When you first started out, you told us you wanted to be as big as Take That. Now you're bigger than they ever were-how does that feel?
AJ Wonderful! I mean we didn't ever really expect to be the next Take That, to be at the same level as they were-it just happened that way. Without the fans' support, we'd never have made it this far. We hope it's cos of the music that they've supported us-we don't want it to be them just looking at us as a vision. We want it to be them hearing us, not just seeing us.
Nick I remember, when we first came to Europe, MTV crowned us the new Kings Of Pop in place of Take That and we just couldn't believe it 'cos to us, that band was soooo huge.
Brian At the time we just hoped to sell a couple of records and we've surpassed everything we ever imagined.
Are there any BSB stage outfits or costumes you look back on and cringe at?
AJ Actually, that's really funny because I do. Our very first performance as a group was just two weeks after we got Brian. We had to wear leather motorcycle jackets, different colored T-shirts, and leather pants and boots. Nick can't fit into his jacket at all now-the sleeves come up to, like, his elbows. It's pretty funny to look back on that and the rest of it- we think "what the hell were we doing back there?"
Kevin Oh man, I remember one time we were in......
Brian ohhhh.....those super hero outfits in England somewhere.
Kevin Yeah, we were in Plymouth wearing these ridiculous Halloween costumes that didn't fit- it was pretty embarrassing!
Brian But we still do crazy stuff now.....
Nick .....Oh yeah, we haven't gone all boring and stuffy, you know!
Howie, does everyone still call you Sweet D?
Howie Yeah, pretty much. The guys do, and I've noticed a lot of fans in America have started to call me Sweet D now, so that's leaked over. And it's kinda nice-a little embarrassing, but nice all the same.
In the old days we used to go to aftershow parties and you guys would get up and DJ, do you still do that?
Brian Yeah, that still goes on.
Kevin I guess we don't get out and do that quite as much cos our schedules are so crazy. We don't really go out as much as we used to, full stop.
Brian (in his famous Jim Carrey voice) Because we're sooooo friggin' tired. Oh no.....
AJ I guess we don't do so much in the US, because when we go out we want it to be as low key as possible. The worst thing is when you go to a club and they're like "We've got Kevin and AJ from the Backstreet Boys in the house" and we're like Damn. Then the rest of the night gets messed up cos you get press coming in and all you're trying to do is have a good time.
Do you still visit SegaWorld (the lad's fave place) when you're in England?
Nick I've been there once or twice over the last year or two. I love it and can't wait to go back when we're on tour.
Kevin We try, but of course we can't go to such touristy places as easily now.
Brian I actually went to the Trocadero last time we were in London. We still like to do the same old things we always did.
Howie, you once told us you used to buy your mum an elephant in every country you went to-do you still?
Howie I think I've bought one from most of the countries in the world, but I don't have to do it as much anymore because some of the fans found out about it and they send them to my mom instead!
AJ, you once told us you shaved your legs-is that still the case?
AJ Yes! When I have time off, I do. I shave my legs, under my arms and I used to shave my chest, but now it's getting a little much.
Doesn't it hurt, all the stubble growing back?
AJ Sometimes, that's why I don't do it so much anymore. I shave my arms once in a while, they're better naked for my tatoos. Actually it's about time to get some more.....
Haven't you got enough?
AJ (flexes his arm and laughing) Not quite, the left arms's kinda dead
Do you still see any of the groups you first met over here?
Nick Yeah, we'll bump into Peter Andre, All Saints, and the Spice Girls here and there. In America, we see recording artists like Debbie Gibson and Boyz II Men about now as well, they're really cool, they're my idols.
Howie do you still wear socks in bed?
Howie No! Ever since you wrote that that time I haven't worn socks in bed! I got scared somebody was going to take a picture of me in bed with socks on, and it's not very cool, is it?
Nick, did you ever finish the cartoon book you were drawing?
Nick No, can you believe it? How long ago did I tell you about that? Years! I am still working on it though, and I really really hope I get to finish it soon.
Brian, are you and Nick still Frick and Frack?
Brian Oh yeah, Nothing changes with me and my buddy, Frack -we're still the same crazy fools we ever were!
Kevin, you once told us you used to clean toilets. Can you see yourself doing that now?
Kevin (laughing) I still do! I still clean my own toilet! That was when I was talking about how I used to clean toilets at the summer camp that my dad ran, wasn't it? Wow, that brings back a lot of memories.....
Have you kept scrapbooks or videos of the whole bsb thing?
Brian I've got a video of it all.....
Kevin I keep a lot of stuff, or I try to. I tend to lose a lot of things, but our families are really doing that for us.
Brian They try to keep up to date on anything that follows our careers. It's easier for our families to keep up with all that now we're big in the U.S
Kevin It used to be so much harder. We'd have to send them magazines from Europe. A lot of times fans gave us scrapbooks which are lovely to keep.
Brian Hey, do you remember that time you got two scrapbooks that were like, three inches thick?
Kevin They were like 300 pages each!
Brian And I got scrapbooks too cos I was asking if I could have some of yours, and two weeks later I got sent my own. Do you remember those scrapbooks? We looked at them the last time we went back to Kentucky.
What one moment do you think you'll treasure the most in ten years time?
Kevin There's been a heck of a lot of great moments. Hopefully, it'll be when we're accepted in American music and we win a Grammy or something. I mean, we've won a lot of awards internationally and we're very thankful for that, but we want to have recognition in the US too.
Brian Performing at the American Music Awards. We were the first pop artists to be asked to do it, so to me that was a big step. We'd been dreaming about it for like eight years.
Howie I'd definitely say a lot of the European stuff. I love England- I really miss it. It's weird, I'm really glad we're making it in America but I miss the excitement of Europe cos in America....I don't know, the vibe's different. We don't have a lot of the aftershow parties that you guys do, the vibe of hanging with the other artists. In America, everybody's doing their own tours and everyone is so spread out from each other, you don't tend to mix as much.
Nick One moment's really hard to define cos we've had so many great experiences in so many great countries around the world. I've had so many amazing moments, I could go on for hours....but I won't!
AJ I treasure every moment. Just looking back at everything's that happened.....seeing how we've grown. Like, me going from a 13 year old to a 20 year old, basically the best years of my life. And spending it doing what you love and reaping the benefits of it....it's been a blessing, it really has. Now we're doing the MTV Awards, all the things you never thought would happen.
And you're all still so normal....
AJ And that's the way we want to stay.
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