Boyband write biography of their ten years as top of the pop pin-ups.

Westlife are planning a tell-all biography of their years at the top of the charts, the Irish Sun can reveal.

And the four lads have just signed a six-figure book deal to write the “warts-and-all” look at their lives as Ireland’s most successful pop act.

The boys spoke exclusively to the Irish Sun as they kicked off their sell-out European tour with a show at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena last night.

A delighted Nicky Byrne said: “We are just about to sign off on a deal to do a book. It is a tell-all autobiography - all our stories over the past ten years.

“It will be a warts and all book - there isn’t really all that sleaze or behind-the-scenes rowing that we have to write about.

“But it is an honest review of everything we have done over the past decade, all the highs and lows.

“The highs are No1s all over the world, playing sell-out tours, getting married and meeting the Popes.

“As for the lows, some of us have lost grandparents in the band and Brian leaving.

“It is the real Westlife and I think our fans have been loyal enough to deserve a truthful account of our lives.”

Shane Filan hopes the book will give a different view of the guys.

Funny

He said: “There are a lot of stories that we haven’t actually told before and I think it is going to be a very funny book.

“A lot of people think that we are four boring lads with seats stuck to our arses. Our real fans know this isn’t true. But I think the average punter who isn’t into us has a different view.

“They know the faces but just think that we are just another boy-band.”

The crooners also laughed off claims from Sinead O’Connor that they can’t sing live.

The bald one created a stir before the recent Meteor Awards by saying Boyzone and Westlife wouldn’t sing live on the night.

Sinead said: “Myself and the Republic Of Loose will be performing live at the Meteor Awards - unlike Westlife and Boyzone who’ll mime. All our vocals will be 100 per cent live.

But after last night’s exhilarating live show, Mark Feehily hit back.

He said: “I have always respected Sinead through the years as someone who speaks her mind. Yet lately she always seems to be slagging someone off.

“These days you just associate the name Sinead O’Connor with negative comments. She is always complaining or giving out. Maybe she just needs to take a really long holiday and get a suntan or something.

Luck

“Best of luck to her. If that is what she wants to be remembered for, then I hope she has a very happy successful life.”

Westlife are on the verge of bagging a staggering 15th No1 hit.

And Nicky believes their next release could go straight to the top. He said: “We all agreed the single Us Against The World was going to be one of the standout songs of the album.

“We are delighted to finally have it released now.

“The problem we have had with this album is that even though 90 per cent of it was original, we launched it with a cover.

“When we go on to the general public about our great original pop album, they see a Michael Buble cover. It didn’t do bad for us but it was just predictable Westlife. We were never predictable in the past with the likes of Flying Without Wings and that - so we just want great songs now.

“This album is a stepping stone for where we want to be after our break.”

Kian Egan has made a personal guarantee to Westlife fans: “Things will only get better.”

He said: “We don’t have a release date when we come back.

“We’re just going to sit down and make a record - and hopefully it will be what we want.

“When you do nine albums in nine years, the quality of the songs will slip.

“If we continued to come back with the same approach we would run out of steam. In the past we wanted to release something no matter what. Not any more. We need the right people out searching for incredible songs - no matter how long it takes.

“When we have 12 or 13 great songs we can then go on and make an amazing album.

Love

“Our record company will think of a themed album if we don’t have an amazing song like The Love Album.

“And because they always do well, they are happy with that. But for us it felt like we were running ourselves into the ground and becoming a sort of covers band.

“We never wanted that image and it’s not what we are. Westlife do need a bit of a break-away from the music business and it has come at the right time for us.”

Mark added: “It was becoming more difficult to be proud of what we were doing with the types of album we were making.

“The record company are happy as long as we are selling records. But to us it matters a great deal.

“We want to give our fans quality and that is another reason why we want to take time and go back to basics.

“I think when Home went to No.3 in the charts the record company finally realised that you don’t automatically get a No1 when Westlife release a song.

“And that could end up being the best thing to come from that track.”

Shane thinks it is up to the record company to find the best original material for the band.

And he warned that fans won’t put up with another cover album.

He said: “Home was a nice version but we don’t want to do that any more. We didn’t get famous for singing covers.

“And over the past few years we have done a lot of them - purely because there wasn’t a lot of great original music out there.

“Maybe the record company weren’t looking hard enough.

“This time around those songs will have to be found because we want to make a fantastic album.”

WESTLIFE’s new single Us Against The World hits the shelves this Saturday.

e.murphy@the-sun.ie

Credit/Source: Irish Sun / Thanx Lucy for the scan

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