The Backstreet Boys love sports, and they wasted no time hours ofter arrival here when they were seen bowling at the Mid-Valley Megamall last night.
Despite their tight schedule and with their concert tonight, they were scheduled to play a round of golf this morning.

Looking gorgeous and cool on arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 2pm yesterday from Jakarta, Indonesia, they were sporting enough to pose for a few pictures for The Star.

With a large entourage, the group, comprising members Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean and Nick Carter smiled and promised an excellent show at the Sunway Lagoon Surf Beach tonight.

“We are excited to be here and are looking forward to meeting our Malaysian fans,” Howie said. “It is good to be back.”

The concert is part of the foursome’s Unbreakable World Tour 2008 which follows the release of their sixth album Unbreakable.

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Posted: February 27th, 2008 under In The Press.
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Rest assured The Backstreet Boys’ concert tonight will be an excellent affair.
According to production manager Andrew Warren, the boys themselves had promised a fantastic show.

“Fans will not be short-changed, and definitely will not go home disappointed,” he told The Star.

In fact, the stage is said to be the biggest stage ever to be set up at the venue (Sunway Lagoon Surf Beach).

Measuring 60ft x 50ft, such a big stage is usually conceptualised for stadiums, said Warren.

“It is a huge production for Sunway itself, too,” he said. “This is definitely something very new and big, and the venue sponsor has definitely been very supportive and helpful.

“We have also drained out the surf pool for the audience. That will serve as the floor.”

There will be huge projection screens on stage showing images and playback videos of the boys.

Warren said the group, comprising Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean and Nick Carter, had prior to the show insisted on only world-class high-tech sound systems and lighting being used.

“The boys insisted and reminded us to use only the best lighting and sound equipment for the concert. We have constructed everything in accordance with their request and there is definitely very heavy lighting coupled with the best sounds,” he said.

Warren said production work started on Saturday evening involving some 50 crew members.

The concert tonight is part of The Backstreet Boys’ Unbreakable World Tour 2008.

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Posted: February 27th, 2008 under In The Press.
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The highly-anticipated Backstreet Boys’ show is set to take place at the Sunway Lagoon Surf Beach on Feb 27.
The show, part of the American pop quartet’s Unbreakable World Tour 2008, follows the successful release of their sixth album Unbreakable, last October, which reviews had said to be of pure pop pleasure with a combination of older hits and newer guitar driven pop/rock sounds.

When contacted yesterday, organiser Artiste World executive director Arianna Teoh said the venue was the perfect site as it was in a theme park and The Backstreet Boys had earlier expressed their excitement over the venue.

“The boys love theme parks and they were excited when they learnt of performing at the surf beach as opposed to the conventional indoor stadiums,” she said.

“It will also provide a good atmosphere to the show…being a theme park and an open area. We expect a lot of dancing and moving around. I don’t think anyone is going to be standing still,” she added.

The venue, which is also strategically located within the vicinity of many colleges and universities, poses as an excellent spot for such young-audience based concerts.

“Because this is the Backstreet Boys, and because their music caters mostly to a younger audience, we anticipate loads of college kids and students,” she said, adding that the ticket price was also specifically determined to meet the affordability of the young school-going people.

Meanwhile, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park marketing manager Thilakavathy Munusamy said the venue was a good choice because it could cater to a large crowd of up to 50,000 people.

“It is a very versatile site. Depending on the expected number of people, if needed, we can even drain out the water in the surf beach and put a stage there or turn it into a dance floor. There is a lot that one can do with such a huge place,” she said.

“There is ample space and we have held a number of concerts and events here such as the Pussycat Dolls’ show, Leehom Promo Tour, the Asian X Games and rave parties,” she said, adding that because this was a standing concert, the open-door concept of the place would provide better and easier movements for the audience.

With the much-developed amenities around the theme park and in Sunway itself, people will not have difficulties in finding parking spaces.

