Top of the Pops Magazine

"The route to sucess"

Have the No 1s, Brit Awards and platinum discs changed them or are a1 still the ordinary lads they started out as? TOTP hitches a ride and checks out the view from the success superhighway.

OK, let’s cut to the chase, lads: do you believe your own hype?

Christian: We’re not hyped enough, ha-ha! We have a long way to go and we’ve only just started.
Paul: I don’t believe anyone’s hype. Even with people like Michael Jackson and Prince, I believe everyone’s only as good as their last album.
Mark: After we won our Brit Award, we were talked about quite a lot and that helped us. That was the most amazing night of our lives and we’ve all got our awards proudly displayed on our mantelpieces!
Ben: We try not to read anything that’s written about us because it doesn’t do you any good.

Do you see a1 as the champions of pop?

Mark: I don’t know really – pop’s very much about fashion and who’s cool this month and who isn’t, you know? We’re now one of the biggest bands in the country and I’m really proud to be able to say that and for it to be true. It’s all going well!
Ben: People may think we’re trying to make pop more credible, but we’re just doing what we enjoy. I’d be lying if I said the aim wasn’t to sell records. It’s not like we’ve set out to do anything amazing.

Have you been hurt by the stories in the papers?

Ben: Nah, they’re funny more than anything else! There was a story about us writing tracks for Emma Bunton, which was really wrong. We’d said we had written a track we thought would Suit Emma Bunton’s voice and that was it. The next day, there was this big story in all the papers saying we’d stepped in to save Emma’s career! It was embarrassing because we’d never say anything like that and, more importantly, she doesn’t need her career saving cos she’s doing very well on her own!

Come on though, some of them must get under your skin a little bit?

Christian: It can be a bit disheartening if people slag us off when they don’t know anything about us. Noel Gallagher (who said a1’s award proved that the judges of the brits had a sense of humor) had no idea we are actually musicians, producers and songwriters. We can play songs as well as he can, but he doesn’t know that and a lot of people believed him. We didn’t slag him off as we knew the reason he said it was cos he’s just ignorant. Instead of slagging him back, we did a live set at MTV’s 5 night stand (MTV’s annual, live music special) and played don’t look back in anger. The reviews we got said it was actually as good as the original!
Mark: Our songs are like our little babies, so when someone knocks one, it’s like saying that our kid smells!

Be honest, are you happy?

Mark: Right now I’m more determined than happy, actually. We’re really focused on our new record and we have so many ambitions.
Paul: I want my place to be tidy – That would make me really happy! Seriously though, I’m quite happy. No, I’m really happy. I’m girlfriend-free, I’m disease-free and I’m happy. My mum and dad and family are happy so I’m happy.
Christian: Personally I’m happy, but I’m not satisfied with what I’ve achieved in music and in life. I’m still hungry for a lot more. It will be interesting to see how far we go as I think we can go very, very far.
Ben: On a scale of one to ten, I’d say at the moment I’m at around eight!

What’s it gonna take to bump it up to ten then, Ben?

Ben: Oh, doing well in America, a couple more no 1s over here and some more UK tours would be nice. Nothing much!

Do you still feel the pressure to look a certain way?

Ben: None at all. The only pressure I feel about the way I look comes from me cos you always wanna look nice, don’t you?
Christian: I wanna look good so people like me. It’s always nice to be liked! I didn’t know what was expected of me in the beginning, and I thought I had to do exactly what I was told! Now if I don’t like something, I’ll say so, as it’s got to be something I’m comfortable with.
Mark: Anything you see us in these days is ours, and we will have gone out and bought it. One thing’s for sure, I don’t ever follow fashion! I’m a strong believer in following your own fashion – try to lead yourself and don’t follow like sheep!

Was it like that when you started out?

Paul: I think Ben may have been pressured earlier on as he had floppy hair and he’s good-looking and cute, so he was always pushed to the front – well chosen cos the fans love him! But I don’t care. I’ve done the last few road shows wearing scruffy tat!
Mark: It’s funny because I look back at some of the outfits that we were made to wear – well, advised to wear – and I can see how they made us look cheesy! I’m not saying I have any regrets, but let’s face it, they were ridiculous! People may think we walk around at home wearing really bright t-shirts and baggy trousers, but we don’t – we’re pretty normal guys!

Thanks to Crimson who took the time to type this interview and forward the scans.

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