A.J's voice was surprisingly powerful as he dealt with the high and prolonged notes with ease. His matured voice soared effortlessly, filling the stadium, especially when he did a solo for "I'll Never Break Your Heart," which led to compliments even from his band mates.
Individual talents were also showcased. Nick played the guitar to "Just Want To Let You Know," doing a superb job and even rolling on the floor for a bit with his legs in the air, while Kevin played the piano for "Incomplete" with the boys gathered around him and the audience waving their light sticks and lit-up mobile phones. Brian might have been so moved by the response that he jumped off the stage, causing a surge of fans to rush towards him.
That the 2-hour concert had no interval showed the boys' stamina, as they pranced around stage and sang 21 songs. Instead of fancy pyrotechnics, nifty dance moves or costume changes, they chose to concentrate on their vocal delivery, which was absolutely excellent even though the sound system failed them a couple of times. "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" was the encore song, a fitting ending to remind the audience that their wait has finally paid off.
The crowd never stopped the screaming and applause, and it was apparent that the fervor for the Backstreet Boys never really died off. For the fans, getting to see the boys live was a dream come true.
-mtvasia.com
Gosh... I just love them so so so MUCH!!!! Yes, the wait has finally paid off... When will they come back again? Hopefully, not 10 years more...
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