They need no introduction really. The Bad Boys of Pop release the Milli Vanilli sampling "Girl You Know Its True" this week to much amusement. Taking a pop at Westlife, Puff Daddy and Steps you could call it a bit harsh, but its all done with that Irish humour we've come to expect from these two. Taking a well earned break from the Smash Hits tour we speak to them about Pop, the future of Boyzone and what its like to be known as the drunken womanizers of pop. Read the, sadly sober, interview below.
 

Q: The single "Girl You Know Its True" takes a pop at today's pop stars (No Pun Intended). It's a bit harsh isn't it?
Keith: Its not really, its just a fun song and were having a laugh. The bands we mention in the song are just their because the lyrics rhymed, that's all, there's no bad heart meant or anything like that. The boys are all cool in Westlife, you know, they know when they here the song they think its cool. No one's taking offence, they know me and him are just having a laugh.

Shane: Its just a change from the usual ballads, you know, a change is a good as a rest. Were keeping it young.
 

Q: A lot of people (Bono, Spice Girls etc.) are knocking pop acts. What's your take on the argument?
Shane: I just think they always get to a stage in every year that they say boy bands & girl bands are on the downfall and every year it as strong as it ever is. They'll never see the end of this popular music, it will always be around no matter how much you attack it.

If i'm not listening to a fucking CD I will listen to the radio when I'm travelling and I whatever comes on. I do like popular music, you know what I mean.

Keith: Were just enjoying it and pop music wouldn't be what we listen to in an everyday occurrence, but were in a boyband and are aware of popular music being in the business.
 

Q: You're known as the bad boys of pop / drunken womanizers. How do you cope on a tour like this with 16 years old kids and do you try to corrupt them?
Shane: Its not about that for us. We do our own thing and we don't involve anybody else unless they want to be involved. When it comes to 16 years old kids drinking cokes that's none of our business, it isn't about corruption. Were sensible enough and have been in the business long enough to understand that they do their thing and we do ours, you're very welcome to join us and that's as far as it goes.

Keith: On the Smash Hits tour we just do the one song, leg it and get wasted. That's pretty much it.
 

Q: So after the single is there an album due from you guys?
Shane: We might our own album, you never know, you never really know - stranger things have happened. My sis Naomi (Buffalo G) is into her hip hop, she's like myself but its a different situation with my skin than with Keith. This is initially a one off single and if everything comes of it with the 2nd single, 3rd single, album then we'd love to do it but if it doesn't then were very happy with "Girl You Know Its True".

We did write virtually all of this song. Milli Vanilli obviously was sampled, we just used the chorus and wrote all the verses.
 

Q: The situation with Boyzone. What happened at the Elton John gig between you and Ronan and are Boyzone splitting up?
Keith: It's all crap, nothing happened at all. Were all really good mates and people in the press are trying to cause conflict because we don't see each other everyday no more. But we've got a good solid relationship, man, and its going to take more than someone writing bad stuff in the press to break us up.

We'll be back hopefully next year, November, to do a tour with Boyzone. We'll clean ourselves up for that, you know what I mean, we'll go back on the shorts again. We'd hope to have an album, were trying to have not necessarily a full album but a small album. We'll definitely have some new material.
 

Q: Keith, with you moving into TV presenting we've got to ask who is the weakest link?
Keith: I don't think there is weak link, man!!! If  there was a weak link it wouldn't have lasted 7 years, I think everybody had a role to play over the 7 years. Some people might have played a bigger role than others, but it was the whole lot of other that pulled together that made it work.

Shane: Behind the scenes there's different people who do different things. Obviously Ro' sings his songs, he does his writing and he's into all that madness but other people are into the performance or the way the tour looks, what all the stage set is like. We all have our own involvement and our own roles.

I reckon were pretty much the most successful boy band ever, Take That lasted about 5 or 6 years. We have outlasted basically everybody and were still here.
 

Q: So, what is going to happen after the tour next year?
Keith: You never know, it all depends on what happens during the year. Everyone might decide they're much more happier in Boyzone, they've done their own thing and just decide its an easier life in Boyzone. If they decide that Boyzone is just something they want to do once or twice a year and carry on doing their solo stuff. We'll just have to wait until the end of the year.

Unfortunately, the schedules that a lot of the pop groups are working to are absolutely crazy - there is no life. When that's happening people are just thinking of the money - they work as hard as they can, make the money and then get out. Boyzone had longevity, man, because we took our holiday when we needed them. I think the groups around today will last as long as they want to last, as long as they can physically last.
 

Q: So if Boyzone do split up at the end of the next year. Would you carry on you're race driving and TV presenting respectively?
Keith: We have to do something in life or you grow old too quick, you just fucking die, you have to keep yourself occupied....

Shane: ....Yeah, you don't want to be a has-been. You have to keep yourself occupied, you can walk away or keep your name alive. You can't just be going to all the celeb bashes because you used to be a popstar.