Westlife on "Turnaround"

Sunday Mail October 12th 2003 thanks very much to Donnette for this article!

Westlife have sold more than 30 million records, notched up a record-breaking seven successive UK No 1s and are millionaires into the bargain. How does that make them feel? Happy? Confident? On top of the world?

No, the answer is dead nervous. Pop's biggest boy band are terrified their phenomenal five-year run of success could be about to end. The Irish lads Bryan McFadden, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Nicky Byrne and Shane Filan release new album Turn Around on November 24.

As they gave the Sunday Mail an exclusive track-by-track preview, they admitted it could be the beginning of the end unless they take a few risks. Kian told me: ``This is a turning point. We've got to succeed with this record. After we released our greatest hits album, Unbreakable, last year, many people thought that was it for Westlife. They didn't think we were coming back. We know that if Turn Around isn't up to the standard of previous albums we're in trouble.

'' Mark added: ``We've achieved record sales of more than 30 million. Nobody can take that away from us. The only pressure we have is to sustain that success. If we don't we'll be nothing more than a big lump of meat to a bunch of vultures. There are people who'd love to attack us. We're only human. Of course we worry about the day all this ends. We're hoping this album will keep Westlife going.

'' Nicky said: ``We all share the same goals. We're never happy being No 2, we want to be No 1. We want to be headliners. The main attraction. The best. Bands have started to challenge ourposition. It's more difficult for us to get a No 1 record than it was three years ago

.'' Westlife are locked away in a London recording studio putting the finishing touches to Turn Around. Last Monday, they broke cover to launch their latest DVD, The Greatest Hits Tour Live from MEN Arena. They talked to me frankly about fame, money and trying to sustain their amazing success.

Turn Around features a selection of new tracks including their next single, Mandy, a cover of the cheesy 1971 Barry Manilow hit. The idea came from their record label mentor, Simon Cowell of Pop Idol, and it's already being tipped as a Christmas No 1.

Other key tracks are I Did It For You, written by superstar songwriter Diane Warren, a U2-style track called Here and a version of Garth Brooks' Lost In You.

Nicky said: ``Our manager Louis Walsh and our record company BMG say we can become the next Bee Gees. I don't think so. We can only be a boy band for so long before our popularity fades. It's time we tried different songs and took a few big gambles. It's time to be more courageous. Robbie Williams is a perfect example of a pop artist who takes risks. We should do the same.

'' Kian added: ``We've got to be careful if we make a change. It's when acts switch from what they do best that it can all go wrong. Look at Celine Dion or Mariah Carey. They both lost what they had when they tried to be a bit more credible and cool. We sold out 67 shows in the UK last year. You can't turn your back on what has made us successful. If another boy band comes along and improves on what we're doing that's when our popularity will fizzle out.

'' It's hard to imagine Westlife's shelf-life coming to an end. At 25, Nicky is the oldest member of the group. But if the lads were forced into premature retirement, financially they'd be set up for life. When I asked them: ``Are you rich?'' the answer was an unequivocal ``Yes.

'' ``We're rich beyond our wildest dreams, '' said Nicky. ``It's a brilliant feeling. When you're 17 and still atschoolyouthinkof all the things you could buy if you were a millionaire. Then when you're in this situation you don't feel rich. We couldn't buy a cheap house in some estate not because we're snobbish but because we'd constantly have 1000 kids camped outside. So we're forced to buy expensive houses with security. You have to spend twice as much on a place whether you want to or not.

'' Kian added: ``We're all millionaires but it happened slowly. When the big cheques came rolling in we looked at them and thought: `Wow!' ``But we'd had seven UK No 1s before we began to see our first big money. Our biggest extravagance is cars. We've got Ferraris and BMW 4x 4s. We do live it up to that extent.

'' But handling pots of cash took a bit of getting used to. Nicky told me: ``I remember goingtoseemybankmanagerin Sligoand got a loan of £16,000 to buy a Peugeot 306 and another £5000 on overdraft for insurance. I didn't make that much money with the band for another two years. We'd been told we'd signed a multi-million pound record deal. I thought we'd won the Irish Lotto. It just goes to show how naive we all were. In the end, I sold the car to cut my losses for £3000 less than I bought it.

'' Westlife are planning a tour next year to perform the songs on Turn Around. Andthey can't wait to return to the SECC for a string of gigs. Their last visit to the Glasgow venue was certainly eventful. ``We'd just come off stage when two girls burst into our dressing room, '' recalled Shane. ``We were sitting in our boxer shorts, half naked, covered in sweat. We thought: `What the hell are they doing?' Our wardrobe mistress was screaming at them because they were trying to nick some of our clothes as souvenirs. It's great to have lots of women scream at you. But it's hard to take it seriously. We feel that if girls queue up, spend their money on a Westlife ticket we should give them what they want.

'' But just how long can Westlife keep up this phenomenal level of success and adulation?

Kian said: ``We've learned our trade both on stage and off. But we're mature enough to realise that if any one of the five wanted to quit we wouldn't stand in his way. If anybody said: `I don't want to be in Westlife anymore, ' we wouldn't force them to go on. We'd shake each other's hands, walk away and in 10 years time still remain good friends.'

article ©Sunday Mail 2003