Fan Conference

The fan conference was held on May 17'th, '99 at the famous Studio 54 in New York City. UBL.com, the people responsible for the Official Backstreet Boys site, produced and broadcast the conference which was hosted by Caitlin of Backstreet.net. Click here to watch the Internet Fan Conference archive. You'll need a G2 player (which you can download for free here) The actual conference starts 12 minutes into the Netcast. Special thanks to ~*~TaZzDrAgoN~*~ for transcribing the conference. If you get a chance, please visit her web page Caitlin introduces the BSB Boys converse over being live on the internet. Brian: Hello Internet! Rest of BSB: Hi! Caitlin introduces first caller from Stockholm, Sweden. Caller: ----------- *no audio* A.J.: um, hello! A.J.: *louder* hellooo! Caller: Hello. A.J.: Hi! One of the Boys. Kevin I think: Hi! Brian: Hello Caller: *laugh* hello Nick: Hello? Brian: Do you have a question for us? Caller: um, oh yes. um, if you could change the world, what would you change? Boys: wow. Nick: I had a um... I think that a lot of the worlds problems have to do with weapons. Ah, we don't usually try to get politically involved ya know, in all the stuff that goes on, but um I think if there was one thing that I could change was I would have everybody get every single type of weapon ever made and just ship it to the moon and they'd never see them again. One of the boys. Howie I think: good answer Nick. Nick: playfully says thank you! A.J.: Uh, If I could...if I could change the world I'd probably, uh, there would be no segregation between races...there would be no doubt....there would be no racism. Um, of any race, of any culture, anyone could go and sit down in the same restaurant together and there'd be no kind of discrimination. Um, just there'd be no poverty, there'd be no poor people..there'd be no rich people..everybody would just be in the same class. Everybody would be treated equally. Thank you. Caitlin announces next caller from South Carolina. Caller: Hello?!? Boys: Hello? Caller: How are ya'll? Boys: Good and how are you? Caller: Oh fine thanks, o.k. um, I want, my question is how did you come up with the name 'Millennium' for the new album and where was the video shot for I Want It That Way? Pause from Boys. deciding who's going to answer the question. Boys: Come on Rok. Brian: Well we decided on 'Millennium' being the title of our album due to the fact that we are approaching the 'Millennium' , time wise I think...um we wanted to pick something that would take us through the Millennium and be very symbolic for timewise for the area of the World that we are in right now. Um, we tossed around a couple of different ideas... we almost..we came very close to choosing 'Larger Than Life' which happens to be the first cut on our album, 'Millennium', but we didn't want people to get the wrong idea *waves hand around* based on Larger Than Life--a Backstreet Boys Album.... it's actually an anthem song to our fans. So we decided to chose 'Millennium.' We thought it would be the best groupwise I think *looks at Boys* as we chose it. Uh, IWITW, the video was shot in Los Angeles in the airport there. We spent all afternoon. We also filmed it in the green-screen studio were we shot a lot of green-screen work and computer work graphic wise. The shots that you see when we're in the airport we're in our white outfits ..your actually looking through us. That was shot on a green-screen and we finished it up late at about 3:00 in the morning at the Los Angeles Airport so it was a lot of fun. Caitlin announces next caller from Tasmania, Australia Nick: Wow Kevin: Tasmania.. Caller: Hi? Boys: Hello Laura. How are you? Caller: I'm pretty good. how are you? Boys: Good. Thanks for calling. *actually, either Brian or Kevin said that..not sure* Caller: Um, what will you be doing at 11:59pm. on Dec. 31st, 1999? A.J.: Well uh, celebrating New Years with our families hopefully. We haven't been home, or not working for the last couple of years doing work. We've been working for like the last three or four years on New Years or we've been traveling somewhere in the world but hopefully this year at 11:59pm on Dec. 31st we'll be at home with our families just having a great time or all five of us would be together with all of our families somewhere at somebody's house just having a good time bringing in the Millennium together. Nick: I'm a strong believer in... I mean I think that this is, ya know, the turn of the century and it only happens in so many peoples lives. I think that this is definetly, ya know, like A.J. said, a time when you need to be with your family and