Backstage at the Big Reunion tour

Original Article can be found here: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Backstage-Big-Reunion-tour/story-19005570-detail/story.html#axzz2TYhBcJ00

IT was the decade of grunge and gangsta rap, R&B and Britpop but the 90s also saw the chart domination of the boy bands and girl groups.

Apart from Take That, Boyzone or the Spice Girls, those past pop idols all but disappeared from view... until The Big Reunion.

Me and Liberty X

The ITV series brought the likes of 5ive, Blue, Atomic Kitten, 911, B*witched, Honeyz and Liberty X back together for our amusement but proved so popular it revived each group's career.

The one-off London show at the end of the series wasn't enough for fans who demanded to see their former pop stars back on stage in cities across the UK.

The resulting Big Reunion tour made its way to Nottingham last week and we met up with B*Witched, 911 and Liberty X ahead of the show...

What experiences do you have of being in Nottingham?

911's Lee Brennan: "We've been to the city many times before. And I'm sure, after we've had our first beer, we will be like 'yeah, let's go clubbing!' After the concert, you just can't get to sleep; you're on such a high and you wake up singing the songs."

When was the last time you were in Nottingham?

Atomic Kitten's Natasha Hamilton: "I was last in Nottingham when I supported Lionel Richie on tour around 2007, so it's been a few years. The crowd was amazing and always is."

What do you think about being back together?

Blue's Lee Ryan: "I love it – I just want to be on the road constantly. I don't want to go home."

Blue's Antony Costa: "Oh yeah, absolutely, definitely. We wouldn't be doing this if we never enjoyed it and it's nice for us to get a second chance. You don't get second chances in life at the job that you love and we love our job."

Lee: "It's a bit like going back to school and reliving the fun years."

Have you noticed a change in your fan base?

B*Witched's Sinéad O'Carroll: "It's the same ones. They are the same people but their bringing their kids now. Our music is easy for kids to enjoy so it's actually quite nice for them to share it. "They are there wearing matching denim jackets with glitter and gemstones on. There are a lot of them doing that and customizing their clothes. We have just started to go into the studio and to write some new material. We put a new song on YouTube. So hopefully, if that goes well, we'll have a new crowd as well as the older fans."

Are there any tricksters on the tour bus?

B*Witched's Sinéad O'Carroll: "Antony is a joker and does some mad stuff; putting a wet tea towel on James' head. They threw a spider in our dressing room – but it seemed like a really tired spider. It must have been dying or something. And yesterday I had to knock on Blue's door about ten times. Antony is really funny because he keeps trying to pull the Irish accent off. When people are asleep we just start calling them and that can be so annoying! People will go 'Michelle?' and we're like 'what? what?' (laughs)".

Has it been hard getting back into the shape and into a routine again?

Atomic Kitten's Liz McLarnon: "I haven't even attempted to get back into shape."

Natasha from Atomic Kitten: "I got dressed for the gym this morning and was like 'argh, let's just have a steam room!' I kind of got there!

Liz: "Because everyone was a bit hung over today, you (Natasha) decided to go to the gym – I thought 'shall I run down to McDonald's and get everyone chicken nuggets?' That's a good point... I'd have been running! Although, in the end, I didn't go."

What are your plans for after the tour?

Liberty X's Tony Lundon: "We'll be back for the Christmas tour and thank God for that! Otherwise this tour would have been it for us. We have kind of decided that were not going to be recording any new music or any of that stuff. We're just trying to live life to the full while we're on tour because this is our last chance of living, really. So we're delighted there's a Christmas tour."