HOWIE DOROUGH: Interview @ InRock Magazine

When talking with Howie, the atmosphere is always very relaxing .Even when BSB was the hottest pop star , every time I saw Howie he’s always smiling at me and greet me ,”long time no see , how are you?” Right now he’s already a father. And the interview begins with Howie’s son.



--In fact, I just talked with Gerard Way of My chemical romance, he just got a girl, and because he missed his girl too much, so he can’t carry out the plan that they do longtime job in Japan.

Feeling so blessed. Eh, right now I have the same feeling.



--You son is just five month old?

Well, yes. For me son is part of my life. In order to feel that he was always by my side, my wife send his pictures to me everyday .



--Everyday?

Yeah. In the way, I can see how he grows up, even I’m not by his side. And, now because he’s still too young, so he can’t talk. I think this is a good thing. If I hear he says “I miss you daddy ”on the phone, it will be really hard for me and also for him. Just like Brian, every time when he was on phone with Baylee, Baylee was always saying that “daddy, I miss you so much!” It’s very hard for a father to hear something like that. All the things that my son can do right now is just wiping and shouting, he just can eat and poop. (laugh) But although I was always thinking about my son, yet I do love my work very much. I won’t slow down my work because of my son.. To make sure my work and balance my family and my life is very important to me. Feels like I will do it very well.



--But when the Europe tour start this October , can you bear it ?

Ah, about this I have already prepare to take them on the tour.



--Oh, then there is no more questions.

Yeah. All the problems are solved. I’ve already got my son’s passport.



--About taking care of your son, how do you do to help you wife.

She’s a genius about taking care baby. She’s really good at it. Not only my son, she took cared of me by the way. (laugh )



--But you should help a lot about this.

You mean when I’m at home? That’s definitely. Especially when BSB were having breaks. In the night, if my son started crying, I would tell my wife: you go to sleep, I will take care of him. And when I’m very busy about my work, she will tell me: you go to sleep. She’s really a caring wife and a very excellent mom. I’m so blessed.



--In the Inrock Oct. it says Nick always like to buy the clothes of Urban Outfitter. It seems he said all the clothes you bought are Gucci. (laugh)

He said I only buy Gucci? Ha-ha, to tell you the truth, the clothes I am wearing today was prepared by my image designer. This is not my clothes, If it were, it should be my best clothes. Ha-ha, when we have to shoot photograph and have interview and some activities, our image designer will buy some clothes for us there. Because it’s very inconvenient to take those clothes of five people from here to there.



--Ah? Seem like it’s been misunderstood. You don’t like to wear those expensive clothes?

No, no, no, I surely like to wear those expensive clothes. As for my own clothes, I do usually buy Gucci and Armani. I usually wear Gucci at night, but during the day , I usually wear something more casual.



--Let’s talk about the new album. This album sales better than you last album in Japan. So far, I have sold more than 200,000 copies in Japan (till October 2009)

Wow, that’s really incredible.



--Although there are less people who want to buy CDs, this album can still sales so good. What about other countries? The last album, seem like it haven’t got the permission of broadcasting bureau, are there many problems?

Well, yeah that’s it. Talking about why, it can date back to Millennium and Black and Blue. At that time the radio are crazy in playing our songs. Once you turn on the radio, you will definitely hear our music. Just because of this, lots of people are getting tired of us, and there are even a lot people started to go against us. And until now, this force still has strong influence on us at USA.



--You guys have to bear things like that?

I don’t even know myself. But, luckily, we have patience and we have the supports from not only USA but all over the world. As long as we have their supports, we will have the confidence to keep performing. But, if our are only in US, maybe we will lose the confidence to keep going. In 90s, BSB started on the stage of Europe and Japan. Lionel RICHIE had said: “In a word, you should pay attention to the overseas fans. In the end, they will be the ones to be loyal to you.” Right now, I understand what he means. When we were experiencing up and downs in USA, fans in other country are still supporting like they always did. They never treat us like the US does.



--Japanese fans are very loyal too. On the show in the Kawasaki square, do you still remember that more than ten thousand people singing in chorus.

Yeah, that was really great. I have said it for many times, although Japan is small, but the fans here is the best fan all over the world. We did the most successful job in Japan. So we shoot the video of Bigger here. We have finished half of the shooting, and we will continue tonight.



