First time at the Pops leaves little time for chit-chat. Luckily, we got the Triple 8 boys to take our one minute challenge with knockout results!
TOTP: So, for anyone in any doubt, is 'Knockout' really about fisticuffs?
Justin: Nah. It's called 'Knockout' because it's about knocking someone out of a relationship. A bit of a statement song if you like. And we've got a nice little video to go with it and we're very proud.
TOTP: Glad we cleared that up. So are you the knockees in the relationship, or the er, knockers?
Sparx: Oh we're the knockers, definitely!
Justin: Yeah we're definitely the ones doing the knocking. As the track goes, someone has been cheating on one of us, and so we're telling her to get on her bike.
David: Yeah! And knock off, so to speak.
TOTP: Aww! Which one of you was cheated on?
Justin: Well er, it's just a common thing that happens in relationships really. It's not about one of us specifically.
Josh: No. There was a girl and she cheated on all of us. She wasn't very selective [laughs].
TOTP: OK. There's more than a few five-piece boy bands, do you see any of them as your main competitors?
Justin: [sarcasm] What...has there been other boy bands with five members in them? Get outta here!
Sparx: I thought we were the first. Someone should have told us about that.
Justin: I don't think there's any one group who we see as competition really. The way we look at it is that when we release a single, the people who are releasing that week is who we're up against.
TOTP: You said that you're taking the embarrassment out of being a boyband, whoever did you mean?
David: I just think most boybands that come out of the UK aren't bad, but they're just not great. I think if you look at bands like B2K, *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. They're great bands. Great music and great singers. I just think that noone from here has really put on a great show like that, since Take That.
TOTP:
You've been together for a while, but were any of you tempted to audition for Fame Academy or the Popstars shows?
Sparx: Actually we were thinking of going in as a group.
David: Yeah, turn up and say: "Hey. Forget the auditions. Cut it short there. Here we are."
Justin: Personally I wouldn't have gone for something like that. Because it seems like it's all determined which way it's gonna go with the music and the image and I'm not into that. I think we're all very happy to be in a band where we can be ourselves and we don't have to pretend to dress in a certain way and do things we wouldn't normally do. We're just five normal guys in a group.
TOTP: OK, how many names did you get through before you decided on Triple 8?
Justin: Loads! We came up with some rubbish names. The worst one was probably Rookies. Rest in peace, Rookites!Josh: Rookies was one of the better ones I thought. What about Midas Touch [embarrassed laughing]?
Sparx: We basically got together in a restaurant and threw out names. We ended up killing ourselves laughing 'cos we just couldn't think of a decent name. We were just known as the boys, or the band, for ages, until we settled on Triple 8.
TOTP: If you had to think up Triple 8 names for yourselves, what would they be and why?
David: Sparx has to be Daddy 8.
Justin: No Granpa 8. Josh is Tidy 8 or cautious 8.
Justin: [Laughs] I think I'm Sporty 8.
David: Yeah Justin's got a girlfriend in the Spice Girls that no one knows about.
Justin: I would have to be naughty 8, but I dunno... but maybe...
[Time's up! Get your butts onstage now!]