Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Backstreet Boys returning to Fresno
By Mike Osegueda, The Fresno Bee, Calif.
June 29--If you ask the Backstreet Boys' A.J. McLean, he and his all-grown-up boy band aren't that different from current pop prince Justin Bieber and those heartthrob Jonas Brothers.
"Pop music to me, and to all of us, goes in cycles," says McLean, 32, whose group stops at Save Mart Center on July 1.
"It goes in one giant circle. If you go back 15 years, when things really kinda hit for us, it was really the big grunge and hip-hop scene."
Then their debut album struck gold, casting a spell over teen girls around the world with songs like "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" and "As Long As You Love Me."
Soon, they were selling 14 million albums and leading the biggest pop music trend since the days of New Kids on the Block.
Next came 'N Sync, Britney Spears and many others whose names are only footnotes in the boy-band history books. (O-Town, you out there anywhere?)
"That opened this huge floodgate of pop music," McLean says. "That's happening all over again. It seems to happen every 10 years. Pop has changed where it's [artists like] Chris Brown and Rihanna, and that's still pop. It's definitely huge right now and it's opening up floodgates again."
The pre-teen girls these days are shrieking over Bieber and the Jo Bros, but the hype also leads to a renewal of interest in the teen icons of the previous generation.
New Kids on the Block, for instance, have enjoyed a revival in the past couple years. Like Backstreet Boys, they played a Save Mart Center date last summer.
In fact, the two groups recently teamed up for a concert in New York City, which got people talking about the possibility of the two teaming up for a tour.
McLean is a tease, saying only, "there's been talk about all kind of things."
But if you watch the video online of the two groups performing together, you'd know that boy-band hysteria is still alive and well -- just aged.
"Honestly, I think it needed to happen," McLean says about the boy resurgence of the past few years. "Music on the radio is all over the place. There's no consistency. There's a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Things are going a little too left field. There's no more good melody, There's no more good lyrics. It's all the same beat, it's all the same producer."
Some might scoff at the idea of a boy-band member condemning bad music, but McLean is nothing if not passionate about pop music.
"Bring back the actual pop music," he says. "Songs that you can actually sing along to, and dance to, and songs that become memorable. That's something we pride ourselves on -- songs that are timeless."
But he's not just living in the past, re-treading those same songs that made them famous years ago. Backstreet Boys' most recent album, "This Is Us," released in September, was pretty well received.
Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Considering these guys' combined age, the result is surprisingly unembarrassing."
And McLean has a bold statement of his own: "Any song, in my opinion, is equally comparable to anything that Bieber's got. You can dance along with them. They get stuck in your head."
[californiachronicle]
June 29--If you ask the Backstreet Boys' A.J. McLean, he and his all-grown-up boy band aren't that different from current pop prince Justin Bieber and those heartthrob Jonas Brothers.
"Pop music to me, and to all of us, goes in cycles," says McLean, 32, whose group stops at Save Mart Center on July 1.
"It goes in one giant circle. If you go back 15 years, when things really kinda hit for us, it was really the big grunge and hip-hop scene."
Then their debut album struck gold, casting a spell over teen girls around the world with songs like "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" and "As Long As You Love Me."
Soon, they were selling 14 million albums and leading the biggest pop music trend since the days of New Kids on the Block.
Next came 'N Sync, Britney Spears and many others whose names are only footnotes in the boy-band history books. (O-Town, you out there anywhere?)
"That opened this huge floodgate of pop music," McLean says. "That's happening all over again. It seems to happen every 10 years. Pop has changed where it's [artists like] Chris Brown and Rihanna, and that's still pop. It's definitely huge right now and it's opening up floodgates again."
The pre-teen girls these days are shrieking over Bieber and the Jo Bros, but the hype also leads to a renewal of interest in the teen icons of the previous generation.
New Kids on the Block, for instance, have enjoyed a revival in the past couple years. Like Backstreet Boys, they played a Save Mart Center date last summer.
In fact, the two groups recently teamed up for a concert in New York City, which got people talking about the possibility of the two teaming up for a tour.
McLean is a tease, saying only, "there's been talk about all kind of things."
But if you watch the video online of the two groups performing together, you'd know that boy-band hysteria is still alive and well -- just aged.
"Honestly, I think it needed to happen," McLean says about the boy resurgence of the past few years. "Music on the radio is all over the place. There's no consistency. There's a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Things are going a little too left field. There's no more good melody, There's no more good lyrics. It's all the same beat, it's all the same producer."
Some might scoff at the idea of a boy-band member condemning bad music, but McLean is nothing if not passionate about pop music.
"Bring back the actual pop music," he says. "Songs that you can actually sing along to, and dance to, and songs that become memorable. That's something we pride ourselves on -- songs that are timeless."
But he's not just living in the past, re-treading those same songs that made them famous years ago. Backstreet Boys' most recent album, "This Is Us," released in September, was pretty well received.
Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Considering these guys' combined age, the result is surprisingly unembarrassing."
And McLean has a bold statement of his own: "Any song, in my opinion, is equally comparable to anything that Bieber's got. You can dance along with them. They get stuck in your head."
[californiachronicle]
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
AJ McLean InRock Magazine Photos
Some Photos of the InRock Magazine from May when AJ did the solo interview
[thanks for the info misha_bsb@Twitter; link via bsb5@Twitter]
[thanks for the info misha_bsb@Twitter; link via bsb5@Twitter]
Monday, June 28, 2010
"NMD TV"- WEBISODE #2 - BACKSTREET BACK! & BETTER THEN EVER!
NMD posted a new webisode on their YT channel. You can also see AJ & Rochelle in it.
Welcome to the teen pop group "No More Drama's" new Web TV Show called "NMD TV"
In this webisode # 2 -"BACKSTREETS BACK & BETTER THEN EVER!" The girls of "No More Drama" are personally invited to a Backstreet Boys concert as special VIP guests of their friend and manager Howie Dorough. While there they had the most incredible night hanging back stage with all the celebrity's and getting to watch their manager and his Boys perform all their greatest hits and some slamming new ones too!
Welcome to the teen pop group "No More Drama's" new Web TV Show called "NMD TV"
In this webisode # 2 -"BACKSTREETS BACK & BETTER THEN EVER!" The girls of "No More Drama" are personally invited to a Backstreet Boys concert as special VIP guests of their friend and manager Howie Dorough. While there they had the most incredible night hanging back stage with all the celebrity's and getting to watch their manager and his Boys perform all their greatest hits and some slamming new ones too!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
For Next 17 Years, Call Backstreet Boys A 'Man Band'
For all you doubters: Backstreet's back, alright? Next week the Boys are heading west to perform at San Francisco Pride and the Warfield Theater. If you asked the guys, though, they'd tell you they were "Never Gone" and "Unbreakable." (Yes, we're reading straight from some of their recent album titles, which do seem to have a running theme.) You've got to hand it to them, though -- 17 years later, and about a decade since the boy-band thing started to dissipate, the Backstreet Boys are the only example of that cultural phenomenon still on tour.
Those years have seen many changes, however. The group just left its label, Jive Records -- a split that member A.J. McLean told us will open new doors for the Backstreet Boys. Now, the four members can be "who they are" -- part of which means emulating long-lasting bands like The Rolling Stones and The Eagles -- and hone a sound for "the next 17 years." Soon the group will be hitting the high seas on a Backstreet Boys cruise, with fans who are now older, saucier, and way more intoxicated. Where do we sign up?
Hey, A.J. How are you today?
A.J. McLean: I just had some unfortunate news about my oldest dog. He got diagnosed with thyroid cancer. It's been a bit of an emotional roller coaster.
I'm so sorry. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me.
AM: Absolutely.
How is the tour going?
AM: The show's been sold out. The fans have been really excited. We're just looking forward to coming down to San Fran.
What do you think it will be like playing at Pride?
AM: I have a lot of gay and lesbian friends who are stoked that we're doing this. I want to get heavily involved with the gay and lesbian movement. One of my dear friends just started the very first gay and lesbian yellow pages for Los Angeles, so I'm gonna try to get on board and try to ixnay Prop 8...just try to make everybody equal.
Why did Backstreet Boys split with Jive Records last month after more than a decade?
AM: It was time for us. It was a parting on good terms. It's now giving us the freedom to be the artists that we are. Fortunately, record companies are becoming more obsolete, [which is] giving the artist a lot more freedom to be creative without having people dictate what songs to do. We've all met so many talented writers over the past 17 years that we can easily pick up the phone, call T-Pain and say, "Hey, we're going back into the studio in September. Let's make a new record."
You didn't have that luxury before?
AM: We did, and then we didn't. There was a bit of a dictatorship going on, which is the case with most record companies. They kind of run the ship. But towards the end, before we parted ways, we were getting a lot more hands-on with our music. We still have one more record that's part of the contract, but that's just going to be released in Japan under the Jive label, and then we start making a new BSB record this coming fall, which will either be on a new label or will be straight distribution. We haven't decided.
Can people expect a different sound on the new album?
AM: A little bit. This next record is going to be where we're headed for the next 17 years. We definitely emulate groups like The Eagles and The Stones, and having that longevity and that staying power. We've definitely proven that we can do it, but now it's time for us to just be who the Backstreet Boys are gonna be.
What do you think caused the disappearance of boy bands?
