Five on ’90s fame, counselling, and finally reuniting: ‘We were scared stiff’ | Ents & Arts News

From the beginning, the intention was clear. “Five bad boys with the power to make you rock,” comes the screaming introduction in their first video, all hoods and hair gel, the tape mates swinging through a dull, stanza -sheltered corridor who suggested they could violate – or at least a health and safety line or two.

Signed by a little celebrity at the time Simon Cowell Creating ‘chaos’ was five (or 5ive) the antidote to the squeaky clean boys’ tires of the era. The image was tough egos, not hearts, on sleeves.

Jason “J” Brown, ABZ Love, Scott Robinson, Ritchie Neville and Sean Conlon Bars in 1997 in the maps and to against Girls ‘Walls with Slam Dunk (DA Funk), and continue with hits, including everyone, as you sit down and stop on Movin’. They had 11 top 10 singles in total, including three numbers, filled arena, and even had their own dolls (that’s when you really know you made it).

Behind the scenes, as we know now, was the case for so many young pop stars, things were not always as carefree as it appeared. The inevitable split comes after just four years, and a complete reunion always seemed unlikely. A few comebacks involved different members, but never J.

“I hated the industry,” he said during his appearance on I’m a celebrity … get me from here! in 2007. “I ran away from everything.”

Earlier this year, however, the announcement was made: five – all five! . made a comeback. A month later, after a few weeks to process the reaction (the initial arena tour dates have more than doubled due to question), I meet them at their publisher’s offices in London. A constant stream of easy ribbons must be mildly interrupted to get the interview going.

Now in the 1940s, the tire mates are aware that in most of their songs, the internet sang to sing- and stand off- in most of their songs. “We were aware of that at the time,” half-groans Ritchie. “We count a lot too,” J. “we are an educational orchestra.”

They are pleased to be back in each other’s business. In the day there was twitter, but never a serious fallout, they say. Five tear because they were tired of the industry, not each other.

“We broke up out of love,” Ritchie says. “Sean had a bad time, he was 15 when he joined the band, and it’s a high pressure, high-voltage situation. We are thrown in the deep end and it is sinking or swimming. It was almost five years of 18 hours days. We were worn. ‘

When the video for the penultimate single of the group, Let’s Dance, was released, with a life-size cardboard cutout of Sean in place of the right thing, it is alleged that he became ill. In fact, the pressure of the band and fame has become too much. Scott also suffered, desperate for a break and spending time with his girlfriend, Kerry, (the couple was married shortly after five’s split). When they called it a day, they were all worn.

‘There was no talk about our band’

“We finally made the call that no matter how much number you have, it’s not worth it,” Ritchie continues.

‘Our band didn’t really talk, “Sean says,” because of the ‘bad boy’ image. ‘ There was a stigma, he says, and some pressure ‘to be a boy’. They were five young men who had the opportunity to have a lifetime, so some ladies were an equal behavior for the course. But that was not the whole truth. “We’re really five big softies.”

It was Scott who picked up the phone first. “I haven’t seen J or ABZ for a long time. I kept hanging over their names. ‘ ABZ first. “Was it” I’m at the top – A, B? “He laughs. Scott assures him that it was an intentional switch. “That means a lot, man.” An airbnb was discussed and that was it – the first time in almost 25 years, all five were in the same room.

Initially, they did not reunite as five, simply as friends. But the Word came out, the offer came in.

“We didn’t sleep,” Sean says, remembering the night before the launch. “We were tightly scared … Penitant.” Given their enormous asterisk in the day – and after successful nostalgia -filled reunions by the contemporaries of the 90s -00, such as Steps and S Club 7 – did they surely realize that the comeback would be something of a cultural moment?

Ritchie doesn’t say. “We’re just normal dudes who did something that got bigger than I thought.” There was fear of ‘ending’ with egg on our face ‘, adding J. “We leave it as this big thing and it could just have gone ‘pfff’.

Scott stayed in a hotel the night before the announcement and called Kerry. “What if no one cares?”

Just a few months earlier, millions looked at Ritchie, Sean and Scott who participated in the Docuseries Boybands Forever, who withdrew the curtain on the darker side of the fame. Their honesty of the mental health struggle they all faced during their time in five has undoubtedly contributed to the basis of support around the comeback.

