Nick

Nick bounds into the room in a loud shirt. "you know what I need?" he asks with a cheeky grin, "I need milk!" But all we can offer is a tiny tub of coffee! "What? I don't think so!" he quips examining the size of it. Then clocks the fruit bowl...and dives in!

Q:) you've been doing the pop thang since you were 13...do you think about what's still to come?

I don't think about the future much because I'm only 21. But I'd like to have a family someday. First I want to find a good girl - I can't find good girls anywhere!

Q:) Are you dead romantic?

I'd like to be romantic but I haven't had the chance - you can only do so mcuh on a tour bus can't you?!

Q:) Being thekid of the band, do the other pick on you?

They treat me like crap! But thats what happens to little brother in a family. I treat my little bro like crap too! Thats why they call me the Prankster - because I have to fight back somehow!

Q:) Who's on the reciveing end of your japes?

I mess with Howie a lot - he aks for it! (smiles) But I've had fun with AJ. On the Millennium Tou I put itching powder in his rubber costume! Another time I put a cheese burger in his shoe!

Q:) Which band boy bugs you the most?

Kevin gets on my nerves sometimes. You never know what mood he's in.

Q:) What's the hardest stuff you've had to face?

The worstBSB times have been recently. Some of our dancers and crew's family members have died during the Black and Blue Tour. We lost Danny - one of our crew - in the NY disaster. Plus AJ had to go into rehab. But we got through it - and the bests yet to come.

Kevin

Kevin has the reputation of being Daddy Backstreet Boy. He walks into our interview slow and cool, and politely holds out a hand to shake. He's charming, thoughful and serious.

Q:) Kev, you've said BSB arn't splitting, but hello? A greatest hits album? Discuss...

We called our album Chapter One so everyone would knoe it's not the end of us - just the end of one part of our lives.

Q:) You're the band's grwon-up. How Mr Mature are you?

When I was younger I was like "Let's go!" I wanted to see and do as many things as I could. I love to travel, but now I liiek to stay in a city for more than two days at a time!

Q:) BSB fans'll do anything for you won't they?

Everything from throwing their underwear on stage, to hiding in our bus and riding to the next city with us! We were pretty surprised! I think our first reaction was "Hey, how did you get here?!"

Q:) What nice stuff have fans done too?

I was once given this incredible quilt someone made. It's beautiful. I've got it on my bed in the bus. We're lucky, we get all kinds of great gifts.

Q:) And whats the rudest thing they've done?

In Texas, I was once on the bus when a limo pulled up beside us. There was this totally nude girl standing up through the sun-roof waving at me! I was like "Has anybody got a camera?!"

Q:) You've spent years togethers as a band. How do you avoid strangling each other?

We get on amazingly, but we each have our own bus now. Its important to have a bit of a time out to yourself. We're at different stages in life so we need it.

AJ

The world knows he's had a tough year, ending up in rehab. But as we find out way through the Canadian Stadium to our interview room, he's the one wandering in the corridor, smiling sweetly. "Morning, morning morning!" he greets us - and he's lookin' good...

Q:) It's been a long time since you guys had your first big success..

Yeah, since then we;ve grown up a lot. When we started we were boys. And it was so exciting - at first going from state to state was a big deal, then we were going to Africa and South America, and seeing all new things. Apart from being in the military at our agem there's no way we could have seen what we've seen.

Q:) Any freaky moments?

When we were in Montreal I got in trouble with my ex cause she saw a lookey-likey chatting to some girls in a hotel. When she found me - I was like "I've been in my room!" She was ready to smack him, thinking it was me!

Q:) Had any other wierd compliments lately?

When I was rehab I met a couple of lovely people whose kids named their pets after me! Like a turtle!

Q:) Who's good in pop music now then?

I like System Of A Down, Linkin PArk - and India Arie and Sunshine Anderson are great.

Q:) What about Craig David?

He;s doing real good. I love his album. I met Craig in LA and he's a really nice guy. He had a chat with me about his problems. It's been a rough time for him, being so young and having such fast success.

Q:) You've had quite a life. If they made a movie of it, who'd play you?