AM: There was this huge pop explosion in the late 90s, early 2000, and it was overwhelming for everyone. There was us, there was *NSYNC, 98 Degrees, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera. It went on as long as it could and then some of the groups just didn't want to do it anymore. Some of them didn't have the success that they used to, so they just gave up. And then there were groups like *NSYNC who had members leave who did equally as well if not better on their own. I think [Justin Timberlake] is much better on his own. I think he was really good as part of a group, but I think certain people in groups just stick out more than others. We have always said we would never hold each other back. I just released my very first solo record in all of Asia and it's about to hit the States, Europe and Canada at the end of the year.
Whose idea was the upcoming Backstreet Boys Cruise?
AM: It was a collective idea. We've been talking about it for years now, because we've heard other artists have done it, like New Kids on the Block. It's something cool for us to do with our fans. Whether it's having a pool party or a gambling night...we're doing a full concert with our dancers. We might do some weird things. I heard some rumors that New Kids went as a group and knocked on fans' doors to say hi and hang out.
It doesn't seem like you guys would have been able to just go and knock on fans' doors a few years ago with the hysteria that surrounded you.
AM: Yeah, I don't think that would have been a good idea. But now that our fans are older, they still get crazy. Believe me. There's still girls passing out, there's still girls throwing underwear and bras. It's just as crazy. They're just older. And now that they're older, they can drink, so they're a little bit saucy. They're having fun, kicking back and letting loose.
Are the people who grew up listening to Backstreet Boys your target demographic?
AM: I would say our core demographic is probably ages 25 to 45. But there's still quite a lot of young teenage girls coming to the shows, and a lot of kids. Because now our fans who grew up with us are married and have families of their own. Their kids look at us like we're brand new, so we're starting the Backstreet fan pandemonium all over again.
Now that you guys are men, how do you feel about being grouped under the boy band umbrella?
AM: It actually makes us feel young again. Nowadays, it doesn't bother us. In the very beginning, it did. Now we're being called a man band.
Some of your album titles, such as Never Gone, Unbreakable, and This Is Us, sound defensive. Are they?
AM: I don't think they're defensive. I think the only defensive title we've had is Black & Blue. During that time, with the record company [lawsuit] and with all the stuff going on with us personally ... me going to rehab, Brian having open heart surgery, a couple of us losing family members...it was a rough time. We also went through a break with management. We felt battered and bruised.
The lyrics on your solo CD are more explicit. Is this the direction you'd like to see Backstreet Boys go in?
AM: I think that's more me than Backstreet Boys. We're four individuals, but we're still a group. A couple of the guys are fathers. It might get a little squirrelly if they're singing lyrics that are risqué and over the top. It's expected from me, because I'm not one to sugarcoat anything.
For old times' sake, who is your favorite *NSYNC member and song?
AM: It's going to be a tie because I'm actually really good friends with JC [Chasez] and Justin. JC and I have worked on quite a few songs together for my solo record and the Backstreet Boys record. As far as songs go -- "Gone." It's just a great, well-rounded, well-crafted record. It's one of those records I actually wish we had.
Do you guys ever get together and have boy band reminiscing parties?
AM: If I'm in the studio with JC, we'll start talking, and it'll spark a whole conversation about when we were all on tour together. "Remember that place...remember that girl... remember that party... remember that show." If we wrote a book together, good God, it'd be bigger than War and Peace.
[sfweekly via misha_bsb@Twitter]
Sunday, June 20, 2010
New Kids On The Block In Concert with Special Guests Backstreet Boys - June 19, 2010
NEW YORK - JUNE 19: Joey McIntyre (L) of New Kids On The Block performs on stage with special guest (L-R) AJ McLean and Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys, at Radio City Music Hall on June 19, 2010 in New York City.
[life.com]
Friday, June 18, 2010
Denise Solis @ The Dope Doctor
Denise "Backstreet Mom" McLean Solis is now a member of the show. Talking using dreams with new co-host Backstreet Mom Denise McLean Solis
[TheDopeDoctorcom]
[TheDopeDoctorcom]
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Backstreet Boys: Sixty seconds with A.J. McLean
Indy: Your previous album, Unbreakable, didn't do well for you guys. What went wrong?
McLean: Honestly the reason why it didn't do so well is because the songs weren't that good. That's why we decided to team up with big producers and writers [T-Pain, Claude Kelly, RedOne] on this album [This Is Us]. We want hot music. We want music that we can perform and be proud to perform.
Indy: You went through a much-publicized rehab in 2000. You seem healthy and happy these days, and recently got engaged to Rochelle Deanna Karidis. How are you doing?
McLean: It's always a daily sort of — not a daily struggle — but you've always got to keep it in the back of your mind. You've just got to make sure that you have a balance in your life and not let anything catch up to you. So I think that's what I'm doing. And playing has been a priority to me. I like to go out and have a good time with friends on special occasions, but to me my priorities have changed, and they're all about my physical appearance, the way I look, the way I feel inside and my brain, what I can do from a creative side of things.
Indy: What's the new live show like?
