Nicole All Saint has treated herself to a brand new
Jeep as a special treat after rigours of the girl's recent
tour. True to form, she's been parading it around all
the trendy London bars already!
April 22, 1999
All Saints have switched their June 23rd gig at Wembley Arena to the much smaller Shepherds
Bush Empire, but they deny tabloid reports it's because they haven't sold enough tickets. Their
record company say that the change has been made to enable a crew to set up at the Arena
on the 23rd to film the gigs on 24th and 25th June.
All Saints stand-in manager, Simon Fineham told Radio One that he’ll try to ensure all fans
who bought tickets for the 23rd get a good view at the Empire gig.
April 22, 1999
It looks like the tangled web of intrigue that comprises
the love life of one Robert Williams has got a little
simpler. Nicole Appleton, who must have the
patience of an All Saint to have lasted this long, has
finally given up the ghost of their relationship and
dumped him. The separation comes after
newspaper revelations of a big snog-up between
the Robster and the ubiquitous Andrea Corr (she is
one popular lady!) and various sleazy exposes of
naughty on the road behaviour, so it's hardly
surprising. In a statement to the newspapers, Nicole
bitterly announced: "It's over...Robbie's life isn't real.
He actually leads a pathetic life. Robbie was too
unstable for me and I hope he reads that. The
constant rowing and his lifestyle drove us apart. "
"I would never have children with him. He is too crazy.
The father of my children would have to lead a normal
life. I did want a child before the Millennium but now
I'm happy to wait a while longer."
April 20, 1999
All Saints kicked off their UK tour at the Blackpool Opera House at the weekend.
The first gig was reviewed especially for Radio One by Sarah Lewis - Dave Pearce’s Comic
Relief competition winner - who says the show was really funky and vibrant: "The girls put all
they had into it - a lot of enthusiasm. They opened with ‘Booty Call’, which is a great song to
open with. They had some great male dancers there throwing themselves about - the scene
was fantastic".
Before the show Mel and Nicole revealed they had pre-gig nerves: "All my family are there. My
husband’s there - and that’s the scariest thing for me because he tells me the truth", says Mel.
"I know once we get there and we start panicking with clothes and everything and getting
ready, once we’re in our first costume I’ll probably vomit or faint or something!", said Nicole. But
the girls say they’re really excited about the tour: "It’s something we’ve been looking forward to
doing since last year, before Mel was pregnant. It was gonna be our next thing, and then we
had to hold off until she had the baby".
No Saint Split
And the girls add that a break-up is definitely not on the cards: "We always row. And what’s
funny is that we never learn from our mistakes. Everyone looks at us and thinks ‘they’re gonna
split’, but no, we’re not gonna split - that’s stupid! We’re all doing things but we’re not gonna
split".
The band say they have new material but it won’t be featured on this tour: "We all chatted
about it and this pretty much is something we should have done last year", says Nat. "This is
our first album, this is something to give back. We’re not trying to promote anything, this is just
us doing what we were supposed to do last year".
"The singing was fantastic. My only thought was that perhaps the music was a little bit loud.
Occasionally I couldn’t hear them singing, but generally speaking it was a fantastic show",
says Sarah. "My favourite songs of the gig were ‘War Of Nerves’, which was really, really
moving, and they finished with ‘Lady Marmalade’, which was brilliant". And Sarah’s overall view
of the gig?: "Not as polished as it could be, but obviously it’s the first night of the gigs so
they’re still finding their feet a bit. The harmonies were fantastic, everything was there. Shaznay
has a wonderful voice in my opinion". And she says there were some interesting costume
changes: "They started out with a kind of gangster look in pinstripes and gangster hats, and
changed a few times into sort of cowboy hats. They finished in really cool different, white
outfits. Very funky".
April 20, 1999
The second night of the All Saints tour nearly came a cropper
yesterday, but not because of band in-fighting this time! The Saints'
coach broke down as it pulled out of Blackpool on the way to
Edinburgh. Thankfully a second coach managed to get the band to
the venue just in time and the show went ahead. Phew!
April 19, 1999
The All Saints tour kicked off over the weekend, and the newspapers
were out in force to be the first to report on the goings on and sniff
out any hint of a split in the ranks. Needless to say the dirt-diggers
went away disappointed as the girls put on an impressive show at
Blackpool Opera House. Looks like the Saints'll be with us a while
yet!
