The Beat is over, and Area 4, Ian , John, Roly and Farard
 managed to squeeze in a quick interview with yours truly before 
dashing off to Dublin.......


1. HOW DID YOU ALL GET TOGETHER IN THE BEGINNING?

FARARD: I was in another band, and it wasn’t going too well, so I 
decided to get another one together, and I knew Ian, because he helped
 me when I had my  broken knee cap last year, and he was a brilliant 
dancer, a brilliant singer, amazing songwriter, and I knew John, he 
was a brilliant singer, and none of us had a clue who Roly was!!!! He
 auditioned, out of about 460, and out of all of them, Roly was the 
one. So there you go. 


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2. WHERE DID THE NAME AREA 4 COME FROM??

IAN:  (In a " How many more times am I going to be asked this 
question"  style !!)
Because we wanted something that was catchy, and in your face, and 
something for the millenium, and of course we live in 4 different 
Areas of Dublin!!

Me: Something for the Millenium??

IAN: Yeah, its kind of futuristicy... "AREA 4"...AREA...4...


FARARD:  We’re saying that cause everyone does!!

ROLY: Cause we’re all big  "X files" fans. (Starts humming the
 "Twilight Zone" theme tune.. Doo doo doo doo...)

Then they all started it!!.... Doodle oo doo...

IAN: Hows she going to type that up??

FARARD:  Just for the thing, right. (Annunciates VERY clearly (in a 
totally put on "Oirish" accent... Doodle--oo -- doo-- doo--doo!!!



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3. DID ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY ENTERTAINMENT BACKGROUND BEFORE YOU JOINED
 AREA 4 ???

IAN: I was in another band.

 ROLY : I’ve done piano, guitar, Speech and Drama all my life. I have
 been in Rock bands, but this is my first time in a pop band. 

Me: So, Ian, tell us about your other band!! What were they called 
again?!! (They were called Frendz, and through them I first met Ian.)

IAN: I can’t remember either--they  were S***E anyway!!

FARARD: You can’t say that word!!

IAN: Ok, yeah. They "weren’t very good."
JOHN: BEEP!

FARARD: It doesn’t matter what they were called.

IAN: Yeah, cause WE’RE the best now!!!

( A secuity guard comes over with  a camera, and everything pauses for
 a photo)

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q.4. HAVE  YOU ANYONE SPECIAL IN YOUR LIVES???


JOHN: Me Mam!!

me: Why does EVERYONE ALWAYS say that????

FARARD: I’ll tell you what, right. I want a Bir... A girlfriend. I 
really do. But I’ll tell you now, With all the travelling, you’re with
 them for about 2 weeks, and they go “ No, I’ve had enough now!! I 
don’t want to be any part of this, cause you’re never there.” 

JOHN: No, I don’t. It sounds very cliched, but there...

(FARARD  finishes his sentence with him)......just isn’t time.

JOHN: I still love me’ mam by the way!!!

FARARD: I love your Mam as well!!!

IAN: We all love your mam John!

FARARD:  She makes the best chicken soup and chicken curry in the 
world!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.5.ARE YOU SCARED THAT ANY OF YOUR OLD GIRLFRINEDS WILL SELL KISS AND
 TELL STORIES TO THE PAPERS?

ROLY: Yes!!!

IAN: No, cause none of us are any good, anyway!!

FARARD: Speak for yourself!!
(This is followed by an array of  mocking comments (boy band 
styleeee)...such as....
“We’re all virgins so they’re ll  be no stories!!!!”

ROLY: I've been known to have a few girlfriends in my time, and I do
 worry about things like that.

FARARD : (Taking a worried look toward the barriers where some of 
their fans are being dragged away by mothers to go home to bed)
We’re losing our fans!!!

JOHN: Well, I don’t worry about that, cause I haven’t got any.

FARARD: Where are they? Our fans!! They’re all gone!!!!

______________________________________________________________________


Q.6. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE ACHIEVE BY THE YEAR 2000??

FARARD: major success and fame!!!
ROLY: Lots of number one singles... 
IAN: A big album...
JOHN: Its only 4  or 5 months away!!!!
IAN: Thats true. Ok, a number one single. Scream.
ROLY: A top 10 single!
FARARD: No, a number ONE single.
ROLY: Ok, a top 5 single. Lets just say a top 5 single!!!

me: ARE  YOU GOING TO RELEASE IT IN ENGLAND AT THE SAME TIME??

