Quit Playing Games with my Boat!
So tell us about your new boat then...
"I keep the boat berthed on the canal next to my house that leads to the
Florida coast. I fill the engine with petrol and just head out to sea. The
Florida Keys are the greatest stretch of ocean in the world with lots of small
islands you can stop off at. Many a time I�ve played football on the beach
with my brothers and sisters. A lot of the time I go out on the boat alone.
Being on my own, with just the silence of the sea, is such an escape from the
constant screaming of fans on a Backstreet Boys tour. It�s something I need
to do - just to get away from it all. To me, the Florida Keys is paradise on
Earth.
You�ve just turned 17 - isn�t it dangerous to go out
on a boat alone?
"My boat is a 400cc and can reach 130km per hour. For the people who don�t
master the engine it can be a very dangerous toy. But I know what I�m doing.
The worst moment I�ve ever experienced at sea was the death of my dog,
Booboo, last summer. I went out for the day on the boat with my family. We
decided to leave Booboo at home because we would be back in a couple of
hours. But Booboo escaped from the garden and tried to catch up with us
when we were setting off to sea. He jumped in the water and got caught up in
the propeller. He drowned. It was really sad and I cried a lot.
Do you normally cry a lot?
Not really. The last time I cried was during the Mel Gibson movie
Braveheart. I went with the rest of the group to see it when we were in
Scotland. Luckily it was dark in the cinema and no-one heard me. I get
homesick a lot. That can make me so emotional that I sometimes feel like
crying - but never in front of anyone. No way!
Do you ever take girls on board your boat?
Of course I do. We swim in the sea and play around, but I never try to kiss
them. I know a lot of girls who are just friends. The way I prefer it. I don�t
really want to fall in love yet. I prefer to wait a little bit. To be honest, I�ve
never really fallen in love. I�ve never felt this strong sensation. Of course, in
the past there have been girls who were important to me. I went out with this
girl called Bryn for about a year. She used to be in the same musical as me.
She was in love with another guy at the time. I asked her out all the same
and she accepted. But I�m still very young and I have lots of time for love.
The day I find the girl of my dreams I would spoil her rotten.
Are you the faithful one in relationships?
Oh, yes. Faithfulness is very important to me. I couldn�t go out with a girl
that already has a boyfriend. And I would be incapable of cheating on my
girlfriend. I couldn�t look at her straight in the eye. If I had a girlfriend, I
wouldn�t even need to look at other girls.
What�s the most romantic thing you�ve ever
done?
I�ve never done anything romantic. The last girl I went out with I took her to
Burger King. If I had to do something romantic I would take her to the beach
when the sun is going down. The sky would be full of stars, and apart from
the sound of the sea, it would be a very quiet and intimate
moment.
Do you carry photos of your family when you�re
away on tour?
I have pictures of my animals. I have pictures of some people who are
important to me, like friends and family. And I have pictures of my house. I
can�t go around with a lot of personal possessions. There�s not much space
left in my suitcase when all my clothes have been packed away. The only
thing I try not to forget is my passport.
Do you scribble things down in a diary?
"No, I don�t spend that much time writing. But I draw a lot. That�s the way I
express myself. I draw little cartoons about the group. We appear as
superheroes - like the Fantastic Four - doing lots of adventures on tour,or
missions, as I like to call them.
Has anything gone seriously wrong on tour?
Fans often give us presents. It�s great to have people thinking about you.
People we meet are always cool with us. We�re very lucky. But once,
though, some fans managed to sneak into A.J.�s hotel room. They stole his
sunglasses, some jewellery, his favourite underwear. A.J. saw them running
along the hote corridor with his stuff. He was really shocked and sad. Thank
God these type of experiences are very rare.
Is it true that you often film your fans with a
camcorder?
Yes. We want to show the enthusiasm of out fans to our parents. The
hysteria around us is nothing new to my mum and dad, though. They�ve
already been on tour with us. Howie�s parents haven�t, though. They�ve
never been out of the States so every time they see the footage they�re
impressed. Before showing the film to our parents, we cut out the bits where
girls throw condoms and underwear at us on stage.
How do you relax after a gig?
When I come off stage I go straight back to the hotel. I love to take a long
shower and then go to sleep. I never seem to take too much time to drop off
after a show. Generally, I�m always very tired and can sleep
anywhere.
Who do you trust most in the world?
I trust my mum 100%. She knows me very well and is capable of guessing
my thoughts, I love when she�s there. In the group, I think it�s A.J. who I trust
the most.
What�s the most important thing in your life?
Backstreet Boys is the most important thing in my life. My life revolves
around the group. We are very close - simply because we seem to spend so
much time together. And my boat, of course. It�s the best thing I ever bought.
I can�t wait to go out on it when I get home!"
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