just celebrating it with the people that you just love because...cause it only happens once...every so often. *chuckles* Caitlin announces next caller from Ohio. Caller: Hi! Boys: Hey! Hello! Caller: What's the most embarrassing moment on stage? Kevin: What? Boys restate the question for him. Howie: Wow. I got a bunch of 'em. Where do I start? There was a time where I once fell on the stage..one where I fell off the stage...and uh... Nick: Well tell 'em what happened. Howie: I think the most embarrassing was probably when I fell off the stage though. Um, when I was on this ramp part, me and Nick were on top of it when A.J. was doing the rap in the middle of Get Down and Nick didn't notice I was there next to him... Nick: It was only so big, ya know? Howie:... and uh Nick actually threw his hand up and kinda caught me and I kinda fell off the stage and luckily there was a security guard right there, thank God, and he kinda caught me in his arms. He was like, *looks up* "Whoa." Nick: Tell 'em the other part... Howie: I was just prayin' like the whole time that I didn't hit my head. I was like "Oh God please let there be some sort of a little pillow or something atleast to catch me and luckily I had a security gaurd..like a big teddy bear to catch me instead. That was pretty embarrassing though. One time Kevin fell on a pack of cigarettes on stage once. Kevin: Yeah. Somebody threw a pack of cigarettes up on stage and I found them with my foot and..busted my butt. Boys laugh. Nick: Remember that time when um, at Sea World. A.J.: That was me. Someone..we did a show at Sea World probably about four years ago and uh, it was wet because they had a bunch of dry ice on stage as well. It was mixed with this rain curtain that was a special effect for one of the Sea World shows and we came runnin' out and I hit a patch of water or somethin' on stage and my foot got turned around backwards basically..so it kinda hurt pretty bad but I had to put an air? cast on for the next day after that day we were flying..or actually that night after that show we had to fly to uh Malaga? and so I was with this air cast on a plane for 23 hours so that was pretty fun. Caitlin announces next caller from California Caller: Hey guys! Boys: Hello Rebbeca. Caller: This is like, the best birthday present I've ever gotten. OMG. Kevin: It's your birthday? Caller: Yeah, um, its on Thursday. Boys: *mixed comments* oh, well happy birthday early. Caller: Oh, thanks. Um, my question is I'm taking a drama class in college and sometimes I get nervous in front of a big crowd of people and I was wondering if and when you do get nervous, how you deal with your nervousness? Kevin: Usually, if we just go behind the stage and throw up it helps alot. *guys laugh* No I'm just kidding.Um, I don't know. It seems like for smaller more intimate groups of people I get more nervous. Um, it's like when you have a big huge audience it like almost..its like you can get lost in that, but when your in front of a smaller group of people its kinda like your right there. Um, just say a prayer and take a deep breath and go for it. Have confidence and believe in yourself and as long as you've done your homework go for it. *pause* Anybody else got any words of advice...words of wisdom? *pause* Think that's it. Good question though. Caitlin announces next caller from Puerto Rico Boys say hello in espanol. Caller: My question is if you never got the chance to be in the music business what would you have done? Kevin asks again what the question was. Guys repeat the question. Howie: I would personally be involved in the entertainment field some way or another. Doing some acting, or producing, or writing music. Uh, something like that I'd probably do. Nick: I'd probably be doing something...I'd be..probably getting into college right about now and um, probably doing some type of sports thing maybe playing basketball. But um, just like Howie too. Probably find myself in the entertainment business somehow. Um, doing singing or acting of some sort. *shruggs* Kevin: I would uh, I would definitely probably somehow be involved in music. Um, writing, producing, doing something. Maybe acting, maybe teaching, music. I don't know. Brian: I would probably be a school teacher. Possibly a physical education teacher or a music teacher. Um, just because I know. I've taken with me experiences through my life that teachers have really helped me with... grow from. And they've been a major, major influence on me as a person as well as in my career so I would probably be a teacher so that I could do that to younger kids as well. A.J.: Um, I would probably still be