McLean: We feel that we've made music that's going to be really, really entertaining on stage, No. 1, [and] No. 2, we want to step up the production to where it turns into something that's just like visually astounding to people who come to it. So that starts with adding extra dancers on stage. We've got four extra dancers. And production-wise, we're doing like a bunch of different gags and stuff. It's going to be very theatrical, lots of dancing on our part. It's going to be really, really entertaining and cool.
At Broomfield's 1STBANK Center, June 22.
[csindy]
[csindy]
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
AJ out in Atlantic City
AJ watched the Angels show @ the Trump Taj Mahal Ego Lounge in Atlantic City, NJ (he watched the show twice - Friday & Saturday). It's a show with six professionally trained female performers and two amazing male musicians.
[AngelsLive @FB]
[AngelsLive @FB]
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Catching Up With The Backstreet Boys
Brian Littrell and A.J. McLean chat about crazy encounters with groupies and supporting their gay fan base.
By Noah Michelson
Though some might want to dismiss them as a mere boy band, the Backstreet Boys have sold more than 130 million albums in the last 17 years, making them one the biggest-selling groups of all time. With a recently released album, a summer tour, and their first BSB cruise on the way, we sat down with two of the group's members, Brian Littrell and A.J. McLean, to chat about growing out of the boy band label, insane groupie encounters, and supporting their gay fan base.Out: I was reading a press release for This Is Us, and Brian, you said, "We made a conscious effort to go back to being ourselves." What were you before you went back to that, and what have you returned to?
Brian Littrell: I think, today, you will find that the Backstreet Boys are comfortable being who we are. There was a time when we were young men that we were trying to discover a sound that we wanted to have for the future. When you back up to after the Black and Blue CD, we took a little bit of time away. We came out with the Never Gone CD, which was a more pop/rock direction -- we kind of got away from what the Backstreet Boys are known for. In that turn of events, after Unbreakable, we were trying to get back to that dance-oriented music that people know us for. The pop, easy songs. Again, it's not rocket science, it's just easy-listening music that you want to move to. So in that, I think with This Is Us, you'll find that the Backstreet Boys, after 17 years together, we're comfortable being the Backstreet Boys, we're comfortable making music that is what it is. We do have a -- we call it some sort of "magical sound" that, when we all sing together, is something that is special that's lasted us for a long time. And you'll find that we're not trying to be anything that we're not. Like I said, it is what it is, and this is us.
A.J. McLean: Well said, well said.
Brian: [singing] Yeah, oh my God, we're here to stay. Brothers, sisters and this is A.J.
You have worked with some of the biggest producers in the industry, especially on the last album.
Brian: Like myself.
A.J.: Right.
So how do you make sure that you're not dwarfed by their contributions? How do you make sure in the end it's a Backstreet Boys' song and not a Red One song?
A.J.: Working with the producers that we've worked with -- like T-Pain, Jim Jonsin, Red One, Max Martin, again, Ryan Tedder -- they're all artists, as well. So they understand when we go in the studio that it is about the Backstreet Boys -- we are making a Backstreet Boys record. Not even once have we felt that any of the writers or producers were trying to one-up us. They're all just great guys to work with. We definitely would work with them all over again. And we now have a lot more creative control than we used to. Back in the day, when we first started, it was kind of like point and shoot. Now, we're the ones holding the gun, so to speak.
Brian: [gun shot noises]
A.J.: And we kind of call the shots. And say, "You know what? We don't really like that part, or I don't like that sound. Can we try this? Can we try that?" We even get more into the production side now, whether it's a keyboard sound, or a guitar lick, or whatever it is. We never used to do that before. It makes the recording process much more fun now than it ever was before.
Brian: It's funny, because when you go back to the beginning, the beginning times for the Backstreet Boys were about the success of the Backstreet Boys. And then there was a time when the industry kind of turned to who was writing, who was producing. And if you do go back, way back, on our second record -- that was our first record in the U.S. -- we even had songs that we were writing and producing at that time. I think, we talk about this term, "dwarfed by the producers," or, "how can we make it ours when we're the Backstreet Boys and we're working with somebody amazing," it's a good collaboration because we have many, many years in this business. And I think we're seasoned artists. A lot of times we're great writers that have been also overshadowed by our own success. And in that, when you really think about it, it's something to take in. And these producers know they are the guys that read the liner notes on the CD, and they know who wrote something, and they know who produced it. Working with great producers now, in today's world, it's all about who produced it and who wrote it, so it's kind of turned, but I think it'll get back to us again -- hopefully.
Tell me about this cruise you guys have coming up in December. It's already sold out.
Brian: [Makes cruise ship horn noises]
A.J.: Yup. The Backstreet Boys Cruise. It's the first of, hopefully, many. We'll see how the first one goes.
Brian: Carnival Cruise!
A.J.: A bunch of artists have been doing it. I know the New Kids did it. Rick Springfield did it.
Brian: Yeah! Go, Rick Springfield.
