THEY CAME FROM NOWHERE TO TAKE THE POP WORLD BY A STORM AND STEAL THE HEARTS OF EVERYONE. GIRLFRIEND'S DONNA ARMSTRONG FULFILLS A DREAM AND MEETS HANSON
Sweaty palms, butterflies in my tummy and no hope of getting a wink of sleep. What to wear? How to walk, talk, think? You see, those beautiful bubs from Hanson---Isaac, Taylor, and Zachary---are coming to Australia. And I get to meet them!! It's all in the name of duty, of course. I'm going to interview them for Girlfriend just so that you guys get to find out what the threesome are really like!
My first encounter with the brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma, is at Sydney's Sega World. There are hundreds of screaming fans all around me, all going wild as the door opens and the three gorgeous boys waltz in, looking casual, and super calm and confident.
At a zillion miles an hour, Zachary is first through the door. Energetic and excited, his high-pitched laugh fills the entire room. Then Taylor strolls in wearing gorge baby blues cords, a green V-neck long -sleeved T-shirt, cherry Docs and a beaded necklace. His composed and comfortable nature are obvious. What a babe!
Ike, the eldest, is last in the room. He seems to have a sense of manly maturity but has the same happy glow as his younger, equally famous siblings. And why wouldn't he? The treesome has made a small fortune out of their chart-busting hit "MMMBop" and have thousands of fans all over the world. Ike is healthy and tanned, his hair darker than I expected.
This hot trio love their food and march straight to an esky full of nibblies, apples and cold Coca-Cola. I don't think I've ever met such polite boys."Hi, I'm Tay," coos an adorable accent (wahoo! He's telling me his nickname!). I've already decided Taylor is the cutest Hanson.
The other boys introduce themselves and shake my hand. They're so sweet it makes me wonder why I was nervous about meeting them.
Making themselves at home on the lounge, in order of age, height, and hair color, we start chatting. The guys are excited about being down under in OZ.
"We've always looked forward to coming to Australia and.....walking on our hands," leads Ike.
"You know, get the experience of being upside down," shrieks Zac. The interview goes smoothly. Tay is such a chatterbox. He loves to talk about anything with animated hand actions and smart, wise, confident answers. His personality is calming, charming and natural! His eyes are dreamy and his voice makes me melt. OK, I admit it! I'm in love with a 14-year old.
Zac enjoys the sound of his own voice and rocks back and forth on the lounge when he's excited, keeping the rest of us in fits of laughter. He peaks at the mention of The Simpsons or marriage. I'll never forget his adorable, piercing, giggle (No wonder his nickname is Animal).
And Ike is the lovable big brother. Home schooling since the third grade has given the Hanson Brothers quality time to hang out and "be mates". Without sounding soppy, it's obvious they're the best of friends. My interview is drawing to a close and the boys are being so cute and don't want me to leave."Will you be on the boat?" asks Tay.
Definitely! The Hanson's record company has organised a cruise around Sydney Harbor for the following day and I've been lucky enough to score an invite. I promise the boys some copies of Girlfriend and we all shake hands. After sweet farewells and a happy, "see you tomorrow" from Zac, I'm sure to sleep better tonight!
THE SECOND DATE
It's 1:30 on Friday arvo and I'm at the wharf, rady to meet the boat. Thirty-five teenage girls are crying hysterically at the end of the whaf. Nobody's drowning, they're just waiting for Hanson. Some of the girls will be on the boat after winning VIP passes in a radio competition. Others are not so lucky.
The boat arrives decorated in balloons and streamers. The boys step outside, eager to talk to their fans, despite the defeaning screams.
We'll see you guys inside," yells Tay, pointing to the lower deck.
Television crews are on board and there are other journalists waiting to interview the famous trio. Finally (somewhere under the Harbour Bridge), I'm invited to a secret part of the ferry where I get to see Hanson perform live. The boys run onto the stage with huge smiles for the crazy fans on the dance floor. Ike is the first to talk.
"Okay guys, we're going to have to ask that you don't scream while the show is going on. You can scream after the song and before the song, but not while the song is going on. You guys are very, very, very loud!"
Th crowd goes wild (nice try, Ike).
Taylor is on tambourine, Ike on guitar and little Zachary is armed with shakers and a loud speaker. "We're going to do a song called 'Madeline'," says Tay, leading his bros into the liveliest piece of pop I have ever heard.
"Man From Milwaukee" (a song orginally inspired by Zac) is next, featuring the boy himself doing an unforgettable solo.
"You guys know you're totally insane, right?" asks Ike.
"That's a good thing, though," assures Tay as the audience applauds.
"This is our last song and it's the song you're all going to know best. I know you guys know the words. Come on!" yells Tay, tapping his tambourine and encouraging us to sing along.
The boys break into perfect harmony with the song that's make them a household name---"MMMBop".
They finish, among chaos and cheer, and Tay Zac and Ike thank everybody involved. Adding to the mayhem, Zac yells, "See this guy right here? He's gonna take a photo." The boys pose with their fanatical fans before breaking into one last choruse of "MMMBop"
THE LAST GOODBYE
The most energetic and wild live show I've ever seen is over. It's choccy crackles and toffee apples all round and everyone's trying to get upstairs with Hanson.There are banners stopping the fans getting through but I trot past bouncers and up stairs to where the Hanson clan are hiding. Zac appears first.
"Hey," he screams (phew, he recognises me! Stay calm).
"You remembered," he yells, pointing at the copies of Girlfriend in my hand. Along come Ike and Tay and it's like old times!
"We're glad you could make it. Whaddya think?" asks Tay. He cheeks are still red from the performance and the boys talk over the top of each others excitement.
"That was really cool, those girls are crazy. Now we just have to teach them how to harmonise," says Tay.
The boy's mom, Diana, strolls past in hot pink pants. She has the longest blondest hair I've ever seen (way past her bum) and Ike introduces us.
"This is our mom and that's Jessie, Avery, and Mack," he says proudly, pointing to his adorable little brother and sisters. From the bulge in their mom's tummy, it's obvious there's another Hanson on the way.
Suddenly I'm passing a stuffed kangaroo (a present from a fan) and being introduce to their dad, Walker. I'm feeling like part of the family and I just can't believe it's happening to me!
The boys are back onstage. They agree, on Taylor's suggestion, to turn around and scream when they finish,"Thanks, we love you" to the girls.
The fans couldn't be happier. The boys bid me farewell with handshakes. "We hope you enjoyed it," says Tay flashing his gorgeous smile. Ike and Zac say goodbye. "Thanks for coming,"says Ike.
No guys, thank YOU....
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