2009

Westlife's Mark, Nicky, Shane and Kian helping seven-year-old Ishthara Larkin switch on the Christmas lights on Dublin's Grafton Street. Thousands of fans packed the street to see the pop stars do the honours outside Brown Thomas.

 

 

2009
Interview: Jordan Paramor
Portrait: Nicky Johnston

We all know they deal with Westlife - they sit on stools, wear dark suits and sing ballads. But not any more!

In a shock move, the boys reveal exclusively to heat that they're ditching the stools as they prepare to unleash their new album. What will they do during those dramatic key changes? Will they ever sing sitting down again? And what were their favourite kind of stools? These and some even more important questions are answered - right here!

You've just had a whole year off - What the hell have you been doing?
Shane: Chilling out and doing sweet fuck all. I was at home hanging out with my family, and my wife had a baby boy, Patrick. I played football, golf, went to the gym...
Nicky: We've been able to spend time with our kids and do the things we can't normally do. We got to reflect and learn to miss it all.
Mark: It was hard being in the middle of the whole Westlife thing and trying to work out what you want from life. It's like trying to meditate in Leicester Square on New Year's Eve or something. We needed to work out what we wanted. Also, I went travelling with [my partner] Kevin, which was amazing.
Kian: I was mainly planning my wedding. Also, my dad passed away so I didn't do all the things I was planning to do because I wanted to be close to home. I also put a girl band together with Louis, who are recording at the minute and releasing next year.

Where's the weirdest place you were recognised on your tavels?
M: In a forest in a remote part of Bali. This little Balinese man was wheeling his trolley along and wearing one of those big straw hats and he looked up, saw me and shouted, "Westlife!" It was so surreal!

Did you have to fight your record company for the year off?
M: They were actually really understanding. We'd done nine albums in nine years.
N: We were actually supposed to take a year off in 2004 when Brian was still in the band, but we couldn't after he left because people were worried that the band wouldn't survive.

How much did you see each other during the year off?
M: We were chatting every few weeks. We saw each other at Kian's wedding, Nicky's birthday party...
N: The biggest gap was about four months.
M: But we all needed a break. It's easy to loose yourself in the madness of being in the band.

Did any of you not want to come back?
S: No. It made me realise how lucky we are.
K: I could have handled another year off, but I also really wanted to do a new album.

Did any of you think about doing solo projects like Girls Aloud?
[All shake their head.]
S: Not at all. I don't give a shite about being a solo artist. We're in one of the biggest bands in the world and to do it on your own would be very lonely.
M: I don't think any of us have it in us to be a solo star. We're not fame hungry.
K: We want success, not fame.
S: Don't get us wrong, we still have egos, but not so much that we want solo success.

Do you argue a lot?
S: Of course. But they're more like discussions than arguments.
M: We're all very passionate about what we do.. there can be raised voices.

Have any of you ever punched each other?
S: No, there's never been a punch.
M: There have been some shin kicks and bitch kicks, though.
S: And the odd locking of heads where you're like, "Fuck off. You're really annoying me."

Aren't you bored of singing ballads?
K: [Shrugs.] We are what we are.
S: We make songs for our fans and if you don't like it...
K: We got comments after our X Factor performance like: "Laser lights and leather aren't going to make you cool, lads." We weren't trying to be cool, we were being us.
S: There are fuck-all ballads on this new album, they're more mid-tempo tracks.
N: Oh, there are ballads. You can't say that. I do get why people would take the piss when we're on a TV show wearing a suit, sitting on stools and singing Michael Buble's Home. I get it.

Do you worry about getting older? Would you ever have surgery?
M: I've thought about botox, but it's scary.
K: If I look massively different in ten years, I would like to slow things down. Why not?

Will you get plugs if you go bald?
N: [Nods.] I think that's something I would look at.
S: I would never rule it out.
M: My dad has, like, zero hair.
K: If I wasn't in the public eye, I wouldn't give a toss. But I am, so I'd rather...
S: ...have hair to comb?

Your fans are older now - do you get filthier banners at concerts?
N: [Smiles.] They don't say "We love you" or "Wave to us" anymore.
S: Some of them are shameless. They'll literally say "Fuck me." One said "I want to taste a pint of your Irish cream."
M: A pint is a lot, mind. She should start with a half.

What age was the oldest fan who's propositioned you?
M: Oh God, old. Recently this woman in her late 50s came up to me, held my hand, looked deep into my eyes and said, "Mark, I really, really, really, really love you." She was so intense.
S: She was probably trying to hypnotise you into being straight. One woman turned up to a signing in a fucking wedding dress and wanted to marry Mark. You always get the nutters.
M: And I've got a boyfriend, for God's sake!