A.J.: It's just -- it's something that's more intimate for us to be with our fans. It's kind of a vacation for us, but not really. It's a vacation that involves work. But...
Brian: We're on a boat.
A.J.: So obviously, if we get a little stressed out, we can't just jump overboard. But...
Brian: Send in the chopper.
A.J.: Give me a dingy.
Brian: [Laughs]
A.J.: It's going to be fun. We're going to do a lot of personal stuff with our fans. Whether it's hosting a pool party or a casino night.
Brian: I ain't doin' that.
A.J.: Heck, it could be even bingo, who knows?
Brian: I ain't doin' that.
A.J.: And then we'll do a proper concert -- we'll have our dancers.
Brian: I ain't doin' that, either.
A.J.: But Brian won't be there.
Brian: [Laughs]
A.J.: It's just going to be fun. It's our very first time doing it. I'm not a big boat guy, so I'm a little leery about the boat part. I know it's a cruise, and they tell me that you don't feel it. But if I get it in my head that I'm feeling it, I'll be all, [singing "I Want it That Way"] "Tell me... [throw up noises]" I'm not trying to throw up on a fan, but, it should be fun.
Brian: [In the tune of "I Want it That Way"] Ain't nothing but a stomach ache [throw up noise].
A.J.: We start in Miami and then go down to Cozumel and end up in Key West and then back up to Miami.
Brian: It's fun; we've been talking about this cruise for like five or six years. It's actually now come to pass where we can say, "Hey, we're doing a cruise." So hopefully it'll turn into something that's a yearly charity event type thing that we could raise money for a great cause out there.
How do you guys feel about the term "boy band" being equated with the Backstreet Boys in 2010?
Brian: It blows.
A.J.: It sucks.
Brian: Yeah. [Laughs]
A.J.: You can call us a boy band -- we don't care. Back in the day, when we first started and we were over in Europe, we kind of were blindsided by the fact that we got thrown into this big melting pot of the boy band era. We were the only group really like us coming out of the U.S. So going over there, there was Take That and all those bands. And now, it makes us feel young again if you want to call us a boy band. I mean, you can call us a "man band," too. But we've always prided ourselves on just being a vocal harmony group. And we fought tooth and nail for the first, probably, five, six years of our actual career to claim that name. And now, if you wanna call us a boy band, call us a boy band. It's kind of cool -- it's retro.
Brian: It's cool, in a way, and also it sucks, on the other side. Because, to be honest with you, the label "boy band" or the facade of what people think boy bands are, you think of Backstreet Boys and, "Oh, yeah. They're like the king boy band of the 1990s." But, at the same time, there is a future, unfortunately for a lot of people out there, there is a future for the Backstreet Boys, and fortunately for a lot of fans that we have. We have another 17 years in us. There's more music to be made, there's more history, there's more events, there's more moments that we can share with our fans in the future, and, you know, someday that term will probably go away. Or it'll transfer to the Jonas Brothers. They didn't really call Boys II Men a boy band. It's a European term that we kind of got smashed with. But again, in the U.S., it's turned against us to try to be played on the radio today. In today's market world of radio, if you're not working with the right guy or you have the label that we have right now, people kind of run from it. So we're tryin' to change people's thought process on -- it's still good music, and it is what it is.
Perez Hilton is looking for the new big boy band. He's conducting a search with Simon Fuller right now.
Brian: It's not going to go away. [Laughs]
You're one of the biggest-selling boy bands in history. Do you still worry about competition? Where's your head at when you think about new bands?
A.J.: I think it's cool, in some aspects, that if another group does come out like us and does very well, it just opens the doors for us, as well as any other new artists, and even seasoned artists -- it kind of starts that whole pop explosion again. Look at the New Kids again, for example. I mean, they were gone for 15 years and came back, and it was like they were never gone. No pun intended on our end.
Brian: Never gone.
A.J.: But -- like what Brian said -- it's always going to be happening. People like Perez that are knee-deep in the media and in the public eye and know and have seen so many artists --
Brian: And have a huge influence --
A.J.: I think it's something great. Hopefully it's a good group and it does very well. We've been around for so long that, if we can even help, you know, in any way, to any new groups, and give them any kind of advice... We're always here to kind of give our side to what we've been through for 17 years. Obviously something's been working, if we've been doing it for so long, and we have such an amazing fan base.
What has been your most insane encounter with a fan?
A.J.: If we wrote a book about it, between the fans and tour life, it would be bigger than War and Peace. Some of the craziest things I can remember, we had a girl stow away on our tour bus. She was a girl that was actually trying to get to me. She had given me these two rings. I didn't think anything of it. Come to find out that they were both real, and that they were her parents' wedding rings and realized that she was in deep caca. And she just hopped on our bus and stowed away in a bunk. Our old manager was rummaging through his bunk and he felt a leg and was like, "What the hell?" We were like four hours away from the city that she hopped on the bus. We had to put her in a cab and send her back home.
