Face
To Face with Westlife (December
2005)
By
SIMON ROTHSTEIN
Sun Online
SHOCK, horror,
after 13 No1 singles Westlife
have admitted they're
sick of many of their most famous songs.
In an exclusive
webchat Nicky, Shane, Kian
and Mark answered YOUR questions - giving their candid views on everything from
Take That's recent reunion to The Crazy Frog's private
parts.
Nicky revealed
that he's hoping to follow Shane by becoming a dad, Mark told how easy it was
for him to come out as gay and the lads agreed that ex-member Brian will never
rejoin them.
And, in the
biggest surprise of all, Westlife admitted that their
bosses and bickering X Factor judges Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell are actually close friends away from the TV cameras.
Hi guys, I'm a
huge fan. What are your favourite tracks on your new album Face To
Face?
Amelia,
Nicky -
It's weird when
you make an album, as your favourite song will change every time you listen to
it.
Right now Colour
My World is the one I like best, as we've not actually performed it anywhere.
And people are loving You Raise Me Up, so that's a favourite too.
Shane
- I have to agree
about You Raise Me Up - it's a song that I'm not sick of yet, which is a good
sign.
Kian
- We sing our
songs so much, it's very difficult for us not to get sick of them.
Mark
- The only songs
that we perform at every gig and still love are Flying Without Wings and World Of Our Own.
I love your new
single When You Tell Me That You Love Me featuring
Diana Ross. For the video, was she actually present or were you both recorded at
different times?
Ian Day,
Shane
- Everyone asks
that but, believe it or not, she was there.
Mark
- That video is so
heavily lit and edited it looks like she's been superimposed.
When we recorded
the song, Diana did her bits in LA and we did ours in
Shane -
People say
Diana's this mad diva - but she was very normal and chatty.
We expected her
to turn up at the end and pose for a few shots, but she actually arrived at 8.30
in the morning to watch our first rehearsals and stayed all day.
Nicky -
For our next duet
I'd love to do something with Madonna.
Shane
- A whole duets
album is also something we want to do in the future, as well as a Christmas
album.
If Brian asked to
come back would you let him?
Michelle
Nicky
- We've always
said never say never - but we wouldn't want Brian back
and Brian wouldn't want to be back.
We're a different
band without him and Face To Face is set to be our biggest album ever, without
him on it.
You have to look
at the reasons why Brian left. He was obviously severely unhappy to make such a
decision. I've never got to the real root of his problem.
So no, I don't
think Brian will ever come back.
I watched the
Take That documentary and those guys got up to some
real naughties. Is that what being in Westlife is like?
Diane,
Nicky -
What you saw in
the Take That documentary is almost identical to what
it's like being in any big boy band.
Kian
- They were a bit
madder than us though!
Nicky
- And obviously
we're all in very committed relationships whereas they weren't.
People think
it's hard being on the road but we get a lot of time
off in Westlife and because we've made good money we
can fly our loved ones over to be with us when we're touring abroad.
What do you think
of Take That getting back
together?
Sal,
Shane -
Before we were in
Westlife we used to watch Take That's videos and really look up to them. I still think Gary
Barlow is one of the best singer/songwriters in the world and they were mentors
for us.
Nicky -
We think it's
great that Take That are doing a tour but, for their
own sakes, I hope they don't record a new album.
The public love
nostalgia, but they shouldn't try and go beyond that.
Maradona was a great
footballer - but he's not going to be great today!
What do you think
of Howard saying: "We're going to give a very entertaining and energetic show. We're not going to be sat on chairs like certain groups
nowadays." Do you think he was talking about you?
Dan Tabbrett, Romford
Nicky -
I hope he wasn't
though, because there are plenty of things that could be said back towards Take That!
And as far as I
know Howard Donald has never been to a Westlife show.
What do you think
of Louis and Simon on the X Factor? Is the tension between them actually
real?
Patricia,
Mark
- They are very
good friends!
The judges
do get annoyed with each other and at one point Louis was leaving the
show, but deep down Simon and Louis and very close.
Nicky
- It's funny
because we've been mentioned on X Factor quite a lot and The Conway Sisters even
sang You Raise Me Up.
