Singers Matt and Luke Goss talk rifts, Brosmania and why filming their new fly-on-the-wall documentary was therapy
The twins, 50, catch up with Fabulous at Bros' publicity HQ in London and chat about their long careers and their documentary Bros: After The Screaming Stops
GREAT to see you boys – you’ve hardly aged at all!
Matt: Thank you! I do four shows in Vegas a week, two hours apiece, so that keeps me young.
Luke: I do a lot of physical characters and all my own stunts [Luke has starred in movies such as Blade II and has three films out next year], so I have to stay in shape.
Your documentary Bros: After The Screaming Stops is quite raw in places. Was it hard to watch back?
L: There are moments that were very hard to watch, but it needed to be honest.
The music is a backdrop, but it’s about family and brothers. I hope people can relate to it.
Your relationship has been rocky over the years…
L: There was never any great feud. We had our ups and downs. The longest we didn’t see each other was…
M: …three years. We literally didn’t see or speak to each other. It was long and difficult. It was heart-breaking.
L: For me, too. Our relationship is stronger now, and we’re enjoying each other’s company more than ever.
Luke, you say in the film you were jealous of Matt’s status as frontman.
L: I wasn’t jealous of Matt as a person, I was jealous of the way he was heard by management – the way he was considered and I wasn’t. I felt undervalued by the team.
M: I respect Luke as a human being, so the fact that me being the lead singer caused a rift was tough. I was so afraid of p**sing him off that I became subservient, worried anything I said would be misinterpreted.
L: In a way this film was like therapy with a wooden bat. It knocked some sense into us, and I reckon over the next year we’ll produce the most authentic Bros album we’ve ever made.
Are the memories of screaming fans still vivid?
M: Very. There’s only one other band who have had the word “mania” after their name [The Beatles].
I’m not comparing us to them, but it takes something very special to have 10,000 people running down the street after you. We are the two youngest men in history to headline Wembley Stadium. Respect to One Direction, but they didn’t beat us!
Did you have any idea that When Will I Be Famous and I Owe You Nothing would stand the test of time?
L: That’s what every band hopes for.
M: We were No.1 in 30 countries at one point. In Australia we got knocked off No.1 by ourselves!
BTW
- Craig Logan, who quit the band in 1989, went on to be a successful manager.
- Both boys had varnished nails on our shoot.
- Luke won their table football match – though it got quite competitive!
You both live in the US now – would you ever move back to Britain?
M: I’d love to. We’ve grown up in front of this country.
L: I’d be surprised if I didn’t come back.
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
Luke, you’ve been married to Shirley Lewis for 24 years. Matt, are you single?
M: I’m happily single. Obviously it would be nice to find someone I could marry and have a family with.
What’s the future for Bros?
L: It’s interesting the way everything has transpired. I can’t help but think this is the way it was meant to be.
M: We’ve had a f**king incredible journey. Helicopters, Brosmania, made money, lost money. I’m just glad we’re not casualties of the music industry but survivors.
- Bros: After The Screaming Stops is in cinemas and on DVD and Blu-ray now ().