BIOGRAPHY | DISCOGRAPHY | MAGAZINE / NEWSPAPER ARTICLES | PROMO PAGE
During Abs's Rumba tour, he's done quite a bit of promotion and here we will feature all the articles we can about him. There hasn't been much yet, even though Abs has done all the interviews already.
SCENE
Magazine (17/12/2002)
RUMBA Booklet (also scanned in at Pictures
section)
TV Hits Magazine (March 2003)
TIME OFF Magazine
Smash Hits Magazine - Australia
SCENE MAGAZINE
CHILLIN'
WITH THE MAN
What does ABS stand for? It might be 'Absolutely Bloody Stunning' or 'Animal
Behaviour Society', or it may even be just a clever name. Either way I'm not
telling you, it would just stop you from wondering!
When I arrive at
Hotel Sheraton in Brisbane I am told that ABS is taking interviews by the pool
in the sun. He sits in a chair looking very laid back, a perfectly normal 23
year-old guy from England, happy, healthy and polite, who just happens to be
a big superstar. He especially hates when people stress in a situation when
all he wants to do is take it easy.
"I can't stand people who stress around me, you need to chill ... as long
as you have a good team behind you, like I have, everything will work out fine,"
he says. In the end though, it is ABS who does the hard work. He is very satisfied
with this situation and feels all is going smoothly. He is standing with both
his feet on the ground and takes things as they come.
When 5ive officially split, he didn't have a plan. The producers from 5ive called asking if he wanted to work, so he recorded six tracks and sent them to the record company, who were thrilled to sign him.
"I think it kind of surprised a lot of people to be the first one to come out of a band and have something to say and especially with this kind of music ... I have more freedom now when I'm solo, I can say what I want without worrying what other people will say ... and I can choose the girls for the video," he says with a big grin on his face.
"I'm having a ball and just making the most of it, it doesn't last forever." Although he seems prepared for the future. "It's pretty crazy really, I have a lot of tracks written already, probably enough for three albums ... but that's just because I want the album to sound the way I want to," he says. And why not, it will carry his name.
Upon the release of his second EP 'Shame', and when he is back in England after Rumba, he's to finish the last recordings of his upcoming album. "It's got a bit of dance, girl chilling, some disco and reggae on the album ... it's a bit of everything for everyone," he says.
After that he's going to spend the holidays "chillin" with his family and friends. And his mother will probably, as usual, show everyone her scrapbook she has made of Abs's life as a star. Wouldn't every proud mother do the same?
ABS' SECOND EP 'Shame" RELEASED THROUGH BMG CAN BE FOUND IN ALL GOOD RECORD STORES.
RUMBA BOOKLET (GIVEN WITH THE RUMBA TOUR)
THE NAME: Abs
THE WORD: Baby give me what you got / 'Cause I'm everything that she's not /
Love is all I bring / In my khaki suit and ting / So honey leave your girl at
home / With your car keys, mobile phone / Love is all I got / All the things
that make you hot...
THE CITIES: Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney
THE GOSS: Abs is the first member of chart-topping UK boy band Five to sign a solo deal. His heart-stopping single "What You Got" debuted in the UK chart at Number Four. Five were known as the naughty boys of British pop and had a stack of hits in Australasia, including "When The Lights Go Out", "Everybody Get Up", "Keep On Movin'", "Don't Wanna Let You Go" and the Queen collaboration "We Will Rock You". After they split, Abs made a surprise appearance at last year's RUMBA - taking to the audience for a spot of crowd-surfing! - and now he's back for more fun. Abs' debut album, titled Absessive Behaviour, is out right now and is sure to hurtle this killer performer into the superstar stratosphere ...even further than he has already come! [NOTE: Absessive Behaviour is not out yet]
How do
you know you're in love?
You know you're in love because you're constantly, 24/seven, always thinking
about that special person. You're pretty much happy, the sun's always shining
even though it's raining, the birds happen to be singing at just the right time
and street lamps light up when you walk past them, and all the rest of it, man.
Rainbows appear for no reason!
Describe
your perfect Valentine's date...
What would I do on my perfect Valentine's Day? I've spent Valentine's Day on
a tiny little island in the Indian Ocean before but it's not about what you
got, and what you do and all the rest, it's all about the little things - letting
each other know that you're there for them no matter what. You ain't got to
buy each other presents, materialistic stuff. You've gotta know you can trust
them, that's the main thing. As long as you can have that - I'd rather have
that than anything.
How do
you let a girl know that you really like her?
Normally, when I see someone I like, just a lot of staring goes on. There's
lots of eye contact. Then you kind of take it from there.
Do you
prefer flowers or chocolates?
I don't do the whole flowers thing, I filled a room up with them once - spent
a whole lot of money - but then they all died and she had to clean them up!
It's nice when they're all fresh, but then they start to smell.
Describe
your ideal girl....
I don't mind what colour hair she's got, I don't mind how she looks, she's gotta
look nice but, you know, once you get past the looks there's gotta be something
else that attracts you to her. A good sense of humour, a bit of attitude, I
like someone who's got a bit of fire.
What's
the most romantic song?
All the Marvin Gaye [songs]. Even some new stuff, some soulful house and stuff.
Something a bit... bouncy!
Ever had
any disastrous dates?
I've never been on a bad date. Honest to God!
There's also a little bit on the School Daze section....
What were
you like when you went to high school?
At the beginning I was hard-working, doing my homework every night and I liked
all my friends and teachers - I got on very well with everyone. Towards the
end, I became a rebel. I would say, "I'm not doing my homework. I don't
want to talk to you!"