I don't think
Simon and Louis set out to do it on purpose, but it's definitely helped us.
Does it bother
you that the X Factor winner, possibly managed by Simon or Louis, will be going
up against you in the race for Christmas No1?
Lisa Hill,
Mark -
No, it doesn't
really matter because at Christmas you're up against cartoons, people made of
putty and JCBs!
So I think the X
Factor is actually quite a normal thing to be competing with.
And being
realistic, the show's winner will definitely be this year's Christmas No1.
What do you think
of
Dave
Kian
- Before the show
started everyone signed a contract saying they weren't allowed to release a song
before the winner.
I think that
makes sense, as the victor should leave the show with the best opportunity at a
music career.
X Factor is so
big that if
After your defeat
at the hands of Bob The Builder at Christmas 2000, are
you worried about The Crazy Frog beating you this year?
Carly,
Nicky -
I don't mind
getting beat by The Crazy Frog because he's got a small willy - he has his own problems!
Shane -
Losing to Bob
The Builder was quite devastating actually, because we
were aiming for an unbroken run of 10 No1 singles and he stopped that.
But we've learnt
that at Christmas, you've just got to laugh and hope for the best!
How will you be
spending this Christmas? Will you each be with your own families or will there
be a Westlife get together?
Sarah Jane Chubb,
Mark
- We will be with
our families - we've never had a big Westlife
Christmas.
Shane
- We see so much
of each other, that is the one day of the year we
definitely spend with our loved ones.
Nicky -
Don't tell Louis
though - he'll want us to have a meeting on Christmas Day!
Shane, how are
you finding being a dad to Nicole?
Danielle, Stoke
On Trent
Shane - It's been
amazing and Nicole is beautiful.
Except for two 10
day trips to
Nicole has
started giggling and laughing. Last night I was tickling her and she couldn't
stop laughing for about 10 minutes. It was brilliant.
I don't play
Westlife to her, but I do sing Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely. She loves that song - I've
even made it my ringtone.
Nicky, when are
you and
Amy,
Nicky
- I'm not sure,
but seeing how happy Shane is definitely makes me want
to be a dad.
When Brian had
Molly I felt that we were too young to really appreciate what having a child was
like.
I thought Molly
was the cutest thing in the world, but it was always nice to give her back.
But with Nicole,
we're three or four years older and I'm married, which has made me very broody!
Hi Mark - You
must be happy with the overwhelming support you've received since coming out as
gay? Was it hard decision to make?
Kate,
Mark
- It's not
something that I found difficult at all.
When you get to
the point of feeling OK about doing it, it's just a case of finding a few
minutes to actually say the words.
Getting to that
place was hard, but once I got there I had absolutely no problem.
And once you come
out, it makes your life a lot better and easier.
Shane
- I think we all
knew Mark was gay, but it was up to him to tell us himself.
We travel so much
together that we're like family. I know more about the boys individually and
personally than I do my own brothers.
Mark -
And I never
bluffed them or said: "I was out with this girl last night."
By the time I
said it I was just confirming what they already knew.
Being gay myself,
I can totally relate to Mark's decision to come out. I'd like to ask Mark if
there are marriage bells in the distance now the Civil Partnerships Act has been
introduced? If not, I'm a nice Scottish lad and
available!
Brian,
Mark
- I have no plans
to get married but I think the Act is fantastic.
I don't see any
reason why people in same-sex relationships can't celebrate and make a statement
of their love.
I don't know the
full details of the new law, but I do know it's better in terms of things like
inheritance - and again there's no reason why a gay couple shouldn't have
exactly the same rights as a straight couple.
And it's nice to
know that if I ever do get to the point of wanting to get married then I can do
it in this country.
Can you ever
envisage the day when Westlife split up or will you
keep going until you take Elvis's record of 21 No1
singles?
Becky,
Shane
- We'd like to
have the most No1s, but I don't think we'll ever beat Elvis.
Mark
- And we're very
happy with our 13 No1s so far, which is better than Take That and Boyzone.
Kian
- You've got to
take things year by year, especially being the type of band we are.
We'd love to go
on for as long as possible and we will, as long as people are still enjoying
what we're doing and we're still enjoying
it.
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