How are things with Kevin?
M: [Beaming] Fantastic. We've been together for five years now, and we live together. He's really amazing. He's the missing piece for the jigsaw pazzle for me. It wasn't coming out that completed me, it was finding him. He lights me up. He's the missing part of me.

Would you ever let Brian back?
S: No. And I don't think he'd want to come back. Never say never about us all singing together again, but we will never get back together as a five-piece.

Has he ever asked to rejoin? He must be a bit gutted you're doing so well.
S: No. We were chatting to him last weekend and he was saying how happy he is with his life and Delta, and how he doesn't miss the band at all.
M: It's been six years since he left and we've all moved on. He's been out of the band longer than he was in it.

You knew Kerry Katona really well when she was married to Brian - are you still in touch?
M: Kerry's not actually in our lives anymore.
N: heat probably know her better than we do now. We haven't seen her in ages.
K: It's like she's a foreign person to us. She's not the same person we knew.
M: We still love her and we were very close to her and we hope she's OK. We want her to be happy. We're used to hearing mad stories about her, but in the beginning I was shocked and very sad. But she always made her own decisions and did whatever she wanted.

Who's the biggest partier in Westlife?
K: Probably me and Mark, as the others have kids.
S: I like having a drink once a week, or if there's an event. I love getting drunk, but the hungovers are a fucking nightmare.
K: I probably get the most drunk out of everybody. Nicky doesn't get hammered anymore.
M: I can't drink any more when I'm recording as it ruins my voice. Although I did record one single on the new album, Shadows, after being out until 5.30am and it sounded great!

Tell us about some of your craziest drunken nights out...
S: Nicky and I were in Belgium once and I was so drunk I was lying on the floor of this bar and Nicky wouldn't let me get up. He kept putting his foot on my chest to stop me and I was lying there, rolling around and laughing. Then he had a row witht he barman because he was refusing to serve him at 3.30am, so he told him to fuck off and stormed out, leaving me with three very angry men. I was like, "Thanks, Nicky."
N: Shane rang me saying he thought these guys were going to kick his head in, so I had to run back and save him.

What was your best drunken night out?
K: When we were in a chip shop in South Africa years ago, so drunk. I filmed the others abusing the shit out of each other. [Laughing] Nicky and Shane were picking up sauce and splatting it all in Mark's face, and he just sat there taking it. Then they started throwing things at each other and their eyes were all over the place. I still piss myself when I watch the video back.

Who do you think is going to win the X Factor?
S: I'd like to see Olly win it.
N: I'd like to see Lucie win it.
K: They'll be in the final without a doubt. I had Danyl pegged as a winer, but people don't seem to like him.

Do you think Jedward could win?
S: They're the most entertaining act, without a doubt. I don't know if they'll have a pop career, but they'll have a TV career. If they did the John & Edward Show, I'd probably fucking watching it.
M: Look at how well the Cheeky Girls did.
S: Jedward will make a lot of money out of just turning up to parties and singing.
M: The funniest thing is that when we went to Simon's house in America earlier this year, he took us into the cinema to show us some footage of The X Factor before it had started, and the clip he showed us was of John & Edward's audition. Simon was using them to showcase the series before they'd even been picked. Poeple thought Louise was mad to put them through, but even Simon knew they had something.

WESTLIFE ARE DITCHING THE STOOLS FOR GOOD. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

So you're ditching the stools!
M: Yes, we're coming back with a fresh new sound - the suits and the stools have gone.

Did you just use stools because you're lazy?
N: [Grins.] Yes.
K: It's nice to have a bit of a rest while you're singing.

What will you do during key changes now you won't be rising up off stools?
N: [Laughs.] Have you ever seen Westlife in concert? We've probably only sat on stools twice in ten years, honestly. We put on a proper show at our gigs.

What are your favourite kind of stools?
S: The ones that go up and down and swivel.
N: I've got some nice bar stools.

Have you ever have a stool-related accident?
M: I was on Frank Skinner's show and my stool collapsed half way through the interview, and I ended up on the floor. It's on YouTube if you want to laugh at me.

Has Gillian McKeith ever tried to get her hands on your stools?
S: Ewww, no.
M: But she can have them. We don't need them anymore.


Westlife's album 'Where We Are' is released on 30 November.



Have you ever have a stool-related accident?
M: I was on Frank Skinner's show and my stool collapsed half way through the interview, and I ended up on the floor. It's on YouTube if you want to laugh at me.