AJ McLean is most famous for being the ‘bad boy’ of hit 90s boyband The Backstreet Boys but, with his upcoming solo album, he is attempting to forge a successful solo career.

The 30-year-old singer - who is partly responsible for the band’s hit tracks including ‘(Everybody) Backstreet’s Back’ and ‘As Long as You Love Me’ - insists he isn’t worried about stepping away from the sound which led to his fame.

“We’re calling it a rock, funk and soul vibe. The vocals are pop and R ‘n’B-ish and there’s even a kind of country twang going on,” he said. “It’s eclectic. I think people will be a little shocked by some songs, which is absolutely fine by me. They’ll be thinking, ‘That is what I hoped he was going to do’.”

However, A.J. is arguably more famous for his personal life as for his professional career.

He went to rehab in 2001 to seek help for his alcohol and cocaine addiction after his bandmates Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough intervened when they became concerned about his erratic behaviour.

Now tee-total, A.J. insists the experience sobered him in more ways than one, and also led to him writing a book with his mother Denise entitled ‘Backstreet Mom’.

He also said he has some advice for other troubled celebrities including Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears.

“I’m coming up on six years sober,” he said. “I just want to sit down with Britney and pick her brain.

“I want to be just someone who can tell her straight. I’ll say, ‘Hey, do you want to die? Is that what you want?’ If that is what she really wanted, she would have done it already. I know that is not what she wants.”

Instead of turning his back on The Backstreet Boys, A.J. insists he will never leave his bandmates behind, and is currently undergoing his solo tour in conjunction with the boys’ ‘Unbreakable’ World Tour 2008.

A.J. also revealed the boys have been incredibly supportive of his solo venture.

“We’re all really supportive of each other’s projects outside of the group, whether it be singing, acting, producing or whatever,” he said. “The one thing we’ve always told each other is that we’ll never hold each other back. If anyone’s got any dreams or aspirations to go do something on their own, that’s cool as long as they can co-exist with the group.”

While the boys’ comeback tour has not been as successful as their previous ones, it is clear they still have some devoted fans. Lacking former member Kevin Richardson, the boys’ most recent album ‘Unbreakable’ was well received by critics and fans alike.

However, it seems that A.J.’s solo career could take him beyond the realms of boybandom to forge a career as a thoroughly successful solo artist.

With pop tracks and heart-wrenching soulful tracks on the as-yet-untitled album, A.J. is set to prove he has what it takes to succeed in an industry which enjoys victimising boyband ‘has-beens’.

BANG Showbiz spoke to the musician on the day after The Backstreet Boys’ performance at London’s O2 arena, on the night of his solo performance at the IndigO2 - a more intimate concert venue inside the arena.

Q: How was the show with The Backstreet Boys at London’s O2 arena last night?
A: The show was amazing - it went off without a hitch. We added a lot of new s**t yesterday - pyro and stuff so it was like because we were doing it for this big webcast for MSN and we are probably going to make it into a DVD as well - we wanted to add a little flair to the show that wasn’t normally there. It went off without a hitch - nobody blew up, nobody caught fire! It was really good. There’s been moments when that’s happened.

Q: Why did you decide to go solo now?
A: I’m ready. A lot of people ask me, ‘Why didn’t you do it at the height of the Backstreet Boys fame?’ But I wasn’t ready then. I’m really glad I didn’t do it then because I was just getting into my drinking and drugging and I would have probably destroyed my solo career. I mean, I probably would have been in the press an awful lot but it wouldn’t have been positive and I want it to be positive and I want it to be right. I also like to think I would have learned as much as I did to write about. I wanted to be so honest with this record. I’m so psyched - I’m ready for this. I’m scared - I won’t lie. It’s kind of surreal and a little nerve-wracking because you are going to be up there on your own and you turn around a look behind you and there is nobody there - it’s all you!

