THIS IS US TOUR: The Boys Still Rock, 17 Years On.....

BANGALORE: Seventeen years might have gone by in a mad musical rush — rehabs, deaths in the family and a break-up.

Expecting the Backstreet Boys to be no more boys, I stepped in to the room to talk to them backstage before their show but was taken by surprise. They looked like a perfect boy band plucked out of a pin-up poster — Nick with his blond hair, AJ with his rebel grunge looks, Brian with his ever-suitable smile and Howie D with a coyness of an 18-year-old.


“Howie and I have kids to bring to our shows now,” laughed Brian. “And no, we’ve had no plastic surgery,” he quipped. “How different is it without Kevin Richardson in the band?” I asked. “We are getting used to it now.

At first, it was a little strange,” said AJ, as he added, “But the door is always open for him.” “Coming to India, we wanted to see the Taj Mahal. We didn’t have time. But perhaps, next time,” said Nick. “Yes, we want to come back,” they reiterated.

And with that, it was time for the boys to put on their make-up and me to get back to the concert that began at 4, with Five Little Indians, Swarathma and Jayce Lewis already having completed their gigs.

A few minutes earlier a man with a mask had appeared on stage and started playing the drums. “Hi, I’m Jayce Lewis,” he said, taking a break, in case people failed to recognise him. Unfortunately, the Welsh’s electronica-metal musicianship was overshadowed by the loud base that literally ruled over his entire performance.

But South African band Prime Circle was as its usual best. Six months ago, when they performed at The Hard Rock Café, they made some instant fans. With compositions that are as soulful as rock-oriented, they got the audience to do slow dances to “Hello” and “She Always Gets What She Wants.” As Richard Marx stepped onto the stage, people scattered around the venue rushed to see the man with the guitar. Entertaining the audience with When Your Gone, Through my Veins, he saved the best for last. “I’ll sing this alone. You might ruin it,” he said, before he began Right Here Waiting. But the audience knew the lyrics and sang along. A visibly touched Marx said, “Yes, please do join me.” The wait was finally over when Backstreet Boys took the stage with Everybody. Moving on to Quit Playing Games with my Heart, Get Down, Show me the Meaning, I Want it That Way and songs from Unbreakable and This is Us, the boys though lip-singing took the audience on a walk down memory lane. Women crooned with them. Strangely, men also did. After all, India had to wait for 17 years to hear them live.

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