http://www.news.de/medien....or.html „We’re getting along better than ever before“
Boyband? That’s not true anymore. The four boys from Take That have turned into men around the age of 40. The new album is being released within the next days. Mark and Howard spoke with news.de about their troubles with Britney Spears, Robbie Williams and the boyband-boom.
Why is the album called “The Circus”?
Mark: We were in Las Vegas looking around places. We were very impressed by” Cirque Du Soleil” in particular, which is not a typical circus, but a grand show. For me the title “Circus” stands for old—fashioned entertainment. For the good old times. And I always found that very romantic. The thought of running away with a circus: That’s so scary and so magical.
Howard: When I was 16 I went on holiday to Wales with my parents. I got friendly with these young lads from the circus who made crazy movements and did breakdancing. I though that was completely cool. I called my mum from a phonebox and asked whether I could travel around with the circus. She just said “Of course”. Strange, too. Mum wanted to get rid of me (laughs).
The Circus is a very big, monumental and powerful album. Which basic ideas are behind the songs?
Mark: While writing the song we already thought about how to bring the songs into the bis arenas. So the theatrical theme has always been there. One day Gary then came with with this delicate, classical pianopop which then developed into the titletrack “The Circus”.
Now Britney Spears also calls her new album “Circus”. What do you think about that?
Mark: That’s a shame. Really. I was very proud, I really liked our album title. When I heard that Britney had the same title it spoilt the whole thing a little for me. A lot on our album is built around the title “The Circus”. We really though about renaming it but that wouldn’t have worked either. The title just fits the album and the artwork had been finished already as well.
What about a duet with Britney?
Mark: We’d be ready. Would be great, wouldn’t it? But we don’t want to be nasty towards her. We really wish her all the best. She wasn’t too well, so hopefully she’ll succeed with this album – if only she’d given it a different name.
How much did the great success with “Beautiful World” two years ago boost your self-confidence?
Howard: I was extremely surprised how many albums we’ve sold. That put pressure on us of course, because we didn’t want to disappoint anyone with the new album. We dealt with this pressure by writing many of the songs together and not agreeing to have due dates. But then the work went on quite fast.
First “Beautiful World”, now “Greatest Day”. Why do you always choose these bombastic titles?
Mark: Just a minute ago a journalist came to me and said “The Circus” was the saddest album he’d ever heard. That really surprised me. For us these songs are mostly positive and full of hope. We ourselves, as a band, went through a thorough healing process during the last few years. Today, being men in their end-30s, are getting along much better than ever before. And this album is the result of that healing.
How did this healing take place?
Mark: We’ve been talking a lot. About us, our lives, old times, the families we have now, there are much more topics now to talk about. I also think that it helped us as humans to be Take That again together. We are better people now than two years ago.
What makes you realise this?
Mark: I feel that we help each other growing old gracefully. We’re there for each other. We give each other a feeling of security.
Howard: You also learn a lot when you have children. You become less smug and much more considerate.
You were still almost children yourselves when you started with Take That. Is it a sign of adulthood when you’re a father yourself?
Howard: I don’t know. I’m still quite childish when I’m hanging out with my daughters. I feel at least 10 years younger. I don’t feel very grown-up or manly then. I have fun with them. Maybe too much fun. Maybe I’m a very nonserious and playful father.
You say you feel like 30. Does this go for your body as well?
Howard: Oh, that. I think my head is a bit younger than my body. Sometimes there’s the odd irritation. But we all try to stay reasonably fit. Especially when the tour is ahead the work out will start again. Because you have to be fit on stage. I don’t want to lose that. I don’t want to become old and fat, not being able to move and being constantly out of breath.
Mark: Howard was ill last year, he had a lung injury.That was really bad for him. It was some sort of wake-up call for him. Sometimes we thing we’re indestructable, but we’re not. But Howard, at least you’ve entertained the audience with your naked backside in the nightgown.
Howard: (laughs) That was by far the best bit of the bloody illness: my backside. Thankfully by that time I was very fit and didn’t have to hide my body. But it was still annoying: I could only do one concert in Germany which was Oberhausen. But even there I could only sing, not dance.
You were in Los Angeles to mix the album and shoot the video for “Greatest Day”. Did you visit your former band mate Robbie Williams?
Mark: Yeah, we saw Robbie a couple of times. It was good to meet him and talk to him for a bit longer.
Has he changed his mind and decided to rejoin the band?
Howard: I don’t think so. He has his music and we have ours. We played him our new album and he let us listen to some of his songs. We thought is was really great what he’s doing now. We all have our own careers. But who knows what the future brings. You never know, I don’t want to rule anything out.
Mark: It would be a highlight and the perfect ending for us if we could get together again no matter if for a final tour or only a conjoint song. I personally think that would be wonderful.
Somehow everyone comes back at the moment: first you, then the New Kinds on the Block, now also Boyzone. Is the new boom of old boybands your fault?
Mark: We should get 50% of these bands’ incomes.
Howard: We never had much to with New Kids. But Boyzone obviously wanted to have fun and revive the old days. Why not? Obviously there are still enough people who go to their concerts and buy their albums.
Mark: We tried to get away from this area. I’ve never seen myself as part of this boyband scene. Take That are a pop band.
Gary said he was planning a Take That musical. Good idea?
Mark: Gary’s always planning all sort of thing we later learn about in interviews (laughs). There’s already one out, Never Forget, which is currently on stage here in Westend London. We haven’t seen it yet, but some of our friends say it’s good. We don’t have any concrete plans of dealing with a musical at the moment. We don’t have the energy. Just look at us. It’s only afternoon and we’re already totally knackered.
Is it true that the next tour will be your last one?
Howard: I don’t think so. But our current plans don’t go any further than the end of that tour, which will be in July. But there’s no real reason why we should stop with Take That.
