A1 returns for 2 shows

From left, Mark Read, Ben Adams, Christian Ingebrigsten

Want a hit article on the Internet? These days, one of the surefire ways to do this is to write about the 1990s or the early 2000s—particularly, about the pop culture scene back then, for which many “aging millennials” seem to have a constant hankering.

Music, of course, is a big part of this 1990s nostalgia trip, which would not be complete without a rundown of favorite pop boy bands. Playlists would be typically dominated by the hit songs of the Backstreet Boys, NSync, Boyz II Men and Westlife. But in between, bops from other bands would pop up, like those of A1.

The British-Norwegian group, which originally had four members but now performs as a trio, may not have been as big as the other acts, but its music is still as well-loved today. This group, with such hits as “Like a Rose,” “Caught in the Middle” and “Same Old Brand New You,” had done successful gigs in both Metro Manila and Cebu City.

Now composed of Ben Adams, Mark Read, and Christian Ingebrigsten, A1 is set to return to the country for two shows, on Oct. 23 at the Kia Theatre in Quezon City and on Oct. 25 at the IEC Pavilion in Cebu City (call 911-5555).

In a recent phone interview arranged by promoter Concert Republic, A1 singer-composer Mark talked to the Inquirer about the people’s newfound fondness for the 1990s, the group’s disbandment in 2002 and subsequent reunion in 2009, without former member Paul Marazzi.

What do you make of the ’90s making a comeback? It all comes down to people wanting to revisit a time and bring back fond memories. We are fortunate that we began in an era when there were some really nice pop music. I am happy that many people loved our songs—enough for them to look back on them.

How big a factor is nostalgia in your shows? It is always nice to see familiar faces and perform our previous hits, but we also have newer material. The nostalgia will always be there, of course. But we always make sure to give the audience a different experience every time we see them. We cannot be doing the same shows we were doing years ago.

Boy bands during your time wore some pretty interesting fashion. I have no idea why we wore the things we did, and I do not know how we got away with it. At times we just looked ridiculous! We put on white trousers, bright shirts, vests and tanks. There was a time when we wore some of the baggiest pants ever. One time, Ben wore this pair that was so big I thought we could all fit in it!

It was not our doing, though. We had a team of people suggesting looks and styles. And when you are young and keen on getting into the music business, you just go, “Oh well, sure!” Luckily, trends change and fashion is a lot better now. We can wear whatever we want.

So how do you feel when you look at your old photos or music videos? I never Google photos of me from that era, because they are just too cringe-y! But I do love watching the videos—the music channels here in the United Kingdom still play them from time to time. And that is a testament to the fact that, somehow, we have carved a place in pop music.

What do you think separated you from the other boy bands? It’s all about having good songs. There were a lot of bands that seemed to have come from a production line. They had similar dance moves or routines. But once their songwriters stopped making music for them, things became dry.

But because we wrote our own songs, we just kept at it; we became better musicians. We did some dancing, too, but A1 was always about the music.

Why did you guys decide to reunite? Things just ran their course. We had a good, initial five-year run. But we were exhausted and were on the road constantly…it was nonstop, so we took a break. But in 2009, there was a demand in Norway, where Christian is from, for us to come back and do a big show. It was a success and everything just followed.

What is the difference this time, especially with Paul out of the picture? It would be nice to have Paul back. But the three of us work well and still have great dynamics. Actually, we have been together longer as a trio. I feel like these days we are different, better performers from what we were back then…There is more depth to the music and the topics we write about, too. When we were much younger, it was mostly about rallying to get everyone together and having a great time.

What was A1’s relationship like with other boy bands? At the time, the media and the people loved creating tension and competition among the groups—Westlife, Blue and others. But there was nothing of that sort; we were focused on doing our own thing. We did not have the time to spend with each other. But we’re all friends. We chat with the guys from other bands.