Wendy Smith

There is no doubt The Backstreet Boys DNA Tour has been highly awaited, with fans patiently biding their time amongst rescheduling and postponements. But the time is upon us, and boy am I excited and gauging the amount of people heading to Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne I am not alone. It is night one of two in this wonderful city, and the fans are coming out in force, keen as mustard to get amongst some long awaited boy band action.

Samantha Jade, winner of 2012 Australian X Factor had a wonderful time warming up the packed Rod Laver Arena. She bought a few friends along for added harmonies and delivered lots of classic covers that helped settle the nervous excitement if only for a short period. Samantha was well received by the expanding crowd and had them singing loudly along by the conclusion of her set. Her 30 mins was packed with hits perfectly picked to get the party started, and Samantha showed she can still deliver the goods.

The stage was set and it was impressive to say the least, a diamond shaped catwalk host to the most beloved fans, perched happily in the middle, and a fractured ribcage of framework over the main stage which was set in several levels. Huge screens hung from the ceiling forming a triangle the perfect additional for the fans who weren’t up close. I just knew right from the get-go this show would deliver with all the bells and whistles and the ripples of excitement were growing by the second.  The screams were electric as the lights dropped and the enormous screen behind the stage came to life, with lots of glitz the ensuing intro was enough to rouse the venue to its feet as the word UNBREAKLABLE flashed up followed by BSB. Images of the Boys appeared and amidst it all smoke cannon erupted as the Backstreet Boys made their first appearance.

Opening with I Wanna Be With You the show was off and running, It was an amazing two hours packed with four 30 minute sets, each accompanied by a costume change. Each set a different member having a chat, ever gracious and thankful for the fans who have stuck with them for 30 years. Tonight’s Melbourne show was number 200 in the DNA tour, which is no mean feat considering the size of its production, with three of the BSB team hailing from Australia it was lovely for them to have some time at home while still on tour with these big guns. The hits were unstoppable The Call, Don’t Want You Back and Get Down a few to make Set 1. The dance moves still as polished as back in the day, the BSB cut an amazing form as they strutted not just the stage but around the catwalk. Happily trading hand slaps with the fans in and around the inner sanctum, Brian nearly dragged into the pit on several occasions. His cheeky demeaner ever present as he works the stage giving plenty to the eager fans and loving every minute, his interaction so genuine it shone.

All of the BSB were so humbled by the fans all taking time to talk to them, hold hands and acknowledge them, it was lovely to see they are still so invested in what has made them who they are. Set 2 was launched with Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely, Incomplete and Undone. The stage backdrops constantly changing to suit the next song, visually it was a fest for your eyes and at times overwhelming with its Backstreet goodness. The Boys singing voices primed and just as good if not better than I imagined, the harmonies still quite magical and smooth as silk. The Shape of My Heart and Drowning another two fan favourites, the boy band moves melting the hearts of many.

Set three saw two large boxes appear on stage one with BSB and one with DNA which Kevin and AJ jumped into after being left onstage. It was time to give a bit back to the screaming girls that in another life threw their underwear on stage, now the boys would change in the boxes and throw THEIR underwear to the fans. It was a fun aspect and gave lots of giggles as the boys changed their threads and emerged looking fresh and ready to melt hearts. Quit Playing Games With My Heart saw the boys take a seat at the front of the catwalk as the stage raised to greet them. Nick and Howie facing the fans in the inner sanctum, happily chatting and signing autographs, could these guys be any sweeter?! As Long As You Love Me saw glowing mic stands arise from the stage floor and caused many a girl to swoon. No Place from the DNA album had a wonderful addition, the huge screens above us showing footage of all the Boys and their families singing the song and doing their day to day things. It was such a beautiful moment to match this stunning song, family is everything and while they are away they are bringing a little bit of home with them.  Then it’s time to head to the sky, the stage they had been sitting on raised up towards the roof and the Boys played a lovely A Capella tune showing they have the good even without music. The large screens above them descended until they swapped places and were actually on top of the screens singing from the rooftops. Quite the spectacle, but there was no time for rest as they hightailed it back to the mainstage for All I Have To Give, seeing out set three.

Tension was mounting, Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) had to being coming in hot and as the big screens came to life with another stunning intro the floor opened and the Boys appeared all donned in white, rising to the familiar tune we had been waiting for. Let me tell you, it DID NOT disappoint. The moves hit in stunning brilliance the stage awash with electric candy skulls in shocks of colour and laser lights. Rod Laver was on its collective feet and overwrought with happiness reliving this song of our youth. This last set packed a punch with hit after hit, We’ve Got It Going On, The One and I Want It That Way to name few. As the boys took their bows we were certain there was a few left in the tank and after a brief stage absence they were back to finish out the night. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart set pulses racing, and then the mega hit Larger Than Life which saw the smoke cannons explode and the dance moves hit celestial heights. Confetti rained down and streamers launched from the stage, a truly fitting end to a phenomenal show and one I will remember for years to come.

The Backstreet Boys really separate the wheat from the chaff, and they have been sowing golden fields uninterrupted for over 30 years. If there is one show you need to see in your lifetime it is this one, and while Backstreets Back, for many they never left!