March 30, 1999
All Saints have once again hit out at music biz
speculation that one of their gang is leaving. This time
the departing party is rumoured to be Saints
singer/songwriter Shaznay Lewis. Ruction sniffers
were set into action after the rumours surfaced that
Shaz has apparently been rehearsing for the
forthcoming Saints tour on her own, and she missed
appearing on the TFI section of Comic Relief with
the other three girls. Also, Shaznay is not involved in
'Honest' the film Nat, Nic and Mel are set to work on
with Dave Stewart, and did not make an appearance
at Mel's birthday party on Saturday. Despite this
'evidence' the band claim that all is well, and that
Shaz was off spending some quality time with her
new boyfriend, dancer Christian Storm. Apparently
the girls had a quiet celebration for Mel's birthday on
Thursday, then Shaz headed off to Tenerife with
Christian. According to a Saints source, the reason
Shaz isn't involved in 'Honest' is that: "The other three
girls are all drama school-trained and Shaznay isn't,
so it was not something she was interested in" - so
the message to all All Saints fans is, DON'T PANIC!
March 21, 1999
THE future of All Saints is in doubt again after the
all-girl band's latest bust-up.
Rehersals for thier summer tour have been thrown in
disarray with Shaznay Lewis failing to show up with
the other girls for their daily gym and dance
work-outs at a Covent Garden studio. They rehearse separately, Shaznay at
one time and the other three at another.
Rumours of a fall-out between Shaznay and the Appleton sisters Nicole and
Natalie have plagued the band since last year. Now it looks
like Shaz, 23, is ready to say goodbye once their sell-out
dates in June have been completed.
"Shaznay wants to do her own thing," a pal told me. "She's
not having fun any more but she is a professional and
will see the tour through." This latest blow comes after
a traumatic three months for the band. Nicole walked out
in January after a huge row with manager John Benson,
returning only after it was agreed he would be sacked.
Benson then announced he was suing for £2.5 million.
The girls were dealt a further blow when clothing company
All Saints also issued a writ. Now fourth band member
Melanie Blatt has admitted there will be no new songs
and the tour would be like a greatest hits show.
"It's a nightmare for Shaznay," her pal said. "She feels it
would be best to leave it all behind her and go for it
on her own."
All Saints management confirmed the girls' seperate rehearsals but insisted
the tour will go on.
But one insider said: "It's not the most
harmonious gig I've worked on."
Three members of All Saints are to follow in the
footsteps of the Spice Girls and appear in their own film,
directed by Eurythmics musician Dave Stewart.
Melanie Blatt and sisters Nicole and Natalie Appleton
will star as gangster sisters in late 1960s London - but
fellow singer Shaznay Lewis has turned down a part in
the project, called Honest.
Natalie Appleton told a press conference in London:
"Shaznay decided this just wasn't her thing, and that's
fine. This wasn't planned but when the opportunity came
along we just leapt at it."
Dave Stewart, who recently teamed up with his former
Eurythmics partner Annie Lennox on stage at the Brit
Awards, insisted the group were not copying the Spice
Girls. Their movie Spice World was released at
Christmas 1997.
He said: "It is absolutely nothing like the Spice Girls.
The movie already existed before we knew about All
Saints, but it is great that we have found them for the
roles. They are naturals and it's going to be great to have
them."
The film, described as "an edgy black comedy", will be
his first as a director, fulfilling an ambition he has held
since his Eurythmics days. He has also co-written it.
Nicole Appleton added: "It has got nothing to do with
Spice World. There was a suggestion we should do
something like that but it just wasn't our thing.
"We heard about Dave's project and knew this was the
thing we wanted to do. We did screen tests and it all
came out great."
The trio will play three East End sisters, Gerry, Mandy
and Jo, who dress as men and carry out a series of
robberies in the West End.
Filming starts in July and it is expected to be released in
the UK and US in summer 2000. The budget is said to
be more than the £3.6m needed to make world-wide hit
Four Weddings and a Funeral.
The threesome insist they can fit in the film with their
pop career - and Melanie Blatt's role as mother to her
three-month-old daughter Lily Ella.
No other names have been confirmed for the film yet, but
when asked by reporters who they wanted to play their
screen father, they replied in unison: "Michael Caine."
March 8, 1999
All Saints are now reported to have hired former A&M talent scout Steven
Finan, also the son of comedian Tim O'Connor. Finan, who once managed
Madness, comes on board as the group is in the studio is recording their
second album and before they kick off their first UK tour in June.
March 6, 1999
Those courtroom battles just keep on coming…there are now reports that former All Saints
manager, John Benson is suing the girls for more than £2 ½ million. He's saying they were
contracted to him until the year 2001. The two and a half million plus figure is based on 20% of
their earnings and up to a quarter of the cash they make from their live dates. The girl's record
company is refusing to comment.
In other All Saints news the girls have apparently asked Jerry Springer to appear in their next
video and to secure the deal they popped along to his London show to voice their admiration:
"He’s amazing. We love him", they said. "The fights. We’re just gonna rush on stage and just
fight….and rape him".
