Think of family traditions and Christmas, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya spring to mind. The concert last night. For the Hassan and Chaudhry families, enjoying the music of the Backstreet Boys is another family tradition. Mrs Neelofur Sarwar, 45, of the Hassan family had to chaperone 13 children - her own, as well as her nieces and nephews - to catch the Backstreet Boys in concert last night. All of her charges, aged from 11 to 23 years, are hardcore fans. Said Mrs Sarwar: ''Name me any song, I know all the words.'' With ticket prices ranging from $70 to $160, every one of the youngsters had to fork out their own money. Mrs Sarwar's 11-year-old daughter, who gets $10 a week in pocket money, paid $95 for her own ticket. ''We have been fans of the Backstreet Boys ever since they started. All of us sing their songs, whenever we are in the car,'' said Mrs Sarwar.

Backstreet boys at the Singapore Indoor Stadium: (from left) Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson and Howie Dorough. If the kids had any complaints, it would be that the two-hour concert whizzed by too fast for them. It was a family outing for the Cheongs too. Both Christine and Tom Cheong, in their 40s, bought $125 tickets for themselves and their two children, Debbie and Alex, aged 10 and 6. The whole family mouthed the words to the songs, but Debbie, who has all their albums, was the biggest fan. 'You could say that my daughter dragged the whole family out here. But we don't mind as the songs are quite catchy,'' said Mrs Cheong. The Singapore Indoor Stadium, packed to capacity last night, had women in the audience carrying lightsticks and placards. The occasional bored husband and boyfriend were few and far between.

The boy band has been around for 13 years - far outliving the average five-year lifespan of any boy band. And they have fans from as young as 10 years old to women in their late 30s who know their earlier songs. Screams erupted as fans rushed forward when the lights darkened before showtime. The Backstreet Boys, who came out in T-shirts and jeans, blasted their year 2000 hit The Call.

OLD LIKE WINE True, after 13 years, the Boys are slightly rounder and pudgier, but the fans didn't mind. Especially since it has been a decade since their last concert here. And the Boys sure knew how to put on a show. From video screens replaying snaps from their glory days to the expertly choreographed moves and dazzling strobe lights, it was entertaining from start to finish. Every stage prop was used - barstools, suits and hats, and even a baby grand piano for a slow number. As expected, the band ran through every one of their hits. The encore, Everybody (Backstreet's Back), drew the loudest response. At one point, Howie Dorough leapt down from the stage and mouthed, 'It's okay'' to distressed security personnel. He shook the hands of fans crowding the barriers while frontman Brian Littrell paid attention to those in the middle. They joked around while executing dance moves and threw exaggerated waves.