Q: Have you taken it in a specifically different direction that the material you wrote with the Backstreet Boys?
A: Yes, it is definitely a different direction. There are some songs that could be a Backstreet Boys record but then when you hear the lyrical content you go, ‘OK, maybe not!’ But the melodies and the harmonies - they have that feel to them. For the most part the sound is completely different. It’s more rock, funk and soul with a pop feel. But it’s me tapping into the start of where I really want to go. I couldn’t go where I wanted to go on my first record because I think it would have taken people much too much by surprise. But for my second record, if this one does really well, I’ll do the kind of record I want to do which is straight up funk - anything from Creedence Clearwater Revival to Jimi Hendrix - straight up rock funk.

Q: Normally, the album precedes a tour, but you’ve done it the other way around. Why?
A: I think just because we have talked about when we are going to make another record. We have talked about the sound that we are trying to go for on this next Backstreet Boys record. I think it’s just the timing - it just happens to be what is best for me. We are going to wrap up this whole tour in September and then I am going to continue doing shows like this right up until the single release and then do a proper solo tour next year. But it just seems to be the right time.

Q: Have you found your solo music has had a different reception with American and European audiences?
A: I don’t know. I’ve done two US shows, at the House of Blues and at the Roxy, and they seemed to love it. There was a lot of European fans there but there was a lot of American fans there too, and everyone seems to really love it. They get it - they see that it’s me and that’s what I want them to see. And also they take something from it because it’s more real music as far as directly what I’m talking about. It’s more relatable and it’s just people - guys and girls. There were guys at my show, there were guys rocking out - I think it’s OK to like Backstreet Boys if you are a guy now and even more so, it is OK to like just good music! It doesn’t matter who is doing it - a guy or a girl.

I spent probably about four years making this record. It started in one direction, and then I went in another direction, and then in another direction again. Everything just kind of fell into place.

Q: What do the other boys think of it - are they supportive of you?
A: They love it - they are in full support. They love the record and they think it’s going to do really, really well. After I cut a couple of songs I bounced it off a couple of the guys and said, ‘Hey, check this new one out, what do you think?’ They all have two particular songs across the board which are their favourites which are ‘London’ and ‘I Hate It When You’re Gone’. They are going to be there tonight to watch the show. They haven’t seen the show yet so they don’t really know what they are in for. It’s a little different than a Backstreet Boys show.

Q: You started as an actor in the very beginning - have you got any plans to go back to that?
A: I would love to. I mean, obviously I want to put the cart before the horse, but I definitely want to get back into doing my musical theatre, and I actually want to get a flat here in London next year. I love London and I want to move here. I want to move down to the West End, to really be near the theatre district, and I definitely want to get back into acting again - I do. It’s something that I would really love to do. I don’t know how many parts I can get with all my tattoos though! I don’t want to be stereotyped as the prison guy or the bad guy.

Q: What do you think about Britney Spears starring on ‘How I Met Your Mother’?
A: I think her performance on the show will do well. I think as long as she can just keep her feet on the ground and just find herself again. She is a little lost but I know she can do it, I believe in her. I believe in anybody who wants to do something for themselves.

Q: Nick found a lot of fame in the US because of his reality show, ‘House of Carters’ - would you ever consider doing a reality show?
A: I’m not a big fan of reality television. I can openly admit and accept that TV is becoming a great bit outlet with people nowadays, but the layout of a group like us - we have been doing what we’ve done for the past 15 years without it - we don’t need it. We don’t need to conform to doing a reality TV show. There is really not much to us to watch the four of us do a reality show - it would be kind of boring. There’s not drama, there’s not fighting and bickering - there’s nothing to watch. It would have to be made up. I do like stuff like ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ that are more like a true documentary, or something like that that shows who you are there - real - it shows everything. That to me is more credible and more respectful. But I don’t know - reality television is the big thing right now. I think Nick learnt a lot about himself through his. He was kind of 50/50 doing it - part of it he hated, and part of it, he learned about himself. I don’t think he would ever do it again, but who knows?!

