Veteran boy band on the block

Reformed boy band The New Kids On The Block.

New Kids on the Block are ready to take the new boy bands on the block to school.

The Boston-based veteran group, which announced a US tour with TLC and Nelly this week, said contemporary boy bands should check out their live concerts to learn from the experts.

"As far as boy bands, you know, we dance, we perform. I mean, I hate to sound like an old fogey, but these kids don't know what they're missing nowadays because we got to sing and dance for our supper, you know what I mean, and we love to do that," Joey McIntyre, 42, said in an interview Tuesday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

"So maybe a few kids could come to the show and see how it's done."

In the last few years, boy bands have resurged, with One Direction leading the pack, followed by Aussie band 5 Seconds of Summer. Others, from The Wanted to Mindless Behavior, have had some success.

Donnie Wahlberg, 45, said the decades-long bond between New Kids on the Block and their fans makes it worthwhile.

"I would rather have the credibility of thousands of fans and have them be happy. That's what we've learned and that's why we're still here," Wahlberg said.

"We keep it alive because it stays alive between us and our fans. It's a real relationship now."

- AP