Artists’ bodyguard manhandles audience at NKOTBSB concert

The Backstreet Boys PHOTO BY Mylene Morales

MANILA, Philippines—An otherwise fun-filled, back to back concert by New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys (NKOTBSB) Sunday night, June 3, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay was marred by the rough behavior of a bodyguard working for the performers.

A certain Dan, said to be the head of security of the artists, manhandled many in the audience at the VIP section, including this reporter; one female spectator was seen crying after she was allegedly asked to step out of the venue by the arrogant bodyguard.

Some members of the audience had noticed the bodyguard’s unusual acts at the start of the concert, when he began pushing people in the front rows, ordering them not to get close to the stage.

But the stage was barricaded with steel railings, with dozens of hired local “bouncers” and more security personnel of the performers guarding the stage, making it impossible for anybody to breach the barriers.

The obnoxious bodyguard did not spare us from his uncouth ways – shooing us away just because we happened to be near the stage. We stood our ground and told him to stop shouting and getting in our way because we were covering the show as a journalist.

But he didn’t stop and screamed even louder: “Get back there or I’ll call security!”

Cooler heads intervened.

Later we spotted a young woman in tears; when we inquired what happened, she said the same bodyguard had led her and her companions outside the venue because they had no tickets and were wearing production passes.

Production passes are issued to persons who may either be staff members of the production, sponsors of the concert or their guests, or media members covering the show.

The woman told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that she was not able to watch a good part of the concert because of what the bodyguard did to her.

An almost capacity crowd turned up to watch the show, which was said to be the last stop of NKOTBSB’s current tour.