Q: You said the Backstreet Boys’ show last night was broadcast on MSN and you have found a lot of success with your solo material through YouTube. How much of an impact do you think the internet is having on the music industry?
A: It’s huge. I mean, you ask anybody who is an artist and more than likely in the next five years there’s not going to be any more record companies - period. There will be one big huge one that has every artist and iTunes and YouTube and the internet is going to run through that. Or you get artists who become their own record companies. There are people now who are just doing distribution deals with people - they are their record company. And that is what every artist has ever wanted when you really think about it - to have complete and utter creative control and all you really need is a great publicist, a great distribution company and a great marketing plan. The rest is you just doing what you love to do. You don’t need a record company nowadays anymore. And record companies are becoming obsolete - there’s nothing for them to do. But the internet - especially sites like YouTube and MySpace - is huge. MySpace now is going back to what it was originally meant for, which was for new artists in the music industry to promote themselves. You look at people like Ryan Tedder from One Republic - they were one of the biggest MySpace bands in the world and now look at them! They are doing quite well for themselves! But YouTube has been really great for me with my solo stuff because now I think a lot of fans will know a lot more of the words.

[Source]

Posted: May 17th, 2008 under In The Press.
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Backstreet Boys not only rocked their bodies, they rocked the Odyssey Arena on Monday night when they played their first ever gig in Belfast.

The Odyssey crowd are a notorious species, with their passion for music and noise at shows by some of the world’s top artists well renowned. This, however, was on another level.

The world’s biggest selling boyband were in town for their first taste of life in Belfast, and it didn’t disappoint.

Fifteen years after forming, Backstreet Boys are still going strong, and they came out fighting, quite literally, as they began their two-hour spectacle.

Opening the show in a giant boxing ring, they belted out ‘Larger Than Life’, and the heavyweight champs of the boyband world, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, AJ McClean and Howie Dorough, proved themselves worthy of the title.

With just a screen behind them and a simple stage setting, there were no flashy displays or time wasting for wardrobe changes. This was simply two hours of huge hits, superior vocals and fantastic tracks from their most recent album ‘Unbreakable’.

The show took fans on a journey from the beginning of their career to the current offering, with tracks such as ‘I’ll Never Break Your Heart’, the song which won them their first ‘Smash Hits Award’, ‘Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)’, ‘As Long As You Love Me’, ‘The Call’, ‘Incomplete’ and the huge number one hit ‘I Want It That Way’.
The guys also took time out to perform a song from each of their solo albums and their next single which is due to be released on Monday, the brilliant ‘Helpless When She Smiles’.

As the hits continued with ‘Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely’, ‘Inconsolable’ and ‘More Than That’, as well as news songs like ‘Trouble Is’ and ‘Treat Me Right’, the crowd were already whipped up into a frenzy, singing back every word as the noise became deafening.
The decible level quickly increased as they performed the monster smash ‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back), before closing the show with ‘Shape Of My Heart’.

The Backstreet Boys may have waited fifteen years to play in Belfast, but judging by this show, it won’t be as long until they return.

[Source]

Posted: May 13th, 2008 under In The Press.
Comments: 1

It could arguably be the comeback of the decade, and not for the first time either. After an initial split in 2001 and subsequent comeback album in 2006, followed by the departure of one of the five members that same year, the Backstreet Boys have made yet another comeback, the four remaining members proving they are made of the stuff that lasts the distance.

Last Friday the biggest boy band of all times played for a third time in Portugal, at Lisbon’s Pavilhão Atlântico.

Whilst the pavilion only filled with an estimated six thousand fans who had made their way to the venue, the enthusiasm was as vibrant as ever, the anticipation contagious.

Not as extravagant as previous performances, it seems a conscious effort was made to present a more mature and individual four-member band, though the dance moves and vocal efforts were on a par with those of a band at their peak.