into acting, or singing, or dancing. One of my dreams when I was growing up when I was dancing with the b...woulda...woulddab...would be..yeah, thats right *he messed up* would be to be dancing with Janet Jackson or Micheal Jackson on tour somewhere...that was one of my childhood dreams when I was dancing, but uh, maybe doing some acting or movies hopefully always playing the bad guy and , if I got the chance, I would like to teach like a drama workshop or some kinda workshop about acting or like inprov? or something like that. I'd think it'd be fun. Caitlin announces next caller from North Carolina Caller: Hello. Boys: Hello. Hey. Caller: I was wondering if you guys were as excited about your new album as I am and about 10 million other people are and are you anxious to see what response the album gets? Kevin: We're very excited about our new album. Brian: Oh yeah. Tomorrow's a big day for us. Kevin: I didn't understand the last part of it. *the question again* Brian: Can you say that again please? Caller: *laughs* Are you a little anxious to see what response the album gets? Brian: I'm very anxious to see what response the album gets. Kevin" Definitely. Um, were proud of the album. We hope everybody likes it as much as we are proud of it. We've worked really hard on it. Um, there are some tracks on their that we wrote on and uh...We're just really proud of the project. We think it's our best work yet and we hope everybody out there feels that way as well. Caitlin introduces next caller from Dublin, Scotland Caller: Hi! Boys: Hello! Caller: Hi. My question is what is the most romantic thing that you have ever done for a girl or girlfriend? Kevin: Most romantic thing? Nick: Yep. Boys: Hummm... Nick: Go'head Brian. Brian hesitates so Kevin takes it. Kevin: I brought breakfast to a girl I was dating one time. She had a uh doctors appointment she was dreading so I got up at like 5AM and prepared some stuff and put it in the car and went to her door step, prepared it, had some fresh flowers, had some fresh grapefruit, orange juice, bagel and some strawberry cream cheese...her favorite stuff and uh... Brian: mockingly awwwws Kevin: ...knocked on the door and handed it to her she liked that alot *chuckles*. A.J.: I uh, attempted one night to make spaghetti at my house for my girlfriend.. Brian's laughing. A.J.:...at the time. I made about enough sphagetti to feed all of Africa..so I uh, I just ya know, I tried my hardest to cook it and it was soggy and wet noodles...it wasn't quite right...I didn't do a good job but I tried..So uh, that was probably the most romantic thing I've ever done up to date..but it turned out good and everybody liked it and... so they said unless they lied to me so... Nick: I uh tried the cooking experience too. It didn't quite go so well because uh, I'd been turning out late trying to work something and uh, I went to the store and got some seafood. And ya know, I love seafood so I decided to cook some uh, crab legs..boiled crab legs, ya know... Boys: laughing and snickering. Nick: ...and uh, you don't want to hear the rest so.... they didn't taste too good...so go ahead on. Howie: I think I've tried the cooking thing to also.So um, then afterwards I took my car to the airport and watch like the planes take off...theres a .....uh, highway near the airport where you can actually pull over and watch the planes take off so thats was about it. Kevin: What'd you guys do while you were watching the planes take off? Nick: Yeah. What'd ya do Howie? Howie: We kinda just talked.. Guys start laughing. A.J.: Just talk. O.K. Kevin and all the rest of the guys look over at Brian. Kevin: Brian? Brian: What? Oh, my turn? I had a uh, highschool sweetheart at the time and I went to her school and broke in her locker and... yes, I broke in her locker... A.J.: rebellious? *I think that's what he said* Brian: Laughs. ..and I put a dozen roses in her locker and they had these little stick up note pads and I wrote little notes and messages to her and put some stuff on her antenna out on her car in the parking lot so... Nick: mockingly awwws. Brian: ....so little things like that. Just like a trail all the way out when she left school. Kevin: Did you get arrested? Brian: I didn't get arrested. I didn't get arrested for breaking in her locker. Caitlin introduces next caller from Oregon Caller: Hi you guys. Boys: Hello! Caller: One girl pretty much asked the question I was going to ask, but if you were not famous singers what would you be doing in the world today? Kevin missed the question AGAIN! A.J. Informs him. *LOL* A.J.: Well, uh, ... Brian: Have ya been tuned in? A.J.: Have ya been tuned in? *I'm not typing that out again! *L* so read up! It's the same answer that they said before. Highlights though: A.J. thinks villains are the best part of the movie...Kevin wouldn't mind being a choir instructor or teach music... Caitlin introduces next caller from Germany Boys: Hello? Caller: Hello? Boys: Hello. Caller: Hello. My question is what would you do if you were *not understood as to hat was said, Nick? Kevin: What? A.J.: What would you do if...?