March 1, 1999
The Mirror reports that Mel C and Nicole Appleton were spotted
dancing on the tables and jovially kissing each other at the Titanic
Bar in London on Saturday. The happy couple were later joined by
Emma Spice who also gave Mel a quick kiss.
February 28, 1999
So why did they follow the lead of the
Spice Girls, 911, Backstreet Boys and
Kavana and give their manager the boot?
'If you become successful sometimes
the people around you can't take you
any further. You have to move on, get another team.'
The band are closer than ever with new mum Mel
Blatt already back in the recording studio and a 2nd
album planned for the summer. So how is she
balancing work and motherhood?
'I don't know because I've only started working
today, but I can say breast feeding kills for the first
two weeks.'
February 22, 1999
Brit Winner Des'ree and All Saints Mel and Shaznay were among
the crowd who had to evacuate a Dru Hill concert at London's Brixton
Academy on Friday because a helpful member of the audience let off
a tear gas canister.
All Saints were together for the first time in three months on Monday to announce they are NOT
splitting up. They held a press conference to deny the rumours and to unveil 5 new dates that
have been added to their arena tour.
There's been a lot of speculation about All Saints’ future which was heightened last week when
the girls sacked their manager, John Benson. Shaz and Nat explained to Radio 1 why they felt
feel the need to hold a press conference: "It suddenly kept coming up, it became a constant
question and it was in the press quite a lot", says Shaz. "At the time we wasn’t too bothered
‘coz, y’know, we knew within ourselves that we were fine. Then we came into the New Year and
we sort of like felt ‘hey, we’re still dragging this bad negativity around with us’." And Nat says
the tour was one of the main reasons they wanted to make sure people knew they’d still be
together: "‘Coz people would be hesitant to buy tickets for our tour if they didn’t think there was
gonna be a show. So we had to clear that up as well so that fans know that they’re buying
tickets to see something because we’ll still be together".
The girls say the tour will be a real extravaganza: "There’s gonna be all kind of fans out there
and you wanna entertain them, I mean there’s gonna be all the young kids out there so you
wanna give them something to look at and enjoy", says Nat and Shaz says the girls all love to
dance: "We haven’t done it for a while. Since Mel was pregnant we kind of tamed down on the
whole dance routine thing and when we got to do it in Milan it was like a big burst. We love it".
And Nat adds: "We were so healthy, we were so fit then. It was great. Can’t wait to do it
again". She says she now feels really unfit: "When I walk up the stairs I can’t breath, so
hopefully I can get back into it again asap. Mel’s a big, fat pig. She doesn’t stop eating".
Why We Sacked Our Manager
Shaz and Nat say they came to a point where they had to sack their manager: "We have to
move on. I think sometimes people only can take you to a certain level. We didn’t even just part
company with our management, it was quite a bit of people around us that we suddenly thought
‘hey, it’s been nice working with you but we have to move on’," says Shaz. And she says they
now have a ‘substitute’ manager: "We wouldn’t even in our wildest dreams think of doing this
tour and doing an album on our own, so we do have a substitute. But there is no point in
rushing out of one thing and straight into another".
Pressures of Last Year
Nat says the pressures of last year made things very difficult for the band: "Bad organisation -
travelling around the world the promotion wasn’t organised properly so we ended up not being to
our best ability in anything. We were exhausted all the time". Shaz adds: "Mel was on
maternity leave so it was like down to the three of us and within a matter of days, y’know, just
before going to the other side of the world to do the promotion and that, and Nic had to learn
Mel’s parts to sing and we had to re-arrange this and re-arrange that". She says Nic then took
an early holiday: "So then Nat had to sing everybody’s parts and stuff like that. So that was like
really, really hard".
And Nat says she feels proud of the band for getting through it : "The fact that we did it just
goes to prove that we’re up for anything and I’m proud of us. And it’s nice to have a choice in
saying what we do now and we’ve got more control over everything now".
Shaz’s Fella & New Material
Shaz denies Monday’s press reports that she’s had a blazing row with her fella: "That’s so
mean. It’s not true at all. We haven’t fought yet. And hope that’s not a jinx!"
Nat says the next single will be out in the summer: "We have to chose which one - as yet we
haven’t chosen one". And Shaz says the new material will be the same kind of style: "Same
formula, just better. Like everybody, every day you learn something and you become a bit more
wiser. We’ve had a whole year of it so everything that we write about is just that bit more
experience from the last album".
The additional shows are 9th June in Bournemouth, 10th June in Brighton, 17th June in Port
Talbot, 20th June in Plymouth and a 3rd Wembley Arena night on 23rd June.