Thousands of fans had been queuing since the early hours of the afternoon, littering the surrounding area of the pavilion to ensure the best possible place.

Different generations made up the excited crowd, some fans from the boys’ grand entrance to pop nearly 15 years ago, and other younger fans though still as dedicated.

Some had even travelled from as far away as the UK and Italy, proving that despite a six-year break, debatably successful solo careers, and a one-member-less comeback, those who were faithful, remain faithful.

One young female told The Portugal News how she had followed the band’s career since the very beginning, having followed them on their previous world tours, travelling to countries including Japan, Australia and Russia, before more recently following them to Spain and Portugal.

On the night the quartet performed songs from all their albums, past and present.

Opening with ‘Larger than Life’ from their 1999 album ‘Millennium’, they progressed through a medley of musical renditions, which included their first ever smash hit, ‘Quit Playing Games (with my heart)’ from their introductory album Backstreet Boys, proceeding with favourites from albums ‘Backstreet’s Back’, ‘Black & Blue’, ‘Never Gone’, and their latest chart-topper, ‘Unbreakable’.

With album sales in their millions, a place in The Guinness Book as the ‘biggest boy band of all time’, and no signs of slowing down, the Backstreet Boys certainly do seem to be ‘Unbreakable’, if not unstoppable.

[Source]

Posted: May 3rd, 2008 under In The Press.
Comments: 1

Ten years and 90 million albums on, onetime teen idols Backstreet Boys have become men.

The band have a short UK tour, which includes a date at Birmingham’s NIA on Thursday, May 8, and admit that they are pleasantly surprised to be still very much in business.

“To still be around feels amazing,” admits Howie Dorough; “so many artists, boy bands and rappers that started when we did have disbanded.

“We look at artists like the Eagles, the Rolling Stones or Aerosmith, where everyone has done individual things, but they are still able to come back together. I admire that kind of staying power.”

Brian Littrell agrees: “The pop bands of yesteryear that don’t exist anymore were centred around one or two central vocalists. What has allowed us to keep going is that we were always a team of well-rounded singers, with a similar vision.

“We’ve been through so much together, on equal terms, and that either tears you apart or brings you closer.

“When we took a break from 2002 to 2005, it was such a blessing to step outside of our own spotlight and focus on the value of something other than being a pop star. We needed to go through that character building in order to maintain respect for what we all have as a group.”

Now a quartet following the amicable departure of Kevin Richardson in 2006, the Boys went back to the future for last year’s Unbreakable album after experimenting with a more guitar-based approach on Never Gone.

“The rock sound limited us from doing as much choreography,” explains Howie. “When we were in the studio, we recorded more than 30 songs, but made the conscious decision that this album should return to that middle ground, so our fans realise we haven’t lost touch with who we have always been. Performance is such an important element of the Backstreet Boys.”

“We can’t wait to get back onstage and put a big extravagant show together using this material as the base,” agrees Nick Carter. “Half of what we do is vocals and harmonies on our albums, but our other role is entertainers, which we take pride in.”

A J McLean jokes: “We don’t want to be a bunch of geriatric boys sitting on stools when we perform. I think when you hear the record, you can see how much fun these songs are going to be to perform live.”

“We’ve been part of this group for half our lives - it’s crazy to think about. If you asked me in 1992 if I’d still be a Backstreet Boy in 2008, I’d have thought we’ll make some records together and have a good little run. But we continue because we love what we do.

“We thrive being onstage and seeing the faces of little girls and boys and couples and grandmothers, all cutting a jig in the front row. If we were to write a book based on our experiences, I think it would be longer than War and Peace. When I’m a grandpa, I’m going to have a lot of stories to tell.”

“We love the fact that we can still lift people’s spirits and make them smile with songs they can sing along to. I do think we’ve found a magical sound,” adds Brian. “We’ve grown up together with our fans for this long. Hopefully, we can stay together for another 15 years.”