* still not understood* Nick: Could you repeat the question again? Caller: What would you do if you were in-------for a day? Nick: Could you repeat that one more time?? Kevin: What would you do if you were invisible for a day? Was that what the question was? Is that it? Caller: Yeah. Nick: She asked me? Boys: Yeah. Nick: Oh, uh, I don't know. I think I'd uh.... I'd go interrupt an NBA final basketball game I'd jump on the court and be hittin' balls away from them or tripping people or something like that on national television. That'd be kinda cool. Don't you think? Boys: Yeah. Funny Nick. Caitlin introduces next caller from Florida Caller: Hi! A.J.: HEY! FLORIDA! HEY! Caller: Um, my question is for Kevin. Is you had one day to live what would you do? Nick: You would just sing your heart out. Kevin: Wow! One of the Boys: What was the question? Kevin: If I had one day to live, what would I do? Whew! Um, I'd probably just uh, gather all my family and friends in one room and uh, throw a big party. *shrugs* Probably what I'd do. Boys laugh a bit. Caitlin introduces next caller from Ohio Caller: Hello? A.J.: Hello! Caller: O.K. My questions for A.J. A.J. would you prefer boxers or briefs? Everyone starts laughing. A.J.: Do I prefer boxers or briefs? Nick: Give your true answer A.J. A.J.: I know Howie's gonna answer it so... Howie: You want me to answer it? Nick: It's the truth though! Kevin: We don't want to know the truth. A.J.: On an everyday basis when were doing shows or doing whatever I prefer boxers but when I sleep....neither. Room laughs again. Howie: That's A.J. for ya ladies and gentlemen. Caitlin introduces the next caller from Michigan Caller: Hi! Boys: Hello. Caller: How are you? Boys: Good. How are you? Caller: Oh I'm just peachy. My question is for Howie. Is you could fix any of the worlds problems using your fame and influnece, what would you fix and why? Howie: If I could what? Kevin: Any of the worlds problems what would you do and why? Howie: Hum............................... good question.....................I think I would...try to find a cure to all the diseases out there um, cause there are so many diseases out there that are so we're still far behind in medicine especially in America here finding the cures to a lot of diseases. Um, one of the reasons why... I set up a foundation for Lupus because my sister passed away from the disease lupus and I'm trying to raise money to find as much research and knowledge upon the disease just to help other people prevent having to go through the same lost that I went through. But like I said there are so many diseases out there and if I could do one difference in the world by trying to do charity work or whatever. That's actually one of the reasons why we talked about setting up a Backstreet Boys Fight the Diseases. A uh, actual foundation we're actually talking about setting up by getting other artist involved and even possibly doing like an live aid kinda concert or us hosting it. So those are the kinda things I'd do with our success. Ya know, use or fame to help raise money and to contribute to those kind of communities in the world. That means a lot to me. Caitlin introduces next caller from Pennsylvania Caller: Hi! Boys: Hello! What's up Dawn? Caller: If you..this is for Brian...If you could redo anything from your past what would it be and what would you do to make it right? Brian: Wow. That's a good question. *long pause*.... If I could redo anything in my past to make it right? *long pause again* Ya know....I'd......I kinda gotta talk around this one because....not to sound really egotistical..I've had a lot of good guidance, uh, throughout my life. I've taken some wrong steps here and there, but um, I've been very very very fortunate to have the family that I have behind me. Uh, the things that I've been through in life. Um, me as a person, I think I would I would maybe take back ,on a business level, I might take back a few steps in the beginning in the very very very beginning of our careers as a group. There are things that I look back on that I wish I could change that have been changed since then. Um, everything is looking so great and