Parking spots are available at the Sunway Pyramid shopping mall, Sunway Lagoon Resort and Spa Hotel, Pyramid Tower, and surrounding areas within the Sunway commercial centre.

“The mall itself can hold up to 5000 vehicles and coupled with the surrounding area of Sunway, some 10,000 vehicles can easily park,” Thilakavathy related.

The Backstreet Boys now comprises Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, A.J McLean and Nick Carter.

The tour is the first without former bandmate Kevin Richardson, who left the band some two years ago to pursue other interests.

The album and the tour are said to be powerful comebacks for the group after a three-year hiatus. The fact is, all members are grown men now and the overly exaggerated reports on their demise from the industry were somewhat untrue. The boys never went away. They were preparing for a strong return and they have proven it, not only with the success of the album but also with the jam-packed concerts in other legs of this tour.

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Posted: February 24th, 2008 under In The Press.
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The Backstreet Boys proved they can still pack a punch a decade after their initial success. The curtain fell and the four boys fought it out in a boxing ring opening with their hit song I Want It That Way.

The well-choreographed sparring routine was only interrupted when ladies’ favourite Nick Carter inconspicuously turned to do up his fly which had come undone midstep.

Fans of the Backstreet Boys now mostly in their 20s enjoyed the “trip down the memory lane”. Crowd favourites included Quit Playing Games With My Heart, As Long As You Love Me and All I Have To Give”

The boy band who first had success in 1997 now consists of four members - Kevin Richardson made an amicable split from the group in 2006.

They introduced songs off their new album as well as treating fans to solo performances.

Support act Brian McFadden warmed up the Acer Arena audience with a short set of songs from his upcoming album. McFadden is engaged to Australian songbird Delta Goodrem but acted coy. “I’m actually engaged to an Australian girl,” he said without naming names. “It’s (Australia) now my favourite place to be - sunshine, good-looking people, good sports.”

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Posted: February 22nd, 2008 under In The Press.
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Backstreet Boys return to these shores for a concert at Sunway Surf Beach next week.

Despite being down to a quartet, popular American pop-group Backstreet Boys is staying strong and promises nothing but a smashing concert this coming Feb 27 at Sunway Surf Beach, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park in Selangor, as part of its Unbreakable World Tour 2008.

The boys are definitely back in the scene following a three-year hiatus, which saw former band member Kevin Richardson leaving to pursue other interests.

Formed in 1993 in Orlando, Florida, the Backstreet Boys (or more popularly known as BSB) now comprises of members Brian Littrell, 32. Howie Dorough, 34, A.J. McLean, 30, and Nick Carter, 28.

The group last appeared in Malaysia in November 2005 for the all-star Force of Nature Concert for Tsunami Aid.

“There may be only four of us left in the group but we are determined to keep it going,” said Dorough, the oldest member, in a recent phone interview from Los Angeles, California.

“There has been some adjustments that we needed to sort out since we only have four vocalists now … but everything is all good and we definitely do not want our fans to miss out on anything,” he added, before explaining that one of them would be covering for Richardson’s parts in the coming show.

With hits stretching back to the mid 1990s, there is a lot of ground for this slimmed down edition of BSB to cover.

To date, the group has raked up more than 75 million albums worldwide. BSB’s first two releases sold more than 10 million in the US: Backstreet Boys in 1997 and quintessential Millennium in 1999, which reached No. 1 in 25 countries.

BSB’s legacy of hit singles is no small change. Top Five smashes such as – Quit Playing Games (with My Heart), As Long as You Love Me, Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) and All I Have to Give are the group’s signature tunes.

“One of us will do Kevin’s parts for the older hits and for the new numbers, it will just be us,” said Dorough.

The much-anticipated concert here follows the successful release of their sixth album Unbreakable last October.

The tour would be the first without Richardson and Dorough was quoted as saying: “We have not ruled out a possible return for Kevin and have no plans on replacing him.

“He is welcome to return should he wish to do so.”