“Our music has evolved with our fans. We were young pups when we started,” says Howie. “With each album we’ve had the opportunity to grow more mature, lyrically and vocally. We’ve also had the chance to educate ourselves about the business and becoming real musicians. I hope that shows with each step we’ve taken.”

[Source]

Posted: April 25th, 2008 under In The Press.
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Nia Gibbons talks to the band’s reformed party animal about life back on the road.

They’ve sold millions of records, their signature song I Want it That Way made it to number one in 25 countries, and now Backstreet Boys are back.

Though with kids and spouses in tow and a combined age of 125, these days they are arguably more Backstreet Men.

In fact, as the band make their way towards their Liverpool date next month, it takes five buses fixed up with all the mod-cons to transport everybody.

Howie Dorough, 34, has his wife on board; 33-year-old Brian Littrell’s wife and son will be jumping the bus at some points, and 30-year-old AJ McLean’s got a friend joining the bus he shares with Nick Carter, who at 28 is the baby of the band.

However, there will be few rock and roll antics as they roll through the territories.

Instead, the slimmed down four-piece expect to split their time between “chilling”, sleeping, watching movies, writing music and making the occasional panini.

“You got to have a little bit of home out here,” says AJ, the reformed party animal of the group.

“Sometimes the travelling can be tedious and being away from your family is hard, but as long as you keep in contact with your family on a regular basis, eat right and try to make time for the right things, it’s a pretty smooth ride.

“For me, I just love being on the bus, I love travelling, it’s good to be back on stage and on the road again.

“It’s just fun to be in all these countries and cities, seeing the familiar faces.”

Inspired by the success of forerunners New Kids on the Block and Take That, BSB were conceived 15 years ago by now disgraced music manager Lou Pearlman.

Being constantly referred to as a boy band used to bother them, but these days the guys are glad of the compliment.

“People are going to call us that no matter what,” says AJ, “It’s just what we’ve been called for years, it really doesn’t bother us much any more.

“In the beginning we were with the other boy bands, but we always considered ourselves a vocal harmony group.

“But if they want to call us a boy band now it’s cool, it actually makes us feel young again, so that’s flattering.”

Prompted largely by Nick Carter’s desire to go solo and also a wrangle with their record label, Backstreet Boys took a break in 2002, but began performing together again in 2004. Their album, Never Gone, was released in 2005 debuting at number three in the US.

Sixth album Unbreakable is currently in stores and is the first release from the band since eldest member, 35-year-old Kevin Richardson made the decision to quit in 2006.

AJ says the album sums up the place they were in when the songs were written: “It just came to us as we were having dinner one night as a group.

“It made sense and fitted our whole career.

“Losing a member and still moving forward, we’ve been through a lot together and we are truly unbreakable.”

AJ should know; after all, the musician, who grew up in Florida’s West Palm Beach, has undoubtedly been through some tough times.

He admitted himself to rehab for drugs and alcohol addiction in 2003 and later went on the Oprah Winfrey Show to tell the talkshow host how his secret addiction to cocaine and alcohol almost cost him his life and his career.

The rest of the band made a surprise appearance in support.

The experience provided plenty of material for both Backstreet songs and tracks for AJ’s upcoming solo album, a process he says he found it therapeutic.

“It’s my first record to introduce people to me outside of being a BSB,” says AJ of the self-titled LP.

“It’s definitely more real, they’re not your typical pop songs with a happy ending all the time.”

During BSB’s “time off”, AJ’s been busy promoting his solo career.

He did his first gig in Los Angeles recently, where he’s been living for the past eight years with a “crazy” Australian shepherd named Ozzy and Bernie the Bernese mountain dog.

If he wasn’t in Backstreet Boys, AJ believes he would still be in the music business: “Only I think I would be doing theatre, maybe teaching musical theatre in NYU, which is something I have always wanted to do.

