BEC - Mon Mar 8

Assisted by two backing singers, a scruffily handsome guitarist and a backing track that just won’t quit, Ricki-Lee Coulter plays a satisfying opening set, with a few originals crammed in alongside covers of Beyoncé, Gossip and U2. Her voice is strong, but hearing an arena full of people singing along to Heavy Cross is bizarre enough to be worth the price of admission alone.

Backstreet Boys are a foursome these days (wow, that seems really dirty when you say it like that, doesn’t it?), but they still know how to harmonise and dance in sync, and dammit, they still put on a goofy, entertaining pop show. Amidst expensive-looking videos that place the band members inside movies like Fight Club and The Matrix, they bust out bulletproof, Max Martin-penned tracks like Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) and I Want It That Way, and while it’s a little weird to consider that men in their 30s are still performing these songs, it’s easier just to go with it. The highlight of the set is Larger Than Life, which turns unexpectedly and kind of awesomely into a cover of the White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army, further validating my theory about how that song goes with everything. Next time around, a Kings Of Leon or Mumford & Sons cover would be nice – think about it, guys.

ALASDAIR DUNCAN

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