12.2012_What’s On_69

Once described by The IndependenT as “Take ThaT wiTh sTreeTwise”, easT 17 were a permanenT fixTure in The uk charTs frOm 1992 TO 1997, befOre a few wrOng wOrds On drugs frOm singer brian harvey led TO The band’s specTacular demise. nOw reuniTed, minus brian, They hiT dubai armed wiTh a

December 13 McGettigan’s, Bonnington, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, 9pm, Dhs100. Tel: (04) 3560560. Metro: Jumeirah Lakes Towers. mcgettigansdubai.com

The history of boy band pop music would be hard to write without at least a couple of chapters on East 17. The rough-and-ready foursome – Brian

Harvey, Tony Mortimer, John Hendy and Terry Coldwell – dominated the 1990s pop world, selling more than 20 million albums, chalking up 18 top 20 singles and outselling their squeaky-clean arch-rivals Take That.

Smash hits Deep, It’s Alright and the barnstorming Christmas number one Stay Another Day saw the East London (hence their moniker, from the E17 postcode) band reach superstar status, selling out huge stadiums, including a 100,000- strong concert in Moscow’s Red Square.

But then it all changed. During a seemingly innocuous interview

on BBC radio, frontman Brian boasted that it was “cool to take drugs”. What followed was one of pop music’s most spectacular implosions, as the British tabloid media ran riot, radio stations pulled the band’s music, and fans deserted overnight.

Some decade and a half later, and, remarkably, the band is back. Frontman Brian jettisoned, the band released a new album, Dark Fire, early this year, with follow-up gigs – including this month’s outing to McGettigan’s, in JLT – to promote it.

“It’s been 14 years since we recorded an album,” says Terry Coldwell, his East End twang as strong as ever.

“A lot has changed since then. The 1990s was a dance era – bands like Culture Beat – but music has moved forward since then, so we had to change with the times.”

It’s hard not to think that the decision to regroup wasn’t purely a musical one; certainly after the split the band was forced to look at other means of income, with John Hendy returning to his former trade as roofer, much to the tabloids’ glee. Terry, however, simply states, “We all each earned quite a bit of money throughout the years”, when asked about the band’s finances, and that “It was our love of music that brought us back together. We thought it was time to put our differences aside,” he continues, “and give it another go.”

So after several stalled reboots – including a name change, an additional member and an ill-fated Channel 4

documentary in 2006 – which ended in a punch-up between Brian and Tony – three of East 17’s original line-up decided to get back into the studio and record the new album. Still no Brian – “I haven’t spoken to him for a few years,” says Terry when asked how he’s doing, “so I don’t know.”

Musically, Dark Fire is a definite progression, and it’s no surprise the once- trademark baggy jeans, pork pie hats and vests have gone, replaced with sharp-looking suits and leather jackets.

“The new material is a lot more ‘live’ sounding,” insists Terry, on their new rock vibe. “It moves away from R&B pop music to a transatlantic rock sound.”

While they may no longer be drawing 100,000-strong crowds, the band seems genuinely happy to be back and trying something new. “We loved recording with a live band, because it was something that we had never done before,” says Terry, who has seen his role progress from that of a virtual backing dancer to penning and singing three songs on the new album.

Ahead of their stop in Dubai this month, the group recently completed tours of both Australia and the UK, where their set included a mixture of both new material and old favourites – much to the delight of audiences.

Maybe there are still a few chapters yet to come from East 17.

new album plus a healThy reperTOire Of hiTs frOm Their back caTalOgue

December 13

LeT iT rain… Soak in theSe eaSt 17 factS

1 The band formed in 19912 When the band reformed

in 2011 they briefly introduced a new member, Blair Dreelan, who left the band a few months later3 They have sold 20 million

albums worldwide4 Tony Mortimer wrote

more than 60 tracks for their second album, Steam; only ten were finally picked for the final release5 All the members still live

in Walthamstow, E176 In 1992 their debut

single, House Of Love, sold 600,000 copies 7 Former frontman Brian

Harvey once bizarrely ran himself over with his car8 Tony Mortimer has

previously won the Ivor Novello award for song writing 9 The band’s latest album

Dark Fire is their fifth studio album