“I was offered Broadway before but it wasn’t possible in our schedule then. I definitely plan on going down that road, and the West End, too.”

All the boys have their own lives outside he group and solo projects are encouraged.

“You just have to make it happen,” AJ insists. “You could co-exist with yourself and the group, so as long as your not killing yourself over it, you’ll be all right.”

After touring Europe, the guys are looking forward to their appearance in Liverpool and expect to see all sorts of people in the audience both fans that have grown up with them along with the new younger ones.

“We’ve got everybody coming to our gigs: guys, girls, couples, families . . . everyone! We love it!

“We live for the stage and performing for all of our fans, as long as our fans want us to keep doing it, we’re going to keep doing it.”

[Source]

Posted: April 19th, 2008 under In The Press.
Comments: 1

AJ McLean, 30, achieved fame as a member of the American boy band Backstreet Boys. He is currently writing and recording on his own and will be playing in London at the Indig02 Arena on 15 May.

If I weren’t talking to you right now I’d be …
Sleeping. I’m a bit of an insomniac. I go to bed at 5am because I get caught up in watching TV or listening to music at night.

A phrase I use too often …
“Douche bag”.

I wish people would take more notice of …
My eyes. I don’t like it when people don’t look me dead in the eye. I move my head around trying to catch their eye.

The most surprising thing that happened to me was …
Once I went to bed in Orlando and I woke up in Atlanta. I have no idea how that happened.

A common misperception of me is …
That I’m a bad boy. If you really know me I’m the polar opposite of that.

I am not a politician but …
I’d fire Bush. Then I’d make it mandatory to send everybody to rehab. The way people handle things there is the way we should in the outside world. Communication is so much better when people are vulnerable. It was the best 30 days of my life.

The ideal night out is…
A poker night.

In moments of weakness I …
Turn to my mother.

You know me as a pop star but in a truer life I’d have been …
A thespian. I grew up in musical theatre and love to perform on stage.

My philosophy is this …
Life is what you make it.

[Source]

Posted: April 14th, 2008 under In The Press.
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After selling more than 120 million records with the Backstreet Boys, a group he joined when he was just 15, A.J. McLean has decided to take the plunge. Next month he embarks upon his first European tour as a solo artist, offering us a sneak preview of his debut album, due later this year. Is A.J. feeling nervous? How do his bandmates feel about him going it alone? We gave him a call to find out.

What’s made you want to go solo now?
“It’s about time. I’ve been patiently waiting for a long time for the right music and the right sound to show people who I am outside the group.”

You’ve decided to tour before you’ve released any material. Why is that?
“I think just to cause a buzz and to get everybody on board. It’s also to test the music, to find out what people like and don’t like. The fans are the people who are buying the record, so it’s important to find out what they’re into and not into. I want some feedback from them!”

What is the A.J. McLean solo sound? Will it shock Backstreet Boys fans?
“We’re calling it a rock, funk and soul vibe. The vocals are pop/R&Bish and there’s even a kinda country twang going on. It’s eclectic. I think people will be a little shocked by some songs, which is absolutely fine by me. They’ll be thinking, ‘That’s what I hoped he was gonna do’.”

Do you show a more personal side on the album?
“It’s a very personal record and it was very therapeutic for me to write it. The song ‘Sincerely Yours’ is about my father and the relationship we don’t really have, and there are break-up songs on there that are quite realistic and don’t really have a happy ending.”

Are you nervous about doing this without the support network of the Backstreet Boys?
“I think I’ll be fine. I think the initial reaction is to be a little bit timid, because I’ve always had the other members of the group to back me up, but I’m definitely ready for it and I’m looking for it.”

Have the other guys been supportive?
“Absolutely. We’re all really supportive of each other’s projects outside of the group, whether it be singing, acting, producing, whatever. The one thing we’ve always told each other is that we’ll never hold each other back. If anyone’s got any dreams or aspirations to go do something on their own, that’s cool as long as they can co-exist with the group.”

