THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH- September 2000

NICE AND EASY DOES IT

Boyzone's Stephen Gately is the epitome of squeaky-clean and he does it very well indeed.

By ANDREW LOSOWSKY

Stephen Gately is nice. There's no other word to describe him.

Everyone around him is nice. Even the pit-bull terrier, running around the

photographic studio where we meet, is nice. To get near Stephen is to

enter another world.

He shot to fame with Boyzone, five nice lads from Dublin whose first

four albums all shot in at number one, the first band to do so since those

other nice lads, the Beatles. A film of the 'fab five' is even being

written. But, after seven years together, they wanted a break and decided to

spend 2000 working on solo projects. One of them presented a children's TV

show. One went to drive rally cars. But for Ronan Keating and Stephen Gately

- arguably the two most squeaky clean band members - Boyzone's temporary

separation has let them try their hand at pop music solo.

I exchange a firm handshake with Gately as I enter a large room in

North London and wait patiently for a photo shoot to end. The shoot is

fascinating. As the photographer dances around him, you can't help

noticing Gately knows exactly what he s doing. With admirable poise and

patience, he makes the camera his own, smiling into the lens in a variety of

expressions. The photographer never had it so easy.

When the shoot ends, Gately strolls over for the interview. He looks

right at me when he talks and seems genuinely interested in every question.

He is the consummate professional without ever being impersonal. Make no

mistake, Gately is damn good at what he does. From his perfect complexion to

his new beige shoes. Only a slightly damp mark under the arms of his jumper and

the occasional belch as he swigs cola, ripple the image of perfection.

Anyone under 18 could answer my first question, but I thought we'd

start with an easy one:

Why does Gately think Boyzone have been so phenomenally successful?

"I think it's the normality of us. With us what you see is what you get.

There aren't any graces about us, we're just five normal guys. Some of

us have kids. Some of us are married, one of us is gay. People see

realism there."

Ah yes, the gay issue. A reporter in the Far East recently arranged to

interview Gately, only to be told by an over-eager record company

executive that he could talk about anything except the gay issue. The reporter

was, not surprisingly, upset. After all, Gately's coming out in June 1999

was the biggest thing to happen in the music industry in years. It was

groundbreaking in the way it had almost no repercussions for the band

and, for non-Boyzone fanatics, it's the most interesting thing about him.

Thankfully, I have been given no such restrictions but it doesn't make

talking about someone else's sexuality any easier.

We briefly discuss his new single and the album he's working on ("I

love pop music, but wanted to try something more up-tempo than just ballads"),

before we touch on his personal life. I mention his relationship with Eloy de

Jong, a Dutch singer in a boy-band of his own. Gately doesn't seem surprised

but is none too impressed either.

"Look, I've done the whole thing about who I'm with and so everybody

knows. There's no point in making an issue about my sexual preference, unless

you do for the other lads in Boyzone as well. If you're not doing it with

them, you're not doing it with me."

I don't feel good about asking but natural curiosity makes me pursue

the issue a little further. Gately almost - but not quite - succeeds in

stifling his frustration. However, the smile hardens a little. I ask

if he would mind answering a couple of more general questions on the subject.

"Well, now that depends. If I don't like them, I'll tell you to fuck

off."

He says it very softly, never breaking the smile. I continue digging

regardless but exchange my spade for a teaspoon.

When did he first know he was in love with Eloy who he has lived in Amsterdam with for 18 months?

"Six years ago but we never got together until two years ago. I don't

know if we'll get married," he continues. "I wouldn't say 'no', I wouldn't

say 'yes'. We haven't actually sat down and had a good chat about it.

There have been rumours in the press about that, and about kids, but if it

happens, it happens. It's my choice, and when I do it I'll let you

know."

So, does he feel that a star's sexuality now has no bearing on his or

her career?

"I dunno. It was fantastic how the response was. But so what, you

know? People can say whatever they want. As long as I'm happy in my life,

that's the thing. It's nobody's business, and nobody had to know. Somebody

was going to sell the story and I think that to hurt another person and to

try and ruin their life is the lowest way to make money."

Though he's not overly secretive about his private life, he's not

surprisingly happier to talk about less personal issues.

"I like living in Holland because it's really laid back. People just

say 'hi' and keep on walking. But in Ireland it's different, they grab you

and say 'sign this, sign this'. I don't mind doing it but the only place I

won't is when I'm in my home. If anyone comes to my house and asks for

my autograph, the answer's always 'no'. I don't care who they are, it's

my own private space.

"I'm a very private person really. I don't go to celebrity bashes, and

I don't go clubbing - I hate clubbing. I'd rather go to a bar or

restaurant where I can sit down and chat with my mates."

In June, Gately released his first solo single, A New Beginning/Bright

Eyes, a double-A side featuring a cover version of Art Garfunkel's gooey hit.

It went straight in at Number Three, while his debut solo album made

Number Nine.

Still if he wasn't in Boyzone, Gately harbours another ambition: to be

in the movies.

"I'd love to play a baddie in a film. Actually, what I'm aiming for is

a cameo in the new Harry Potter film. The books are fantastic. And

Andrew Lloyd-Webber offered me the lead role in his new musical. I was

tempted but at the same time I was too involved in my album. But he obviously

thinks I'm capable of doing it - he doesn't really pick people unless he

believes in them."

With no pressure to stick to the money-spinning formula that is

boy-band pop (Gately acknowledges he's "financially secure, that's for sure"), he

can afford to take a few risks.

With William from the record company making discreet signals that our

time is running out, I wonder where Gately is rushing off to now?

"We've got a few more photo shoots, then tonight I'm going back to

Amsterdam. I'm going to sit down, open a bottle of wine and watch four

episodes of Friends. That's going to be nice."

With Gately, it could hardly be anything else.

'I Believe', is released on 25 September on Polydor Associated Labels.

For more details go to http://www.stephengately.com/.

INSIDE STORY ...

- Awards ...

All Ireland Disco Dancing

Champion aged 16, Irish

Personality of the Year and

Smash Hits Hero of the Year

(both 1999)

- First found fame ...

Apart from 10 seconds in The Commitments,

fame hit when Boyzone released their first

single Love Me For a Reason in 1994.

It reached Number Two in the UK charts

- Linked to ...

Before his homosexuality was made

public, Gately was romantically linked

to Baby Spice and Mandy Smith. He is

now happily settled with Dutch boyfriend

Eloy.

- Famous family ...

Fourth out of five children, Gately was

brought up in Dublin. "I come from a

poor family, so I know what its like to

have none of this"

- Once said ...

"Everyone was great about me coming out.

Elton John sent flowers, George Michael rang,

even Billy Connolly said 'Who gives a shit?'

There's been no homophobia at all, except the

odd slagging in the street."

"One girl got my name tattooed on her arm,

I was like, 'What are you doing, girl? That's

going to be there forever'."