Altogether: (As if they practised this all of the time) No, no, no. 
We’re going to concentrate on Ireland...
IAN: And then move over to England.
JOHN: No one really knows us at the moment, so we’re going to get the
 Irish fans first, and then we’ll see!!

______________________________________________________________________


Q.7. WHO IS THE MOST FAMOUS NAME IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK????

FARARD: Ronan Keating!! I've got his mobile number!!

ROLY: Britney Spears!!! (Dream ON, Roly !!)

IAN: I’ve all of Dove, all of My Town,  and all of Westlife...thats 
about it.

JOHN: Do you know Joe the barber?? He’s from Drimnagh. (Where John
 lives) He’s really famous in Drimnagh. He cuts everyones hair there!!


( At this stage,  A security guard who is walking around backstage
 come over and asks if John had a brother in a different band. He’s
 talking about Niall from OTT!!!!) (Who, incidentally, is NOT Johns 
brother.)

______________________________________________________________________

Q.8. HOW MANY DRINKS DOES IT TAKE TO GET YOU DRUNK???

FARARD:  Ohhhhh.....I’m locked now!!!

IAN: About 2, on a good night. We don’t drink that much, because
 Alcohol is not good for you.
(ok then Ian, why not join the pioneers!!)
ROLY: About 10.
JOHN: I don’t drink.
IAN: We don’t drink that much really, cause we’re so busy.
me: Yeah, yeah, I believe you. (not)
FARARD: Roly takes about  10, I take about 4 and I’m gone.
JOHN: Roly’s the drinker out of the band.
ROLY: Yeah, I like a good pint of Stout!! 
FARARD: I’m not as THINK as you DRUNK I am!!

______________________________________________________________________

Q. 9. HAVE YOU EVER LIED TO GET YOUR WAY WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX??

(this question is followed by the kind of “ OF COURSE I HAVE” laughing
 reaction)

FARARD: (Laughing) Oh Yeah. I mean, no I haven't.

IAN: I said I was in a band called Area4!

ROLY: No, I’ve often said I was in a band to get with a girl....no, I
 haven’t!!!

FARARD: (half sarcastically) We have never gone in to a night club, 
and handed out flyers,  just..for girls.

IAN: When the 4 of us go out together, it gets a bit mad.

JOHN: People come up and say “ Are you in a band” and we say , no, no,
 no, we’re just good friends.

ROLY : (putting on an accent) “But you look like you’re in a band”

JOHN: Thats what happens, and it gets a bit mad.

(Lots of fans start calLing to the lads)
FARARD: Our fans want us, so we better go.
 (This goes to show, how much they REALLY do care about their fans!)

______________________________________________________________________

Q.10. Time for one final question then! 

WHATS  THE CRAZIEST THING A FAN HAS EVER DONE TO GET CLOSE TO YOU?

JOHN: Pretended she has a website so she could come backstage at the 
Beat on the street to interview us!!!!!

(They all burst into laughter!!) (including me since it would be ME
 he’s talking about!!!)

FARARD: Have you seen the Milk Tray advert?? Well, there was a female 
version of that, with the pulley and the rope and all,  and she flew 
into my house, and ripped open her bra, and said "SIGN". " Sign me 
there on my chest"

ROLY: And then Farard woke up!!!

 IAN: And he had a cup of coffee, and he went to school.

FARARD: It was me’ ma!!! 

 (Followed by another out burst of laughter!!!)

JOHN: SOMEBODY REALLY likes their ma!!!!!



And with that, it was time for Area 4 to go over to the barrier, and 
sign some autographs for their fans--who were going mental!!!
Thanks a million guys for the interview--it was great craic!!
Watch out for “ Scream”,  the debut single  from AREA 4 which should 
be hitting the shops by the End of August!!!!!!
Catch Area 4 at the Beat on the Street concerts in Tralee on August
 21st, and Dublin on August 29th!!!!


If you liked this interview and would like to email AREA 4..here's the address:

fanclub@oceanfree.net

And you can find the guys personal email addresses on their own pages!!!!


BELOW: THIS IS A PHOTO OF ME WITH IAN AND ROLY FROM AREA 4 TAKEN BACKSTAGE AT THE LIMERICK BEAT, WHERE THIS INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE!!!