Have they heard your music?
“Everybody except for Howie has heard pretty much everything and they love the record. They’re very excited for me which makes me feel much more confident.”

Have they offered any “constructive criticism”?
“I think we all do. We all listen to each other’s music and try to give an opinion and make suggestions and critique it. We’re all artists and songwriters so it kinda happens naturally whether you want it to or not. We just spit it out: ‘If I were you, I might do this, but hey it’s your song’.”

Finally, what do you think of the New Kids reunion?
“If they pull it off, it’s gonna open up doors again for so many groups like us and them. As long as the music’s good, it’ll be awesome. They’ve been gone for quite a while now, but who knows? Maybe it’s their time.”

Do you have any advice for them?
“They’re all older than us and they’ve been doing this for while, so I don’t know that I have much advice for them, but I’d say they should definitely have that confidence among themselves. They’re probably gonna catch a bit of flack here and there, but they shouldn’t let it bother them. They should just push forward.”

[Source]

Posted: April 11th, 2008 under In The Press.
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Is money and power a free license to act like a spoiled brat?

Always has been and always will be.

In a goofy fantasy moment on reality TV last week, singer Trace Adkins was given a taste of the asinine demands that celebrities routinely dictate to hotel workers and service staff.

Adkins, whose song “You’re Gonna Miss This” currently sits at No. 2 on the Billboard country charts, played the role of errand boy for the Backstreet Boys - a metrosexual pop band representing his musical antithesis. The hilarious exercise was staged for the season finale of Donald Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice.”

The Backstreet contract rider requires that their dressing room be stocked with an ample supply of wheat grass juice. Adkins, who’s clearly more of a beer guy, claimed he had never heard of the stuff and seemed annoyed that he had to go look for it.

Whether the wheat grass tension was real or manufactured for television, obscure snack scavenger hunts like this happen all the time. The most comprehensive collection of celebrity contract riders is posted at TheSmokingGun.com (click on the “Backstage” icon).

Some requests, such as buckets of “clean” ice, seem reasonable. Luxury hotels must occasionally get rusty water in the ice machine for this stipulation to be so common. Others, such as the mandatory cereal schedule for Clay Aiken’s backup band, go off the silliness charts.

In case you want to sync up your breakfast menu, the Claymates are fed Kellogg’s Raisin Bran (Mondays), Lucky Charms (Tuesdays), Life (Wednesdays), Oatmeal Raisin Crisp (Thursdays), Honey Nut Clusters (Fridays), Cream of Wheat (Saturdays) and Honeycomb (Sundays).

Stars, regardless of where they are on the fame spectrum, aren’t bashful about vocalizing their arbitrary dislikes. Weird Al Yankovic asks for bottled water, but cautions “NO DASANI BRAND” in screaming caps. Sheryl Crow won’t drink Evian, but no matter what kind you serve, she instructs “PLEASE DO NOT CHILL THE BOTTLED WATER.”

Metallica has a mandatory bacon policy: VERY IMPORTANT THAT BACON BE AVAILABLE AT EVERY MEAL AND DURING DAY.

After being bombarded with capital letters, it is no wonder that so many hospitality workers leak these contract riders to The Smoking Gun. Minor embarrassment is their only option for retribution.

The so-called comedian Carrot Top says he’s sick of carrot cake and doesn’t think the gesture is clever. Bill Cosby wants Cottonelle toilet paper. The Pittsburgh Steelers can only use Heinz ketchup on their burgers.

During his “Celebrity Apprentice” exercise to take care of the Backstreet Boys, Adkins found himself running out to the drug store to buy a bottle of black nail polish. One of the band members wouldn’t perform without it.

Adkins’ incredulous reaction seemed genuine. He devotes a chunk of his new biography, “A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions From a Freethinking Roughneck,” to his early days constructing oil pipelines in Louisiana. It was a job that didn’t come with manicures.