Brian: We had gone, like, 200 kilometers, it was like...
A.J.: Yeah. We've had girls be sitting in our dressing room when we show up to a gig. We had these girls -- I think we were in Spain -- we walked into our dressing room and there's two girls with their jeans ripped, they're bleeding, they had jumped over a barbed-wire fence, and they're just sitting there. When they see you, they don't really know what to do because they're like, "Oh my God, you're really here." And then when it comes time for them to be asked to leave, that's when they put you in a choke hold, and they don't want to let it go. We've had girls jump on stage. We had a girl once, on the Millennium Tour, Brian tends to sing with his eyes closed a lot.
Brian: No I don't.
A.J.: This girl was just freaking. This girl was standing right in front of him when he opened his eyes, and she bumped the mic and hit him in the face.
Brian: We were singing "I'll Never Break Your Heart," and we were on the center of the stage where the center used to rise up in the middle, and it would turn around. And I was singing, "I'll never break..." and it was like, [makes sound of mic hitting him in the mouth]. My mic hits me right in the teeth, and my lip starts bleeding, and I'm like, "What the heck?" And I look up, and this girl's going, "Hruuuuh" [sound of inhaling horror], right in front of me. And our security guard, Marcus, about that time -- she'd timed it perfectly. I don't know how many shows she had seen to know right when the stage lifted up, because it separated from the rest and lifted up. So our security guard is trying to climb the ramp as the stage is lifting, and he can't even get up there, he's sliding down, and he's going, "Come here, girl! Come here, girl!" trying to get this girl off. And then she runs and gets Nick in the headlock, after she bashes my mic into my lip. So that was interesting.
We had another two girls. We always have a press schedule that we look at, or an e-mail that comes in, of the city that we're at and the stations that we're doing interviews at and who's working that day and who's doing press. I was backstage with my security guard getting ready to have dinner, and these two girls -- they were probably in their early 20s -- come walking down the ramp to the arena. And they had these huge press badges on that were laminated with their picture and all this stuff, and it says underneath it, "Makeup." And I was thinking -- I'm not shy in saying that when we do TV, or whatever, we try to get a little touch up so we look like we're young pop stars. But I knew on that day that we did not have any press, so we didn't have makeup that day. And these girls just walk right down and backstage, so I asked my security guard "Raul, why don't you run and check on those girls because we're not -- one, we don't have press today. Two, we're not doing makeup. And three, they don't belong back here." So he goes and gets them, and they're walking them out, and she's like, "Oh my God. We made these passes, and we love you." It was kind of one of those situations like A.J., where I was their favorite. And she was like, "We just want to meet you and say hello." So I ended up taking pictures with them, and I was like, "All right, you guys have to go." They get pretty smart, they get pretty smart. The older they get...
A.J.: Fans get really creative nowadays, especially with the Internet. They can burn a copy of a backstage pass, or whatever, which is also scary at the same time, cause we do have the occasional stalker-fan that, like, "I'll kill you and then kill myself." It's like, "Whoa. OK, you've got issues."
Brian: It's only music.
You guys have a lot of gay fans, too. When did you first realize that you had a gay following, and do you have any kind of relationship with your gay fans?
A.J.: I think, I mean...
Brian: I have gay friends...
A.J.: Years and years ago, especially over in Europe, it's funny, a lot of the boy bands, a lot of the members that were in a lot of those boy bands were actually gay, and it was just something that was normal over there. Doing a lot of these outdoor festival shows, you would see a lot of gay men and gay women just chanting and going for it. It kind of started over in Europe, and we did this show with Divine Brown years ago and it was during gay pride, and we were unaware of who she was, we had no idea -- I didn't put two and two together with her and the whole Hugh Grant thing. And, you know, it was amazing. We have a huge gay following -- it's awesome. I, personally, am trying to get more and more involved with the gay and lesbian movement, very much so. I've got quite a lot of gay friends back in L.A. No on Prop 8. It is a really huge market, and people are people, it doesn't matter what you believe. And we make our music for everyone, and whether you're gay, straight, black, white, it doesn't matter. Young or old.
Brian: Yellow or red.
A.J.: Music touches everyone, and if our music touches the gay community, I think it's awesome. I think it's absolutely brilliant. We're actually going to be doing the Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco. We are the Grand Marshals. We're going to perform -- it's before we do our show in San Francisco. So I'm looking forward to that -- we all are. It's going to be fun.
Brian: We are not here to judge, we are here to love.
A.J.: Absolutely.
Is there a song from your catalog that you hate or wish that you never had to perform again?
A.J.: There's one that is the general consensus of the group, and unfortunately this song was written by an absolutely amazing songwriter, Mutt Lange. But I think it was Mutt's approach to being a Max Martin–type song. It was called, "If You Want it to Be Good, Girl, Get Yourself a Bad Boy."
