New Kids On the Block

Here's a reunion that I could not miss. Before I could have musical taste of my own and relied on the slop Smash Hits force fed me, the first boy band (in the modern sense of the world) that adorned my bedroom walls and school books are back. More like Second Hand Kids On The Block or Thirty-something Men On The Block, the fivesome that actually attracted boys as well as girls to their music are here in Sheffield, playing to a shrunken arena (the stage has been moved forward, and the top tier is very quiet). I have never seen a gig so overrun with middle aged ladies. It's quite scary actually, and the shrill screams are more deafening than sticking your head in a bass drum (note: not advisable).

I am very reluctant to mention the support; they were that bad. I do not have a name, I just know that the guy was more than likely a clubland DJ rallying the excited girls and playing cheesy dance tracks. Pathetic, surely they could have found somebody / anybody better. Hell, a man playing the spoons for 45 minutes would have been more entertaining. Saying that the mass of lasses; a sea of flashing rabbit ears and huge pints pots (I mean bucket sized) were screaming when he mentioned New Kids On the Block...

I was only eight when the kids were around the first time, and I am amongst the youngest here. My companion saw them back in the day when she was ten, so I have something to compare tonight to. I'm there for the hits (no complicated lyrics to remember), but the setlist is littered with new tracks from latest album 'The Block'. 'Click Click Click' is the best one on offer in my opinion, but the older songs still resonate high above this new wander into hip hop land. And every time I look at Donnie I can't help but see the kid who shot Bruce in Sixth Sense.


'You Got It (The Right Stuff)' and 'Favourite Girl' air very early, but we have been waiting twenty minutes for them to come on stage. The dance moves are more frantic to begin with, and we even get a bit of break dancing from Danny! There are several costume changes and videos to fill in the time, like a compilation of the people who have died since NKOTB last toured, like Kurt Cobain, Tupac, Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes and Frank Sinatra.

They sneak down the left hand side of the crowd to play a piano in the centre of the arena floor on a raised stage, along to new tracks '2 in the Morning', 'Dirty Dancing' and the ever popular 'Tonight'. This is when yours truly needs to visit the ladies, and is trapped by the security cordoning off the area until they finish the piano set. Typical timing...

Jordan and Joey have their own solo parts with 'Baby I Believe In You' and 'Give it To You' by Jordan, and 'Stay The Same' and 'Where Do I Go From Here' from Joey. It's then up to Donnie to rap 'Cover Girl' on his own with the help of some dancers. We get a bit of flesh from Jordan in a Marilyn Monroe moment (imagine white unbuttoned shirt and floor fan), which to be honest makes me remember why I do not dig boy bands anymore. Jonathon and Danny do not get their own slot, but I do not think they are that bothered. All the guys are laughing and joking on stage, as if they know it is all tongue-in-cheek. What does this say about their future as a band though? Are they then committing themselves to comeback tours every 20 years? Imagine that; 2029 - Mid Life Crisis Blokes On/Off The Block, 2049 - Old Granddads Propped Up On The Block.



There is one grown up moment, where the lads throw a pose at the end of a song ('The Pose Off'), and the captured still image is shown on the big screen. This particular night we get a very interesting shot indeed… I don't know how Donnie has managed to jump and appear horizontally in mid air, but it causes Joey to comment that it looks like he is giving Jordan a pleasant present, if you know what I mean! Either that or Danny has shot him out of his arse! And let me not forget the multiple signs saying "Let's Get This!", the answer to everything (apparently). Am I missing something?

Donnie also has a chat to the odd fella that is in the crowd, and tells the girlfriends that they have to pay them back when they get home (if my fella wasn't working tonight he would have come without me begging!). Despite the innocent old songs about girls and other boyish stuff, the topics between songs nowadays are a little more raunchy.

It's the encore that I was waiting for, with 'Step By Step' and 'Hangin' Tough' finishing the show (complete with 'We Will Rock You' thrown in). I am glad I have seen the first band that I can remember liking (after Culture Club of course!), but so glad that I found punk and grunge, otherwise I would be wearing rabbit ears and shouting "Let's Get This!" on a weekly basis.



Stelist:
Single
Favourite Girl
You Got It (The Right Stuff)
Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) Please Don't Go Girl
Grown Man
Games
If You Go Away
2 in the Morning
Dirty Dancing
Tonight
Twisted
Baby I Believe In You
Give it To You
Stay The Same
Where Do I Go From Here
Cover Girl
I'll Be Loving You (Forever)
Click Click Click
Summertime
Step By Step Hangin’ Tough

FUTURE GIGS

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