Live Review: Backstreet Boys

A good chunk of Perth’s population succumbed to the hysteria of their teen years when former heartthrobs Backstreet Boys played Perth Arena.

Homemade swag was the norm for the night, with plenty of punters proudly donning DIY shirts, hats and signs as they excitedly filed into the arena. After a substantial wait the lights dimmed and, as if on cue, the screaming commenced.

The boys emerged at the top of a raised platform onstage, immediately launching into The Call. Close-ups of each member were projected on mammoth screens either side of the stage, showing that they still looked pretty damn good 22 years on. The audience favourite of the night was clearly Nick Carter, who sported his iconic centre hair part from back in the day.

Carter took time out to tell the audience to revert back to their teenage years for the night, and they followed this request to a tee. The crowd sang along to hits like As Long As You Love Me, Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely and their very first single, We’ve Got It Goin’ On. Admittedly, the interest of the room seemed to drop every time the boys attempted to plug any of their new material, but their pelvic thrusts and synchronised dance moves managed to reel fans back in every single time.

I Want It That Way rounded out the set, before encores Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) and Larger Than Life cemented the decision to splurge on merch later that night. Two hours and thousands of screaming fans later, it was made abundantly clear that Backstreet Boys have in fact got it going on for years.