everything is looking so good about the new album, but you can't really change the past, but if I could for myself esteem and my uh...outlook and well-being I would change a couple things that happened in the beginning but as of right now everything looking on the up and up so we're happy. Caitlin introduces the next caller from Denmark Caller: Hello? Kevin: Hello Carina. Caller: This question is directed to Kevin. O.K. Um where do you see yourself ten years from now? A.J. and Brian in an old mans voice: 38...37....married and livin' on a farm.... Kevin: *laughs* Wow. Hum...hopefully, uh, ten years from now I'd like to be uh, starting or already started a family..uh, be married and maybe have a family. I come from... I have two older brothers..I had a great childhood. and I definitely want kids and a family. So, I might be livin' out in a stick?*not sure what he said* somewhere writing music in my basement in my own studio just uh, writing music and a family..who knows? Caitlin announces the LAST caller from Georgia A.J. and Kevin pronounce it Geogia with an accent... Caller: Hey fellas how or ya? Boys: Good. How are you? Caller: Good. Thanks. Nick breaks out into a rendition of 'Georgia on My Mind' Caller: Um, let's see...Nick, in a world when life total success can be chaos, up as well as down, what scares you? And guys break a leg on your upcoming tour and God bless you all. Boys: Thank you very much. Nick: Sorry about the question. Could you repeat that again? Caller: repeats the question. Nick: Um,.... Kevin: I'll help you translate for ya. *I think that's what he says* Nick: thank you Kevin. I think its not really scary, but what the future holds for the world itself. I think that being the fact we don't think about the things that we do..ya know with having wars and small things that affect the world. Like pollution..small things like that will eventually lead up to big things. I think that kinda scares me to realize that not many people think about these things. Uh, I for one am a strong believer in living your day in now...not to think about the future but to just...I do suggest that everyone starts thinking about the future because, ya know, our kids, or generation for the future ya know, they havta live in this world and ya know, we'd want everybody to live healthy and have a good time, just like we are. *shrugs* Caitlin: O.K. This is a question that we came up with. Do you ever wear disguises when you go out so you can go un recognized? Brian: I don't cause I can't. Kevin: A.J. has his on right now. A.J.: This is about as close as I can get to my type of disguise. Me personally, I probably could if I took off all my jewelry, all my earrings, shaved, and I wore cloths that really fit me tight...which would be really scary actually...but.. Room laughs A.J.: ...um I've gone out and tried...I've tried putting on a baseball cap, wearing long sleeves, no jewelry, even shaven my goatee off but it doesn't even seem to help then. Me personally, I really don't mind the attention, don't mind going out and being reconized..it doesn't bother me. Sometimes if it gets a little out of hand where you can't even sit down in a mall and have lunch or something or whatnot..it kinda gets a little freaky cause ya know... I can think back four or five years ago everyday I'd look like everybody else..I've kinda blended in, but now I kinda stick out like a green thumb so I don't mind it. It's cool. Brian: I wore a big afro one time and uh, when we were shopping in Europe and uh, had a hat on over it and we were in Kentucky Fried Chicken... And these girls *laughs* came up to us and said "Oh hey Brian! How ya doin'? Can we take a photo with you?" and I was like "Uhhh, yeah sure." So but uh..it was like pahh *think how a huge afro looks under a bball cap* but uh, I've tried before but it doesn't really work. *rooms laughing* Teenagers are keen on that. Caitlin: And this is the last one I'm gonna read. Um, can my brother Connor challenge you or Nick to a game of Quake or Nintendo? Boys: I'm sure Nick would love that! They ask where Connor is and find him in the audience. Connor slinks down into his chair. Nick: Oh that's you? He stands up and says in a stern voice..."you're on!!!" Boys and room laugh. Kevin: Is that it? Caitlin: Yeah that's it. Boys: Everybody give her a big round of applause! Thank you to all the callers... Kevin: We're gonna go have some lunch cause I'm starving! There was a photo session after the conference. The boys were mobbed by photographers. Again, special thanks to ~*~TaZzDrAgoN~*~ for transcribing the conference. If you get a chance, please visit her web page.