Brian: And that's one of the longest Backstreet Boys titles in history. Probably one of the...
A.J.: It was a political thing. Our record company was friends with him. They wanted the song on the record.
Brian: They managed him.
A.J.: Yeah. We were like, "No." We've never performed it live. It's actually in our show, now, as the end of Brian's video. We each do four individual films that we've been kind of CGI-ed into. I do Fight Club, Howie does The Fast and the Furious, Nick does The Matrix and Brian does --
Brian: Enchanted, the Disney --
A.J.: Enchanted. And at the end, when the dragon comes up, that song's playing. So that's the only way that song will ever get into any of our shows. Ever.
Brian: I always say, "If we were Shania Twain, then it would be cool." But we're not Shania Twain.
A.J.: Man, I feel like a woman. Like that? Yeah. That song sucks. It's horrible.
On the flip side, if you had to pick one song from your catalog that best describes the Backstreet Boys, or one that you think is most representative of your career so far, what would you pick?
A.J.: Let's not go with the predictable. Let's try something different. I would say, "I Want it That Way," but let's try something different. I don't know, because that's the one we always say, so I'm drawing a blank.
Brian: Well, I'm going to go with the new record, This Is Us, and go with the song called "Undone." It happens to be my favorite song on the record, and the Backstreet Boys are unfinished, we're undone. There are new memories, new things that we want to do. So for the future, I would go with that. But for the typical, boy band label, I would have to say we'll probably still go down in history for "I Want it That Way."
For the latest info on the Backstreet Boys, including a full list of their summer tour dates, visit their official website.
[out.com]
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Backstreet Boys And Korn Team Up To Protest BP On Upcoming Tours
"I'm devastated by what I've seen first hand and on the news," Backstreet Boy Nick Carter said in a statement. "I've always been a marine activist and seeing pictures of oil-covered animals breaks my heart."
Currently the band is on tour, and they ask that other touring bands join them in their protest of using BP oil. "We just played Biloxi last week and I have to tell you people are really worried down there," Brian Littrell added. "This boycott is about making a statement, letting people know how we feel and to stand for something."
At the MTV Movie Awards over the weekend, Bullock, while accepting her Generation Award told the crowd, "When we all go to bed at night we should think about all the people that are being affected in the Gulf and just say a prayer for them." Meanwhile, Costner met with Congress to discuss a possible solution to the problem: Ocean Therapy Solutions, which has created a machine that purifies water using centrifugal force.
[newsroom.mtv]
Backstreet Boys @ Eden Nightclub
The newest D.C. hot-spot, Club Eden, opened its doors with a bang Wednesday night with a huge party hosted by the one and only, new and improved, Backstreet Boys! All three levels of this freshly-furnished club were packed to the brim with people, mostly women, trying to catch a glimpse of the once teen, now adult, heartthrobs. Once the Backstreet Boys finally made their appearance at the "Garden of Eden," the rooftop bar and dance floor, the place went crazy! Fans yelled as if we were all back in 2001 and the Backstreet Boys had just taken off their shirts! (To the disappointment of all their adoring fans, they did not actually take of their shirts, but they did play the bongos and partied with their fans!
For more Photos
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Backstreet Boys are back in Atlantic City for a weekend performance at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort
The group, although never a critical favorite for its brand of dance-pop, nonetheless has sold 130 million records and tallied seven Top 10 albums, including last year's "This Is Us."
For now, the show goes on for the four remaining Boys - Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and A.J. McLean - who are performing this weekend at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort. (The fifth member, Kevin Richardson, left in 2006.)
Ahead of their stop, McLean talked about how the quartet might reinvent itself and why after all these years the term "boy band" no longer has quite the same sting.
Question: Are you still pulling out the dance stops for your live shows?
Answer: It's nonstop dancing from start to finish ... We spend a month and half in dance rehearsals really preparing for the show.
Q: How have you adjusted to not having Kevin Richardson in the lineup?
A: At first, going into the studio making the "Unbreakable" CD without Kevin was a little weird. It was a little awkward having to re-block things. When it was five of us, one guy would have the forefront and the four dancing behind us. Now everybody is dancing at all times. Everything is done more as a unit now.
Q: What's next for the group, now that you've left your longtime label, Jive?
A: There's the possibility of moving to a new label or doing a straight distribution deal. The upside is we have the freedom to do whatever we want, to be much more creative, as artists and as performers. We now have the freedom to do whatever we want. If we go with another label, we may have another outlook on the next 17 years for our career.
A lot of us have been talking about playing instruments again, maybe going the Beatles route. We have always emulated groups such as the Stones, the Beatles and the Eagles.
Who knows what could be the future of the Backstreet Boys? The concepts and ideas are infinitely limitless.
Q: But it sounds as though you're in this for the long haul?
