Even boybands cannot halt the march of time. The Backstreet Boys are looking rather more mature than they do on the posters clutched by wildly waving fans, but the US boyband will still have them screaming in the stands Friday night on the first gig of their China tour.

Their 90-minute program at Beijing's Olympic Stadium includes 18 songs, most of them familiar hits such as "As Long As You Love Me," "Everybody" and "Get Down."

In addition, they will perform a few new songs, including "My Beautiful Woman," which is now available as a ring-back tone that can be downloaded from the China Mobile website.

Although with no new album releases recently and out of the spotlight for three years, the Boys still thrilled local fans at the press conference, charity events and WTA match at the China Open they attended.

Organizer Emma Entertainment had to bring in extra security personnel to handle the crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of their idols at the press conference in the Beijing Hotel.

"We have really been looking forward to this China tour and we've spent a lot of time preparing for it," said Howie Dorough.

"We appreciate the support that the Chinese fans have given for years and I believe they will enjoy the show on Friday," said A.J. McLean.

Nick Carter showed his tattoo of Chinese characters on both arms. On the left arm is "sea god" while on the right is "fortune."

"I live in the global village and appreciate its diverse culture, including Chinese culture," said Carter.

"I especially love Chinese kung fu, and I admire Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. I also like Chinese mythology, especially the mythology about the sea," he added.

The reunited boyband is playing in Beijing to celebrate the ongoing Athens Paralympics. They will donate a percentage of the proceeds to Paralympics International.

On Monday, the band will perform at Shanghai's Hongkou Stadium.

(China Daily September 24, 2004)