--I have heard that, it’s really hard for you guys to shoot this video.

Yeah.It’s really hard. We have to shoot over here and there.



--After the interview, you will have to continue to shoot, don’t you? Can you finish the video in one day?

The director have come up with many requirement. Although I thought that what we shoot yesterday is enough for a music video, but we probably need to put some scenes about the street of Tokyo in to the MV.



--talking about the shooting, you guys have been to some unusual? Will it lead to some misunderstanding about Japan? You have been to Shinjuku ,Akihabar and Sensoji temple?

And Roppongi hills. Just as you said, there are many other places that can show the beauty of Japan. All in all, this MV is tring to describe the unusual atmosphere and energy in Tokyo. But we never think of to make this MV to make any people misunderstand Japan, Although there are many countryside sceneries, but as a foreigner, the first impression about Japan is scenes on the street like New York and Las Vegas. When you talk about USA, the first impression that foreigners have would probably be New York and Las Vegas. Although there are many sceneries like the champaign and mountains in South Dakota and Wyoming in USA.



--Then you will go on the world tour. Although the Europe Tour last for 7 weeks, but under the company of family you and Brian will feel the tour become shorter.

No, I actually think the tour is becoming longer. Though it’s kind of unbelievable.This tour is different from other tour in the past. We have dances and some stage props. So we don’t need too much manual labour. Having those stage props adds more contents to the show. And there are many different ideas in this show.



--You’ve got 4 dancers?

Yes, we got four dancers. And we made the music ourselves. Because we wanna surprise you guys, so this is all I can tell.



--Is it like a drama ?

Well, you can say so. The base of show is “performance”. Just like a movie.



--So this is the secret.

We wanna hear people say something like that “Wow, I‘ve never seen BSB having a show like this.”



--What’s the stage looks like?

Very wonderful. Just like those huge stage we have in Millennium and B&B tour.



--The props have been ready?

Eh, yeah. It’s all on a ship that ready to go to Europe. After the Europe tour it will back to Japan. When the Europe tour ends in December the next should be the Japan tour.



--After Japan you will have the whole America tour?

After Japan we will have tour in Southeast Asia. We also gonna go to Australia. And if possible we will go to India for the first time.



--India? You also have fans in India?

Yeah. There are some very powerful organizations of fans. So, the want us to go there for so many years. In Europe, we also have shows in Russia and Prague. And we’ll go to Dubai and Beirut for the first time. In a word, we’ll go to many cities that we never been to before.You have asked me about the problem that me and Brian take our family with us. Actually it make that arranging our school become harder.



--Haha, then I should pray for you guys.

Haha, thanks.



--By the way, when you were doing rehearsal, you came 20minutes earlier than the others to warm up.you always did that?

You mean the preparation and warmups?



--Yeah.

Well, most of the time.



--AJ didn't do it at all.

Haha, you can’t ask other to de anything you do.



--For you, you always pay 100% to your work?

Yeah. I always works this hard. I take this work very seriously. And as impression getting older, I should pay more attention to my body. You are the only one who can keep yourself healthy.I’m no more a 20-years-old guy. So, before the rehearsal I will do enough warmups. This is for not getting myself injuries. We are different from when we were much younger.



--Except This rehearsal, you did your best on everything? What support you to do this?

That’s because I have been a completist long time ago. I have 100% confidence do anything well. And this is my attitude towards my work.



--Are you afraid of losing?

Yes, I don’t wanna lose. But there’s no perfect people, you can’t avoid losing. But I try my best to not make the same mistake that I have made, so I do made best on even preparation.



--This spirit you have isworth to respect.

Thanks.



--at the end, I wanna ask you something beside BSB. Recently, you have brought up a novice?

Well , actually two.



--you brought up 2 novice after Geoger?

One is a Canadian singer whose music style is kind of like Geoger. The other one is a girlband that made up by 13 to 17 years old girl. It’s like a girl edition Backstreet Boys.. No, a younger Spice Girls. Called No more drama. Right now I no longer work with Geoger. He want to develop to Jazz. Though I think Pop is pretty good…so, we no longer work together.



--What a pity! Are you truly a careerist and a doer?

Well, I’m just hardworking. I love work so much,Hah.


Credits To Maddie&Nick @ LD Via BSBChina.Com