(thinks........) I'd like it to be Joaquin Phoenix. We don't look much alike, but maybe he could grow the beard?!

Howie

People talk about Howie's dark, intense eyes and LAtin loks. When you meet him in the flesh, you can see why. "Have we met before?" he smiles. He doens't act like a pop star, more like that really sweet mate you've got, who always make you feel good.

Q:) You've seen so many bands come and go. Were you surprised Five split?

Yeah I was. I thought out of all the groups coming out of the UK, they were the edgiest. One time they wanted our advice about the business. They felt that we were one of the first, and that we did it right. It was a compliment.

Q:) Since you broke Europe, how have you changed as a band?

Oh, in alots of ways. When we first started, we were very naive about the business. Now we've learned what not to do. We've got a bigger entourage on the road now, a couple of us are married and a couple of us are dating, and some of us have family with us.

Q:) What funny stuff comes with being a BSB?

That there's always a BSB tribute band wherever we go! (laughs) It doesn't matter if we;re in Asia, Canada or Spain - they must buy every magazine and see all of our interviews, cause they're always complete replicas of us!

Q:) Had any weird stuff named after you?

Last year we had a street named after us for the MTV Music Awards in NY. For a week it was called somthing like BSB Avenue.

Q:) Tell us about a scary moment...

About 6 years aog in Germany, Gummi Bears were big. I came home for my birthday and these German fans were there with a cake made of Gummi Bears! I don't know how they got it through customs! I didn't wat it though - I was too scared!

Brian

The first thing you notice about Brian is how much he looks like his cousin Kevin. After he's stopped giggling with Nick, he curls his legs up on the couch, beams and asks: "Hey, what would you like to know?"

Q:) You've gone all grown-up and got hitched! What's going on?

(laughs) Yeah, its made me more adult. I think about responsibility and providing for the future, I hope in five years we'll still be making CDs and I'll have a family.

Q:) Are you a nice hubby?

Well, for her birthday I took Leighanne to this posh department store. I can't tell you how she spent! We had brunch, champagne, and personal shoppers. At the end of the day she said: "Oh, my God, this is like in Pretty Woman!"

Q:) But have you turned into a pyjama-wearing old fogey?

I don't normally wear pyjamas arounf the house - maybe a robe - and if nobody's there then I'll wear my 'knickers' like Austin Powers would say.

Q:) Where's the oddest place you've woken up?

I don't know about me - but Nick woke up on the floor of a British TV Show! He fell asleep in the chair in the hallway and fell flat on the floor! He opened his eyes to see this crowd standing over him.

Q:) Confirm or deny...you phone your dog to chat?

I do call my little dog - Tyke. I talk to him in a baby speak. - "Hi little Tykey Tykey!" He wags his tail, he knows his Daddy!

Q:) And what's the future of the mighty BSB?

Oooh! To win a Grammy, To evetually all have solo careers, and to outlast all the other groups.

Black and Blue Live!

The foot tappin' tour....uncovered!

We see lights! We see explosions! And slowly Backstreet rise up from below the stage on podiums. The crowd goes mad. The boys break into song as fires flash and images are projected behind them. There's some hot shoe shuffling - but not in such a fancy stylee as we saw on the N-SYNC tour. For the record, Nick's the one with the funkiest feet.

After a while everything chills out for some BSB crowd lovin', teamed wioth some er, interesting blue lounge suits. The boys get all gooey with I want It That Way, mingling into As Long As You Love Me. Cue spesh effects! While the band disppear for a snappy change, we;re treated to five-minute film of the boys showing us around the backstage. They reappear on a compketely different stage - just to please fans with cack seats. Nice - eh?

And you have to admire AJ when he walks to the front of the stage and says: "I wasn't much good at Maths at school, but from my calculations I've been sober for 85 days and counting!" Screams! Sobs! Wails!

Next Kevin talks about the bands charity work. Top work for top causes, but when hey start banging drums and show a film about the rainforest, it feels a bit erm, odd.

The finale doesn't disappoint, though. The boys finish off with Drowning - clearly the crowds fave of the night. Mmm... tow full hours of BSB and we;re still all in heaven!