Backstreet Boys let Düsseldorf return to the Millennium era
After a long run of shows in Las Vegas, it was Düsseldorf’s turn this time. The Backstreet Boys bring their “Into The Millennium” show to the Merkur Spiel Arena, with no fewer than ten concerts in the German city. The tour is entirely centred around the anniversary of the album “Millennium”, which was released in 1999. For this, the group brings back not only the big hits from that period, but also the choreography, outfits and memories that belonged to that era.
On the way to the Merkur Spiel Arena, Düsseldorf grew increasingly whiter on Saturday evening. A sea of fans walked towards the stadium, almost all dressed in white with the occasional ‘touch of baby blue’. This dress code had been announced beforehand by the Backstreet Boys, and it had clearly been taken to heart by the masses. Among the stream of people heading towards the stadium were fans of all ages. From teenagers who mainly knew the Backstreet Boys from their parents’ stories and music, to women who had followed the group themselves as teenagers in the nineties. Here and there, a stray partner was also walking along. Some clearly dragged along, others secretly there simply for their own guilty pleasure.
Once inside, it was above all the scale of the production that stood out. Behind the main stage hung a gigantic screen that filled almost the entire width of the arena. From the main stage, a long catwalk extended into the arena, ending in a large pentagon. The second stage was located there, although it could hardly be described as a single fixed stage. Several sections could rise independently, allowing the Backstreet Boys to appear above the audience several times during the show.
What was striking was that the main stage beneath the large screen played only a limited role. Most of the show actually took place on the stage at the end of the catwalk. As a result, the five men spent a large part of the evening right in the middle of the audience. The catwalk was used extensively, while the structures regularly provided literal movement at height.
The show began with “Larger Than Life”. From the roof of the arena, the five men descended on a kind of futuristic spaceboards, flying towards the stage. A spectacular entrance, after which the first big hit of the evening had immediately been launched. This was followed by “It’s Gotta Be You” and “As Long as You Love Me”. At the end of that song, five chairs were placed on the stage, after which the men each used a chair for a joint choreography. They then took plenty of time to address the German audience and thank Germany for the enormous reception. For AJ McLean, that moment had an even more personal touch. He told the audience that he had been sober for exactly five years. A lovely moment that clearly meant a great deal to AJ and was met with loud applause throughout the arena.
During “I Want You Back”, five metal climbing structures appeared on the centre stage. The men climbed into them and continued singing from there. It gave the song that extra show element, without taking attention away from the music. The band members left the stage for a first costume change, and during this short break, images of the band from the 90s appeared on the large screens. The five men then returned to the stage for “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely”.
The atmosphere in the arena was already lively, and it was not just the fans on the floor who were standing. The majority of the fans in the seating areas were also on their feet and dancing. There was plenty of singing and screaming, and when the sound was turned down during the chorus of “I’ll Be the One”, tens of thousands of voices took over the singing.
During an interlude, the first German tour of the Backstreet Boys was recalled. They told how sleeping in the hotels was not always easy at the time. Fans gathered outside the hotels at night and kept singing: “Open the Window”. For the boys, that mainly meant that their night’s sleep regularly started a little later than planned.
This was followed by a medley of songs from the album “Millennium” that had never been released as singles. Kevin Scott Richardson took his place behind the piano, making this part of the show considerably more subdued. For a moment, the huge production made way for five men, a piano and the music.
“Drowning” followed, after which the pace picked up again. For “All I Have to Give”, five hats came flying along the catwalk towards the Backstreet Boys. You can of course simply pick up a hat or have it handed to you, but if you are a Backstreet Boy, you just let them fly through an entire arena. Each of the five caught his hat and put it on, after which the song began. At the end, another choreography followed, with the hats once again playing their part.
After another costume change came “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)”. From that moment onwards, a succession of big hits followed. The set then continued at a fast pace with “Shape of My Heart”, “I Want It That Way”, “Get Down (You’re the One for Me)”, “We’ve Got It Goin’ On” and “The Call”. It was the part where waiting for the next song was no longer an option. Before one song had properly finished, the next familiar melody was already blasting through the arena.
The combination of the songs from 1999, the old choreography and the extensive production made the show a successful trip back to the nineties. Of course, the five men are now a few decades older, and that was visible here and there, but there was little wrong with their energy, singing and movement. The choreographies were still performed tightly, and vocally the quintet was still standing strong. With the catwalk, the large stage and the various moving parts of the installation, there was plenty to see throughout the evening.
For the final song, the roof of the Merkur Spiel Arena literally came off, the retractable roof opened and the Backstreet Boys launched into “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”, while fireworks erupted above the stage. The final notes disappeared into the cheers of the arena.
That brought show two of ten in Düsseldorf to an end, but the audience had clearly enjoyed it. More than twenty-five years after “Millennium”, the songs were still being sung along to effortlessly. The Backstreet Boys had given their past a thorough dusting off, but after this evening it was clear that it would not be put back in the cupboard anytime soon.