“I suppose it’s a massive part of the healing process,” says Scott. “When I started talking to the boys again, it was like I’m no longer sad. Because all of the things are a distant memory … I went from a little broken to complete again. ‘

They would like to emphasize that they had very good times. “So many highlights,” Ritchie says. “We played rock in Rio. How many people were it? ‘ ’16 billion, ‘exaggerates one of its tire mates. “We opened the British with Queen, Times Square, we went platinum in the United States …”

“I won two Haircut awards,” Scott says, adding with a ridiculous false modesty: “I don’t like talking about it.”

While they enjoyed so much of it, it came to the point where they all desperately searched for normality and a rest. Now they say that “big” is important to talk about the low points and how the industry can learn from its mistakes.

‘Nobody’s life is that Well ‘

“I think the marketing of our era bands was really based on ‘everything is positive, there are no problems’,” says Sean. “I don’t really think that’s good for anyone.”

‘Nobody’s life is that Okay, “add Ritchie. At the time, mental health was not part of the conversation – especially for five” bad boys “.” Now, fortunately, there is a lot of talk, “says Scott.” I think it’s so, so important. “

“It takes a lot of pressure from you,” says J. “When we did – and we were kids doing it – and we are in this position to be almost on a pedestal. You go through some difficult times and you just want people to know … [but] If you try to express it to someone else outside of this collective, it is like [the response is]”You have the world at your feet, you are at this age, of course you have millions in the bank ‘…”

“And it makes you feel a million times worse,” Ritchie adds. “I can remember having this conversation with one of my best friends. They were like ‘what should you be about? “It actually broke me. ‘

Things are different now, Ritchie continues. When he joined the orchestra, he was 17 and “don’t know what was too much”. But signed artists now have access to counseling and support, he says.

“We’ve already done it and it’s absolutely surprising to talk to someone and go, that’s what I feel,” says Scott. “We didn’t have it. We didn’t blame anyone for that. It was a great time in the 90s where we all learned at the same time … We are older, they are older. We are more experienced and so too. ‘

ABZ chips in: “If you are so wrapped, you are not sure what is left and what is right. Having the break, as wild and as long as it was, whatever happened in that period, to actually be all here. We are very grateful.”

“We didn’t realize that we are cool”

There is also no such snobbery around pop music.

“We didn’t realize that we were a very cute band,” says Scott. “We didn’t realize how good our songs were, and it didn’t blow our own trumpet.” After the split, they tried to run away from the music, he added.

J and Ritchie, who “hang out” in later years, would inevitably be asked about it if they were together. They hated it. “We apologized a lot,” Ritchie says. “Oh yeah, we’re coming from that garbage tape.” He pretends to win. “Sorry.”

“It’s a ridiculous thing, a very adolescent mindset, the whole ‘I sell’,” says J. “unfortunately I had a long time.” With enough time he now appreciated the five rear catalog. “When I hear it, I can hear it fresh. And I’m like, It is Why people dug it. ‘

The pop transport tape was a fault in the industry, Sean says, and artists paid the price. “They looked at our music and bands like us, and they thought, okay, it doesn’t really have a lot of depth about it, it doesn’t really move people in the way they can do a tour 25 years later. We will make them work all day and all night, maximizing it profitably. ‘

But here they are 25 years later. “Our music – and not just our orchestra, the whole 90 -era – meant so much to so many people. We see it now.”

Right now, there are no plans for new songs. “I think fans want to hear the old music,” says Scott. “They want to remember a simpler time when they didn’t have a mortgage to pay. They want the nostalgia. ‘ However, maybe he can add in the line later.

Given all they went through, the highs and lows, what would their advice be … “Don’t do it!” ABZ interrupts, laughs, before I have the chance to complete the question of the boys’ tires in their footsteps.

Get the ‘real people’ behind you, says Ritchie, seriously. “Sleep in the breaks,” Scott adds.

But would they recommend it? Especially given some of them are now fathers. “I would do it all again, but otherwise,” says Abz. To which Sean quickly reminds him that he is doing exactly that.

They are all. Five not -so bad boys – but it seems, with the power to make you rock.