Two of the biggest boy band stars of the 1990s had revealed the grueling working conditions and miserable wages they endured during their wild heyday, as a new documentary prepares to offer a glimpse into the groups’ golden age exclusively masculine.
Boybands Forever, which delves into the careers of ’90s and ’90s artists such as Take That, Westlife and Blue, will air this weekend.
Ahead of the miniseries’ release, Five star Ritchie Neville and 911’s Lee Brennan have revealed that while from the outside it looked like they were living the dream as stars of two of the UK’s biggest bands, the reality was very different.
talking to the guardianRitchie shared that he and his bandmates endured grueling working hours, meaning he only had “two days off in two years”, and in the early days he was paid just £100 a week.
He went on to reveal that his lowest moment came when he contracted chickenpox while on tour with Five in Australia and New Zealand.
Five-star Ritchie Neville (centre) has revealed the grueling working conditions and miserable wages he endured during the band’s heyday.
Speaking ahead of the BBC documentary Boybands Forever, Ritchie shared that he and his bandmates endured grueling working hours, meaning he only had “two days off in two years”.
Although doctors advised him to go home for two weeks and rest, a representative from his record label told him: “Doctors exaggerate too much, don’t they?
‘In the end they didn’t give me a passport to fly home. (Bandmate) Scott had to come in, steal my passport, hand it to me and put me in a taxi at four in the morning.
“At the time I didn’t think much about it. Now that’s an invasion of power, isn’t it really? It’s almost a prison.
Ritchie was a member of Five from their inception in 1997 until they first split in 2001, and the band have since reunited on several occasions.
Lee echoed that sentiment, admitting that his time with 911 was “a whirlwind of planes, hotels, concerts and press conferences.”
“We were so tired and we didn’t have a minute to think,” he added, before sharing that he found it difficult to handle the fans’ attention.
Both Ritchie and Lee added that they support a petition calling for a change in the law following the death of One Direction star Liam Payne.
The proposed law would ensure that stars receive regular mental health checkups, sufficient rest periods, mental health professionals on set and ongoing support throughout the artist’s career.
911 star Lee Brennan echoed the sentiment, admitting that his time with 911 was “a whirlwind of planes, hotels, concerts and press conferences.”
“We were so tired and we didn’t have a minute to think,” he added, before sharing that he found it difficult to handle the fans’ attention.
Liam fell 45 feet from the third floor to the patio of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires last month.
Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Payne fell from the third floor of the Hotel Casa Sur in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of the Argentine capital, causing “extremely serious injuries.”
Discussing the proposed law change, Neville added: ‘I couldn’t support it more. You have an affinity with people in bands. When One Direction took off, you couldn’t help but look at them in the press and think, “How are they doing?”;
Louis Theroux’s documentary Boybands Forever, which delves into the careers of ’90s and ’90s artists such as Take That, Westlife and Blue, will hit screens later this month.
The three-hour episodes will follow the life-changing reality of stars who find fame at a young age, delving into topics such as drinking, drugs, fighting and exploitation.
Louis interviewed the likes of Robbie Williams and Brian McFadden, as well as music label bosses Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh.
Speaking ahead of his boyband series, Louis said: “I couldn’t be more excited about this series. An epic story featuring an all-star cast and all-star creators, spanning three decades and involving some of the icons of modern British pop .
Both Ritchie and Lee added that they support a petition calling for a change in the law to protect the mental health of young artists, following the death of One Direction star Liam Payne.
‘We see them through them, through their ups and downs, listening to the key players, as we chart the golden years of boybands.
‘How they came together, the experience of sudden fame, the opportunities and temptations that came their way, the conflicts within the groups, between the groups and between the boys and their managers.
“It’s a gripping fable about getting everything you dreamed of, and it’s not what you imagined, centered on a generation of young men and their managers, who were tremendously successful and also immensely vulnerable, having the best times of their lives and also in some cases fall apart.
“Those guys we all saw singing and dancing in tight formation – Take That, East 17, Westlife, Blue, Five, Damage, 911 and so many others – are now middle-aged men who have the time and maturity to look back and reflect about it. It’s taken us over a year to make the show. Now I’m excited for people to see it.”
