Pop stars! They live a jet-setter's life that mere mortals like us 
would give an arm and leg for. 
MAX sneaks into BBMak's hotel room to find out 
what living out of a suitcase is like!

What's the best part of being a jet-setter?
CHRISTIAN: Free hotel novelties and slippers. (laughs)
MARK: Seeing the world, going to places that you wouldn't 
even go to if you wouldn't be in a band.
STE: Going to places you only dream of. Free socks on the plane!

And the worst part?
Christian: Missing your family and friends and I really do miss them. 
The lack of sleep. I used to lie in on a Saturday morning, I don't have that kind of weekends anymore.
Mark: No social life. Not being able to see friends and family.
Ste: Long flights. Plane food. 
Queuing for the toilet on the plane. Missing me mum.

What's the first thing you check for when you walk into a hotel room?
Christian: (with a straight face) Cockroaches. 
If there's none, I will call them to bring some up because
I don't feel home till there're cockroaches.
Mark: Free adult movies! Just joking. 
A great comfy bed and a dressing gown.
Ste: Chocolates on the pillow. And see if anyone left any money. (laughs) See that I have free soap and shower gel and all that.

Who's the most likely to have the messiest room?
Christian: Me! Me, really really messy. 
Mark, just a little messy. 
Stephen is too tidy.
Mark: Yes, Christian's the messiest, I'm inbetween, Stephen's really tidy.
Ste: I'm a neat freak. I hate mess. 
Yes, there's no way I would share a room with Christian. (all laughs)

Who's the most likely to thrash his hotel room?
Christian: Probably Mark by accident. 
He probably slip over and knock a vase over.
Mark: No, it's Christian's. But you know, the thing is, 
we don't thrash hotel rooms. We don't do that.

But who's the most likely to get in trouble?
Ste: Christian.
Christian: Aw, come on. This is not fair!
Ste: It is you!
Christian: I would say it's all of us. We do things together!
Mark: That's a good answer. If one of us is in trouble, 
all of us will be in trouble.
Ste: We stick together.
Christian: All for one, and one for all! Three Amigos!

Who's likely to call mum first?
C: I say Ste.
Ste: No, it's always you! You always phone first, you big wimp!
C: Have you spoken to your mum on this trip?
Ste: Er, once, yeah.
C: I have not! There you go.
S: You're bluffing!
Mark: I do call my mum. All the time.

What will you steal from a hotel room?
Christian: Towels, Telephones. And if I could smuggle a TV in my jumper, I would!
Mark: What will I take? Slippers. And a towel. (laughs)
Christian: I actually got caught in Bangkok.
I put a towel in me suitcase and I got caught. I had to give it back! (laughs)
 

Do you tip for room service?
Christian: Yes. If the food was terrible or the service is bad, I won't tip. But if the service is great, I will tip a tiny bit.
Mark: No. Yes I do. I'm joking.
Ste: Do I tip? Yes.

What would you do if a female fan got into your hotel room?
Christian: It depends on who she is, how old she is, what she looks like. It depends on a lot of things, But I think I will probably say "Goodbye!" and leave it till she's outside the hotel.
Mark: I'd say, "Make yourself comfortable!" (laughs) No, I'd say, "What're you doing here? How did you get in?"
Ste: I will throw her out of the window. (all laugh) I'm only joking. I will say, "Oh my God, how did you get in here?" Then I will throw her out of the window! (more laughter) No, I'd say "Hello", sign an autograph, and show her the door.

What three things so you never leave home without for a trip?
Christian: I'll never leave home without me shoes. Because I did the other day. I never leave home without me mobile phone, 
without me wallet and without me midi-disc walkman.
Mark: Money. Clothes. And me trainers.
Ste: Me guitars, me toothbrush and me midi-disc player.

In a plane, what do your prefer: aisle or window seat?
Christian: Window seat. Yeah, because I love looking out windows!
Mark: A window seat. 'Cos it's more comfy. 
If you put a pillow up, it's easier to go to sleep.
Ste: I always choose the aisle seat to get to the toilet. 
You don't have to step over anyone. It's also good to see the movies. 
And you get to pester the air stewardesses. (grins)

If you landed on a foreign country without your luggage, what's you first thing you would do?
Christian: Go to the hotel room and get a bathrobe!
Mark: I'd borrow some of Christian's clothes. It happened to me in Sweden, me suitcase didn't come through. I swear it took me 
two days to get it back. And all they gave me was a T-shirt, 
toothbrush and some toothpaste.
Ste: I would go and scream at the guy at the airport,
asking "Where are my bags?!"

Would you date a girl from a foreign country?
Christian: Yeah, anywhere! In space too! (laughs)
Mark: I date girls anywhere, any country!
Ste: Definitely. There're some amazing women abroad. I won't say no.

If you had three wishes for your album, what would they be?
Christian: My wish is for the album to go platinum all over the world.
Mark: That's my wish too. That everybody enjoys it.
Ste: I wish that the record company will pick a 
decent picture for the front sleeve!

< This article first appeared in MAX Oct/Nov 1999.>