A: We're going to keep making music until we don't want to do it anymore. We have the best fans in the world, and we don't foresee (an end) happening. Each of us has individual aspirations. I'm sure after our next album, we'll take a (much)-needed break.
Q: Your solo record, "Have It All," is already out in Japan and will be released in Europe, Canada and the U.S. later this year. How does it compare to Backstreet Boys' material?
A: It's a real personal record. When I started writing, I tried to write straight, up-the-middle pop. But it became this therapeutic process. It's about the relationship I don't have with my biological father and my relationship issues with girls.
There's no proper love song on the record - there's the anti-love song. It's a record guys especially can relate to. I'm really proud of it and anxious for the rest of the world to hear it.
Q: Backstreet Boys are forever linked to the '90s boy-band phenomenon. How do you feel about the term, and do you think it still applies?
A: We qualified ourselves as a vocal harmony group such as The Temptations and Boyz II Men. At first, we didn't like being called a boy band - that meant two guys that sing and the rest of the guys were pretty faces. In Backstreet Boys, each of us can sing, and we're all equally talented.
Nowadays, if you want to call us a boy band, we're kind of over it. It makes us feel as though we're young again. You know what - just call us.
[pressofatlanticcity]
Monday, June 7, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
ICONIC '90s GROUP'S MEMBERS--AND FANS--HAVE UNDERGONE MAJOR CHANGES
Backstreet Boy A. J. McLean discusses the band's growth and his own new lease on life
The band will perform at Wolf Trap's Filene Center in Vienna on June 9.
For the few fans who lost touch, it might appear that not much has changed with the iconic boy band--but their dedicated followers know better.
For starters, there are no more "boys" in the band; they are full-grown men with families of their own. "There's Backstreet Dads!" exclaimed member A.J. McLean, during a recent phone interview.
"Brian [Littrell's] little boy is going to be 8, and he's starting second grade, which is just weird."
Indeed, things have changed. Howie Dorough has a 1-year-old; Nick Carter can usually be found at the gym; and McLean is recently engaged.
Perhaps the biggest deviation is that founding member Kevin Richardson left the group to focus on his family.
"Initially it was a little weird--we had to re-block the actual live shows and figure out who would sing his part.
But once we started doing show after show without him, it kind of became the norm," explained McLean.
"This is the new face of the Backstreet Boys, but the door is always open if he wants to come back."
The Backstreet Boys are currently promoting their seventh studio album, "This Is Us," which features tracks by old friends, like Swedish hit-maker Max Martin, and new friends, like Miami rapper Pitbull.
"[The album] is a testament to who we are. It's going back to the grass roots of the pop/R&B sound, the ballads and dance tempos and mid-tempos," said McLean.
"It's the closest to who we were and who we want to be. There are still some elements from the past, but with a more updated style. Yet, there are also songs like 'Undone' and 'This Is Us' that are kicking off the new sound and the future of the Backstreet Boys."
According to McLean, the group works hard to please old and new fans alike, and the fact that their core demographic has changed doesn't escape them.
"Our fans are older and have families of their own, and they're bringing their kids to the shows, and a lot more guys are coming now that they're older and not in high school where it wasn't cool to like the Backstreet Boys.
Looking out into the audience you see this huge age range from 5 to 85. We just try to make music for the masses and we don't really discriminate--it's for everyone."
Though the fan base is older, McLean is quick to point out that the hysteria still lives.
"It's weird, you'd think it wouldn't be as crazy, but I think it's even crazier now because our fans can drink at our shows. But they're still doing the crazy stuff they did when they were 16."
Despite all the mania, there's at least one person who's a little less crazy: A.J. McLean. Several years ago, McLean--the "rebel" of the group--entered rehab.
"I'm definitely a lot more wise today than I was 10 years ago. I did my little stint of "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs," but I don't regret any of it. I think it needed to happen for me to get to know who I am better," McLean explained.
"I don't want to go down that road that I went before. I can't. My body won't let me do the crazy stuff I used to do."
Sixteen years later, it's safe to say that all the members of the Backstreet Boys have experienced their own form of personal growth--and according to McLean, it's a critical factor to the group's creative process.
"Now that we're older we can talk about things a little more than we used to. Not every song has to be about love--it can be about serious issues. It's not all daffodils and roses."
As for this summer's tour and beyond, McLean mysteriously hints at the unexpected. "We have some interesting surprises in store for our fans and the media next year. It's going to make people's heads turn."
[fredericksburg]
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
AJ McLean & Brian Littrell: New Photo
Another new photo during the interview in New York which will release in a few weeks.
[Photo: mikeedge.com; Popnography]
[Photo: mikeedge.com; Popnography]
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Backstreet Boys - NYC Fan Event / Early Show
Some photos from the Backstreet Boys Fan Event & the Early Show in NYC
Click Here for more!
[ninasfeet78]
Click Here for more!
[ninasfeet78]