That aside, the hunky Dorough, of Puerto Rican and Irish parentage, said the group had been rehearsing for the past couple of months and putting everything together for the world tour, which kicked off in Japan on Feb 16.

“It’s a huge comeback for us and it is a beginning to another exciting journey.”

The husky voiced bloke added that the latest album Unbreakable included new styles and more R&B-based tunes.

“Hopefully people will love it. It is a combination of our earlier mid-90s R&B sound with newer guitar driven pop rock numbers.”

As far as music trivia goes, Dorough also excitedly mentioned that Malaysia was one of the very first countries outside of the United States that the group had visited in its early days (a BMG/Jive marketing conference in Penang in 1995). The group’s first public performance here was at the concourse area at Sungei Wang Plaza in Kuala Lumpur in late 1996.

“We love the food, the people and the culture. I don’t remember specifically what I ate, but I definitely remember the food in Malaysia is simply awesome,” he related.

Before hanging up the phone, Dorough managed this line: “We look forward to meeting our Malaysian fans once more. It’s going to be great.”

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Posted: February 22nd, 2008 under In The Press.
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The organiser of American pop group The Backstreet Boys’ concert here next week has assured fans of a smashing show.

The boys will rock the floor next week as part of their Unbreakable World Tour 2008, which follows the release of their sixth album Unbreakable in October.

“From what was seen at their concerts in the other legs, the one here will not be much different. It will be entertaining and mind-blowing,” said executive director Arianna Teoh.

“The show will include their older hits and current chart-toppers. Fans can also expect sensational on-stage performances,” she said.

The group had spent more than a year recording the well-received album, which marks a confident return to the charts.

The four-man group comprises Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean and Nick Carter. This tour will be the first without Kevin Richardson, who left the band two years ago.

The group, formed in 1993, has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.

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Posted: February 21st, 2008 under In The Press.
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The Backstreet boys are back in Australia for a whistle-stop tour with brief visits to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

The tour kicked off last night when the international pop sensations performed their first of three Australian concerts at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre with special guest Irish singer Brian McFadden, opening the show.

The four-man band has just come from Japan as part of their world tour to promote their latest album Unbreakable, and say they’re excited about the Aussie leg.

‘We’re thrilled to be coming back to Australia - one of our very favourite places’ said band member Nick Carter.

The band has taken a new direction since their smash hit pop songs dominated the charts in 1997.

‘We’ve got a brand new show for the Unbreakable tour so we’re excited about performing the new songs for the first time and introducing those in concert,’ fellow group member AJ McLean said.

In the 11 years since the release of their first album, the Backstreet Boys have notched up more than 75 million album sales worldwide and have a string of hits under their belt, including I Want It That Way, Millennium, and As Long As You Love Me.

They will perform in Sydney on Friday and Melbourne on Saturday, before heading to Jakarta, Indonesia.

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Posted: February 21st, 2008 under In The Press.
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They’re back in Brisbane but they are boys in name only.
Tomorrow night at Boondall’s Entertainment Centre, international pop sensations the Backstreet Boys will perform their first of three Australian concerts with special guest and Delta Goodrem’s squeeze, Brian McFadden.

Touring the world to promote latest album Unbreakable, the boys have a brand new look, sound and stage show set to knock the hysterical socks off the hoardes of female fans anticipated to arrive.

“We’re thrilled to be coming back to Australia,” says Nick Carter, “one of our very favourite places.”

Fellow group memeber AJ McLean agrees, “We honestly can’t wait.”

“We’ve got a brand new show for the Unbreakable tour so we’re excited about performing the new songs for the first time and introducing those in concert.”

BSB observers will be aware of the new tact the group has taken since their epic pop ballads swept teens off their feet when they exploded onto the charts into 1997.

In the 11 years since the release of their eponymous first album, the Backstreet Boys have notched up more than 75 million album sales worldwide and have produced hits such as Quit Playing Games (with My Heart), As Long You Love Me and Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).

The group took a three-year hiatus from 2002 to 2005 to return with a very successful world tour of their album Never Gone before the amiciable loss of fifth BSB Keven Richardson in 2006.

