'Saturday Night Live' 40th Anniversary Performances: N Sync, Backstreet Boys Attend But Do Not Perform

Fans of the two biggest boybands in the 90s were let down after failing to see 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys perform at the 40th anniversary special of "Saturday Night Live."

In a tweet, Lance Bass clarified that he and fellow bandmates Justin Timberlake, JC Chase, Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone never had any intention of actually performing in the three-and-a-half-hour show.

"For the record, we are not performing or doing a skit tonight on S.N.L. But look hard for us in the audience! Fun night ahead! #SNL40," Bass said in a post on his Twitter account on Monday.

But even if they were not given airtime, except for Timberlake who opened the show with host Jimmy Fallon, most of the quintet like Kirkpatrick and Fatone were present at the S.N.L. Special.

Bass mugged for the camera by himself before posing with former S.N.L. cast member Cheri Oteri, the E! News said.

U.S. Weekly said Fatone, Kirkpatrick and Timberlake also hung out together at the after-party "hysterically laughing for hours" and looking "like they were having an amazing time."

A source even told E! News that an N' Sync performance had never been planned since Chase was not at the show to be with his family and sister-in-law, who just gave birth.

Meanwhile, despite a confirmation from S.N.L. that the Backstreet Boys will also be attending its 40th anniversary special, only two of its members actually showed up.

A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough, who both were part of the audience, tweeted up a storm before and after the show, confirming they were asked to come to New York City for the S.N.L. special.

At one point in the night, he and McLean even posed for a photo with former '90s rivals Kirkpatrick and Fatone.

E! News said Nick Carter was hard at work recording new music all day on Sunday.