The Backstreet Boys talk Hanson, 'N Sync and trashing hotel rooms
in their most revealing interview ever!
Have you ever trashed a hotel room?
A.J: Well, I broke a lamp in one hotel. I was really mad one night
and just punched it. I've also
thrown fruit at cars to see if it hits them. You get bored in
hotels and want to run riot for a while.
Why do you think it took so long for you to break into the US
market?
Howie: It's a matter of timing. It depends what type of music
is big at a particular time. Our first
single We've Got It Goin' On did well in the charts and in the
clubs, but rap was the big thing at the
time. Now, with the Spice Girls and Hanson around, pop is making
a comeback in America.
Do you see Hanson as a treat?
Howie: People have said that they are a treat to us, but I think
they're very different. They're more
rock. We were going to tour with them, but our manager said no.
It wouldn't have worked.
Are you good friends with 'N Sync?
Howie: I went to college with Chris. He's the oldest one. The
Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync are
more like partners than competitors though. It's friendly competition.
It's good to have someone to
compete against. It makes us work that bit harder.
A.J: I'm friends with Justin. He lives close to me and we used
to play basketball in high school.
What has been your biggest sacrifice?
Howie: Being away from home and our families. I miss my mom's
home cooking so much!
A.J: I miss spending time with friends and family. There was a
time when we were still going
home every once in a while, but now it looks like it's going to
be a long time before we see them.
It's worth it in the end though. We'll make any sacrifice we have
to. We could be gone tomorrow,
so right now is what counts.
Kevin: We eat, live and breathe Backstreet Boys.
Nick: The hardest thing for me is that I never got to go to high
school, and that makes me sad. The
rest of the guys are always talking about it and it makes me realise
I have missed something very
important. I have missed out on the social life, playing in a
team, dating girls. Although I missed
out on school, I plan to go to college. I want to try out for
the college basketball team!
Were you the popular one in school?
Nick: No, not at all. The guys never liked me because I was different
. I was away with the band
all the time. I never got any of the pretty girls either. I'm
really shy around girls. If I like a girl, I
usually try to ignore her a bit. My stomach gets all tingly and
I don't dare try to get near her.
What is the girl of your dreams like?
Nick: I have a good idea of what I'm looking for. I picture her
being very pretty with long dark
hair. Maybe a little bit shorter than me. I value inner qualities
a lot more than beauty. I want a girl
who loves me for who I am, not for my success.
Nick gets most of the attention, do the rest of the boys get jealous?
A.J: No, not at all. Not even in the studio. We let the producers
decide who's best for a certain
song. We don't complain at all.
Does touring tire you out?
Kevin: Yeah, but that's the price you pay to be in this business.
At least it means we're
successful. People want us, although we can't be everywhere at
the same time. When we're on tour
we give everything we can, physically and emotionally. After a
show we just feel dead.
Howie: We try to get together for dinner before each show. After
that we get dressed, warm up.
Then do a group prayer to focus on the show. We thank God for
giving us another day.
A.J: If I get a day off I just sleep like a dog. You won't see
me all day.
How do you keep in contact with your family and friends while
you're miles away on tour?
A.J: We have a huge phone bill! I'm going to fly my mom and brother
over for the next tour.
Family and friends help keep you grounded and it's great to experience
the world with them. I write
diaries and take lots of photos when I'm travelling, otherwise
I wouldn't remember the places I'd
been to.
Do you have any time left for your own personal life?
Howie: The only time we have to ourselves on tour is on the bus.
After shows, we sometimes
sneak off to a club though.
Nick: We had mopeds given to us the other day so we had fun driving
around for a few hours.
Brian: We stay healthy when we're busy. It sounds odd, but when
we have time off, it seems like
our immune systems fail and we get sick. Our friends will call
us and say, "You have a week off,
that's great!" But I'll have gone down with pneumonia!
Do you ever surf the Internet looking for things about the Backstreet
Boys?
Nick: I'm always on the computer when I'm back home. I do use
the Internet and check for stuff.
Some of it it good and some is not. 70% of it isn't true. There's
a lot of gossip. We have our
official site which is all true. It's amazing how much time our
fans spend on that!(you have NO idea
Nick!)
Now you are huge stars, do you have people coming out of the woodwork
claiming to be your best friends?
A.J: Oh yeah! It's happened many times. I once had a call from
an Aunt Edna and I suddenly
realised mid conversation that I on't have an Aunt Edna!
Kevin: Now that we're getting big in the US, it's going to be
even worse. Our real friends are
really excited about our success. They've kept up to date with
the action in Europe, and I'm proud
that my teachers, my football coach and people like that can see
what I'm doing with my life.
What are the plus points of being in the Backstreet Boys?
Kevin: It's cool to walk into a restaurant where there are no
free tables and just mention that you're
in the Backstreet Boys and get a table. We've also been to professional
football games and
basketball games and got the chance to sing the American national
anthem to the crowd. That was a
lot of fun.
Did you ever dream that the Backstreet Boys would be this huge?
Kevin: We hoped we would get to hear our song on the radio. The
rest is just a bonus. We never
dared to dream that it would end up like this. I must admit that
it's a lot more time consuming than
I'd imagined.
What's you favourite song from the new album?
Howie: My favourite is one which is written by Full Force called
All I Have To Give. We all take turns singing on that.
Brian: I'm not being biased, but my favourite is a song I wrote.
It's called That's What She Said.
It's a sad love song which has acoustic guitars on it.
Nick: I like the single Backstreet's Back. It's a great, fast,
up tempo song. I think it's going to be our best dance song ever!!
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