Battle of boybands as 90s superstars New Kids On The Block take on One Direction

The American stars are playing at the Apollo whilst 1D take the stage at the Etihad


One Direction play three nights in Manchester

IT WILL be a battle of the boybands in Manchester this weekend when old teen pop takes on the new generation.

Global heart-throbs One Direction will touch down in the city ahead of a run of sold out gigs at the Etihad Stadium starting on Friday.

Meanwhile, Nineties band New Kids On The Block, arguably one of the first modern boybands, are also performing on the other side of town.

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One Direction are set to play a trio of supergigs at the City of Manchester stadium as part of their Where We Are world tour

They will play before an astounding 180,000 fans over the three nights – with the capacity of the ground increased to 60,000 with fans standing on the pitch.

The gigs are expected to be a major boost for the city’s economy with hotels at full capacity and bars and restaurants tipped to rake in tens of thousands of pounds.

It will also be somewhat of a homecoming for star member Harry Styles, who hails from Holmes Chapel in Cheshire.

However the arrival of Harry, along with pals Niall, Zayn, Liam and Louis, is not the only show in town.

Indeed some mother and daughter duos may have been left torn, as on the same night as 1D’s first gig, NKOTB are bringing their European tour ‘An intimate evening with New Kids On the Block’ to the 3,500-capacity O2 Apollo in Ardwick.

They are considered the ‘old guard’ of the boyband scene, this year celebrating 30 years since their formation.

They broke fans hearts by announcing their split in 1994. However they reformed in 2008 and have released two further albums to much critical acclaim.

Despite sending tweenagers and their mother’s hearts racing in equal measure, the two groups have boast very different starts to their music careers.

Whilst 1D found fame on the 2010 edition of the X-Factor, despite not winning it, NKOTB were discovered by a producer and went through several makeovers becoming the chart-topping act we later knew.

However despite drawing bigger crowds in Manchester, 1D still have a way to go match their older colleagues in the sales department.

New Kids On The Block have so far amassed an incredible 80 million sales of their singles and albums worldwide with the Direction boys have a way to go at just 36 million.