Backstreet Boys in Mumbai: Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson | Photo Credit: RVR16
“Hello Mumbai, thanks!” Shout out to Backstreet Boys during their first ever tour of Mumbai. “Yes!” On 4th May, three generations of spectators wailing with nostalgia, on a sultry evening at Jio Gardens. His next show is in New Delhi on 5th May.
The (arguably) biggest boy band of all time, who have sold over 100 million records, are back in the country again after 13 years for their DNA World Tour. They are here for entertainment. They’re here to make at least some of their 12,000 fans in the stadium, who grew up glued to MTV and spent hours staring at Nick Carter’s face in teen magazines, feel a few decades younger. They are here to be equally convinced that they are far from being forgotten in a world that has changed dramatically since they first captured the pop centre-stage.
The crowd reaction is encouraging: the band is clearly still got it.
The opening act is ‘I Wanna Be With You’ and just like that it’s 1996 all over again. The boys (Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, and Kevin Richardson) aren’t boys anymore, and they’re well aware of the jokes. “If we come back, it will be the return of Backstreet….sigh!” he says, clutching his lower back.
But they are still clearly fit, and look good in their leather jackets and neat waistcoats. However, it is an inexplicable sight for a May evening in Mumbai. A sweaty Nick says, “Somebody needs to warn us, and tell us how hot it’s going to be,” but adds, “It’s not the weather, it’s because of each and every one of you.” Brian next to him smiles generously, but his beet-red face suggests that a more serious warning may be appreciated.
The Backstreet Boys’ concert in Mumbai was a mix of the old and the new. Photo Credit: RVR16
However, the heat doesn’t scare them: their energy is inexhaustible; The vocals hit the right chords, including a wonderfully soulful acapella number; And his choreography, honed by years of practice and shows, is impeccable. has several fun costume changes, ending with the signature white Millennium album cover.
The show is a mix of old and new. The crowd is clearly more familiar and excited than the old one; The energy in the stadium rises during ‘The Call’, ‘Everybody’ and ‘Quit Playing Games With My Heart’. Someone who clearly hasn’t exercised their vocal cords since their school days, or last night’s drunkenness, sings ‘Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely’ with free abandon and ample emotion. Phone flashlights are lit, groups of strangers wave their arms in unison, and a girl perched on her partner’s shoulders swings dangerously around. Energy drops during new songs.
Amidst the 33 songs, there are many ‘aww’ moments. The men travel back in time, remembering the days when they were just boys, and when only Howie had chest hair. Today, he proudly says, he has “Backstreet Babies.” During a joke act, they recall how crazy women threw their clothes at the boys during earlier concerts.
The band was back in India again after 13 years for the DNA World Tour Photo Credit: RVR16
The show ends with ‘Larger than Life’. By now, most people have had a few glasses of beer and are either dancing or walking around smiling. Fireworks explode in the night sky and a thousand cameras explode to capture them.
This is a band that reminds everyone of a simpler time and place, when sugar pop ruled the roost. Bindaas boys now make fun of father. But his appeal seems to cut across generations. The biggest testament to their enduring popularity is that we wake up to hoarse voices the next morning.
We all wanted the same.