REMINING DATES FOR THE BACKSTREET BOYS: The DNA World Tour – Australia 2023

• ROD LAVER ARENA, MELBOURNE WEDNESDAY MARCH 1
• QUDOS BANK ARENA, SYDNEY SATURDAY MARCH 4
• QUDOS BANK ARENA, SYDNEY SUNDAY MARCH 5
• BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE WEDNESDAY MARCH 8

ALL TICKETS ON SALE NOW.

For complete tour, ticket and VIP Experience information, visit: backstreetboys.com & livenation.com.au

There is a standing joke in my house involving Del Amitri. If guests are coming around for dinner, my husband will say, “time to put Del Amitri on”. They are always my dinner party music of choice. Why – it is perfect for that – inoffensive in lyrics and musical style, upbeat melodies and just perfect background music. That doesn’t sound like a band that I would put on in my head phones and listen to deeply but I do that too. And when you listen deeply, Del Amitri is actually the antithesis of everything I like, musically. First and foremost, it is borderline country. Country music makes my skin crawl. Harmonicas, steel and slide guitars and wiggly wiggly organs (played with high vibrato) will send me running to the hills (running for my life, even). And if you listen to the opening verse and chorus of Del Amitri’s Kiss This Thing Goodbye, and other songs, that’s exactly what you’ve got. So why are Del Amitri so dang likeable?

There is no better way to get excited for a gig than by finding a pub where other fans might congregate. The proximity of The Cross Scottish themed bar in Fitzroy Street to the Palais seemed a sure bet and sure enough, the tables were full to bursting with expat Scots, enjoying Steak Night and a pint of Tenants (piss weak Scottish beer) before the show. There was a real sense of excitement in the air, after all, Del Amitri have not visited these shores for 30 years.

The Palais is the perfect venue for bands whose music can be enjoyed perfectly from the comfort of one’s arse. The seating is probably as antique as the building and is prone to being lumpy and a wee bit uncomfortable after a couple of hours but on Thursday as the support act, Darren Middleton came on, all assembled were making themselves comfortable and settled in for some listening pleasure. The name meant nothing to me at first. The music from him and another guitarist/keyboard player and a drummer was very much in the right vein for the evening…pleasant and easy on the ears. After couple of tracks, he mentioned that he had written songs for Bradley Cooper to sing in A Star is Born! Hang On, who is this guy. All became clear when he dropped another big name….Powderfinger. Darren Middleton is none other than lead guitarist and songwriter for the hugely successful Aussie band of the 2000’s. Now he had my attention. I missed Powderfinger’s entire career, pretty much and if it weren’t for my sister sending me a Triple J top 100 CD every year, and picking up a copy of Vulture Street in a Tower Records bargain bin, I would never have heard of them. Darren’s solo work lacks a bit of the spice of Powderfinger, but I felt the presence of singer songwriters who have gone before such as Neil Young, who Middleton lists as an influence and you could tell.

2023 Del Amitri consists of just two of the original band members who started playing together in 1982, Justin Currie on bass and lead vocals, and Iain Harvie on guitar and backing vocals. And these two make some really beautiful harmonies together, at times, sounding Eaglesque. They opened with When You Were Young which seemed appropriate for a band of 50 somethings to be playing to a crowd of fellow Gen Xers. Undoubtedly looking older, but still sporting a very fine head of hair, Justin’s voice has lost none of the range and beautiful tone that is such a part of this band’s success.

Del Amitri’s second album, Waking Hours of 1989 and Change Everything of 1992 spawned their biggest hits, the first played tonight was Always the Last to Know. This song opens with the most heinous musical crime there is (in my humble opinion) – COWBELLS! But once you get over this it is a song, like so many of this bands, that tells a great story and brought a few “wee wiman” in the crowd to their feet.

They were powering through this set at breakneck speed. There was very little patter in between songs which was a bit of a shame and I think the crowd would have loved a bit of banter. He did manage a “Is it supposed to be this hot?” Thursday was a bit of a scorcher but you will come to Australia in February so Aye, it is supposed to be this hot.

The wonderfully upbeat Kiss This Thing Goodbye was greeted with a loud cheer from the audience. The song begins with the harmonica, again, walking a very slippery slope between pop and country, but again, still managing to be inoffensive to my sensitive ears. The next hit out of the box was the wonderfully moody and even a little bit sad Driving with the Brakes On. One of my faves.

After a set of 18 tracks, more hits than misses, the main set drew to a close with the wonderfully philosophical Spit in the Rain and Stone Cold Sober.

The message that more was expected was very clearly sent as the crowd, now on their feet, showed their appreciation and begged for more.

A 5 song encore ensued. It was always a given that this would include their biggest hit and one of the best pieces of lyrical story telling I have ever heard, Nothing Ever Happens. This song speaks of the repetitiveness of an ordinary life and it always makes me think of my Mother in Law who worked in the tax office as a typist for over 30 years.

Scotland is my second home, having spent all of the 90’s and most of the naughties living in Glasgow and I feel as proud as any Scotsman when I see “home” grown talent do well internationally. Del Amitri have been appreciated by more than homesick Scots in Australia since they first toured here in 1990 but I fear that this may well have been the bands’ Australian swan song. I am grateful to have felt the swell of affection for the band in Glasgow when they could be heard on the juke box of every student pub and University union on the west coast. And I’m grateful to have seen them grace the stage of the Palais on a balmy summer’s night in Melbourne, 30 years later.