The Smoking Gun’s archives contain the petty wish lists of 220 celebrities. Adkins isn’t one of them, which means the odds are high that he treats his concert workers and hotel staff with respect and flexibility.

For the sanity of errand boys and gophers everywhere, it would be wonderful if more rock stars voluntarily switched roles for a day.

Like Adkins, the rest of us do our jobs just fine without nail polish or an endless supply of bacon.

[Source]

Posted: April 2nd, 2008 under In The Press.
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‘Boy’ A.J. McLean grows up — if his fans will let him. The singer ventures beyond the Backstreet with an enthusiastic and promising launch to his solo career.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this ain’t no boy band,” the announcer exclaimed as A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys rolled onto the stage Monday at the Roxy. It certainly wasn’t. McLean generated boy-band-worthy shrieks from female fans but created a rock ‘n’ roll mood, sporting black nail polish and eyeliner, and celebrating the night’s lack of PG-propriety by cursing and being sexually provocative. But given a 90-minute set that was all over the place stylistically, he is still figuring out who he is on his own.

The performance, which showcased material from his solo debut due later this year, was only his second solo date. His band, which included four members of the Backstreet Boys’ touring band as well as a three-piece horn section and two backup singers, sounded under-rehearsed. But McLean displayed winning enthusiasm and a humility remarkable for someone who has sold millions of albums and charted numerous times with his other group, which is about to embark on a European tour. He introduced each song by explaining his inspiration and giving ample credit to his co-songwriters, including sometime Backstreet Boys producer Kristian Lundin.

The set ranged from the kinetic, horn-laden sound of “Love Me Crazy” to the electro-rock vibe of “Have It All” and the earnest ballad “I Hate It When You’re Gone.” McLean’s vocals were strong, but he sounded more like a performer than a singer expressing his own voice and personality.

If McLean is experiencing growing pains, it’s also unclear whether fans will let him mature. Many on hand were almost more interested in seeing him strip than sing. They went crazy for any Backstreet Boys mention, including a moody, rock version of the group’s “Incomplete.” When he sat to play acoustic guitar on the blues pop ballad “Life Is Just,” fans chatted loudly.

Several pop numbers were good fun, especially when he delivered a Prince-worthy falsetto during “Gorgeous,” which could be summer’s guilty pop pleasure. McLean finally bared real emotion and pushed his vocals during an intense power ballad, “Sincerely Yours,” about his painful relationship with his absent father. McLean clearly has personality to spare and a devoted fan base. Now he needs to find his solo music persona or a way to just be himself in his songs.

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Posted: March 26th, 2008 under In The Press.
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Taking a long-awaited side trip, A.J. McLean says his first solo project will let fans know “who I am outside of the Backstreet Boys.”

“It feels good, man. It’s really been 15 years in the making,” McLean, 30, tells PEOPLE.

While he’s not leaving the group, and will soon be heading out on a European tour with his band-mates, McLean is stepping out on his own for two concert appearances this Sunday and Monday in California, performing songs from his album that comes out later this year.

“Once I got sober things really kind of kicked into gear for me,” says McLean, a recovering alcoholic now six years sober. “Everything I was feeling, I started just putting it down with pen on paper and applying music to it.”

Audiences who catch his solo shows (including shows at small venues throughout Europe after the Backstreet tour ends May 15) won’t get a boy-band show.

“There are no dancers, no big flashing lights – it’s just about the music and about me.” he says. ” I can speak my mind, say whatever I want to say, and not feel like I have to be censored. It’s me being myself and I’m not a kid anymore. If I want to say the S-word on stage I can do that. I’m 30 years old. I can talk about what I want to talk about.”

How do the other Backstreet Boys feel about it? “The group is very supportive of him,” says a source close to the band. In fact, the source adds, “You will most likely see the group members at the shows in Los Angeles and London.”

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Posted: March 22nd, 2008 under In The Press.
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