The remaining four then set about recording their new material, the tone of which, audible in their latest single Inconsolable, reflects the growing maturity of the group members and that of their fanbase.

“Our music has evolved with our fans,” says Howie Dorough.

“With each album we’ve had the opportunity to grow more mature, lyrically and vocally.

“We’ve also had the chance to educate ourselves about the business, about artistry and becoming real musicians.

“I hope that shows with each step we’ve taken.”

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Posted: February 18th, 2008 under In The Press.
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American boyband Backstreet Boys is back with a bang after a three-year hiatus.

Following the successful release of their sixth album Unbreakable in October, the Grammy-nominated pop group is set for a world tour which includes a date in Malaysia this month.

The group, now comprising Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean and Nick Carter, is slated to perform here on Feb 27, as part of the Unbreakable World Tour 2008. Co-founder Kevin Richardson left the group in June 2006 to pursue other interests.

“The new album is definitely a growth for us. It was a conscious decision to make an album so people would not be missing anything,” Dorough told The Star in a phone interview from Los Angeles, California.

“It’s got new styles, new tunes and hopefully people will love it. We are determined to keep it going,” he said.

Unbreakable includes various music styles, combining the group’s mid-90s R&B sound with newer guitar-driven pop-rock numbers.

The group will kick off the world tour in Japan in a few weeks, followed by Europe and South-East Asia.

It would be their first tour without Richardson.

“For the older hits, one of us will cover Richardson’s parts,” Dorough said.

“We’ve been rehearsing and putting everything together. We’ll make sure people will not miss out on anything,” he said, adding that the concert would feature old hits and songs from the recent album.

Dorough said they had not ruled out a possible return by Richardson and had no plans to replace him.

He said Malaysia was one of the very first countries outside of the United States that the group visited 15 years ago.

“We loved the food, the people and the culture. I don’t remember specifically what I ate, but I definitely remember that the food in Malaysia was simply awesome.

“We look forward to meeting our Malaysian fans once more. It’s going to be great.”

Backstreet Boys last performed here at a tsunami charity concert a few years ago.

Helpless When She Smiles, the second single from the new album, is set for release soon.

“Hopefully it will do well. History shows that our ballads have done well in Asia and we hope this will, too,” said Dorough.

The group was formed in 1993 and has sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

The concert here will be held at Sunway Lagoon at 8pm.

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Posted: February 10th, 2008 under In The Press.
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Britney Spears is getting another offer of help – this time from Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean.

“I believe in her 110 percent, but she needs to call [me],” the pop star, 30, told PEOPLE Thursday at the Hysteric Glamour VIP preview party. “If her publicist or somebody can get in touch with me, I just want to sit down with her and have it out.”

Asked what he’d offer to Spears, McLean says, “First I would say, ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ Second I would say, ‘What is really wrong with you? What are you not saying to everybody else?’ ”

McLean, a recovering alcoholic who also happened to rise to fame around the same time as Spears, says he thinks he knows part of what the 26-year-old star is going through.

“She has given people hints of her troubles, but fear is a really big thing, and depression. … I’ve been through it. I’m coming up on six years sober,” he said at the party hosted by Tracey Ross and Courtney Love in West Hollywood. “I just want to sit her down and pick her brain.”

‘Do You Want to Die?’

Ultimately, McLean says he believes the troubled singer wants to – and can – get her life back in order. ” [I want to be] just someone who can tell her straight. I’ll say, ‘Hey, do you want to die? Is that what you want?’ If that is what she really wanted, she would have done it already. I know that is not what she wants,” he says.

McLean also said Spears’s pregnant 16-year-old sister Jamie Lynn has had a rough go but will be okay.

“You look at Jamie Lynn now and it is like, of course, she has no one to look up to,” McLean says. “But I think she has a chance. Everyone has a chance to turn it around.”

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Posted: January 18th, 2008 under In The Press.
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