Girls swoon over the Backstreet Boys
Date: June 7 1999
By: Berrit de Lange
Amsterdam - A performance by the Backstreet Boys teaches you that butterflies in the stomach can do a lot of damage to a girl's yearning heart. The boygroup was welcomed in the full ArenA with deafening screams that were easily louder than the music. The 'Millennium' was kicked off with 'Larger than life' that on this Saturday evening obviously was about the five performers themselves.
"We were late, but we've missed you," Nick Carter screamed, by far the favourite among the teenage girls. This instantly made up for the long time the group has been away. The stadium was ready as of seven 'but' said VJ Fabienne 'the Boys are still playing soccer backstage.' Rapgroup E-Life from Rotterdam was allowed to warm up the crowd followed by, again, Fabienne. After that it was so quiet in the ArenA for so long that it looked like it was bedtime. Until Tatyana Ali, 'Ashley' in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, got the chance to show she can sing.
The weak warming up didn't lessen the endearing addoration for the main act. The Backstreet Boys couldn't completely fill the ArenA, but more than 60,000 visitors - mainly girls; average age around fifteen - is still something to -as a band - get excited over. "Quit playin' games with my heart" sounded through the ArenA, but judging by the number of girls taken to the emergency, the Boys aren't planning on quitting their games any time soon.
Breaking up
Right before the performance in Amsterdam he worst fears were fed again. The Backstreet Boys scared their following last summer with speculations about breaking up. Again in the German press they denied a possible split. Afterall, they are the rulers of the pop empire when it comes to breaking girls' hearts.
'As long as you love me' was sung by thousands of voices, as were the songs from the latest, third successalbum 'Millennium' and the always good sounding 'Everybody (Backstreet's Back Alright!).
Who wasn't in a state of full addoration noticed that the sound wasn't always all that and that more than anything a Backstreet Boys concert is 'clever', supported by able dancers and musicians. The music is a mix of average pop and charming R&B, the performance a good looking, well oiled machine. Nick, Howie, AJ, Kevin and Brian appeared in macho black, adorable white, millennium metallic or in pink dandy suits. Each change of clothes got the full approval of the screaming crowd.
The carefully picked young men from Florida proved to be acrobatic too. They floated above the now completely mad crowd; so close, yet still untouchable.
Predictable
The finale was spectaculair, but predictable. Their current hit 'I want it that way' hadn't been sung until then. Could it be that they would forget their all records breaking song?? But as many already expected: the Boys saved this for a stunning encore.
The overly enthusiastic girls were wearing signs, all kinds of Backstreet-gadgets and it rained stuffed toy animals. Some of the girls allowed their boyfriends next to them, armed with cameras to take photos of the spectacle. Most of them grinned, knowing that after tonight their world famous American competition would be out of reach again.
THANKS TO VANESSA FOR THE ARTICLE
