Bros: After The Screaming Stops

 

Terry Wogan: What are you going to do when the screaming stops?
(Interview with Bros, 1988)

 In 1988 Bros were the biggest boy band in the Britain. Their debut album ‘Push’ topped the chart in seventeen countries, selling more than seven million copies. Supported by an army of followers, ‘the Brosettes,’ they were the youngest group to sell out Wembley Stadium. They were on cloud nine. Nineteen-year-old lads travelling the world, being heralded as pop's new messiahs wherever they went. Then with their guitarist quitting due to illness, Bros became a duo: a fraternal concern. When sales of their third record dwindled, Luke decided to call it a day, ending their partnership, disbanding the group. Twenty-eight years on, the boys are back in town for a reunion concert, their first time playing together since 1990.

The directors Joe Pearlman and David Soutar’s film begins with a prologue that hints at the carnage to come. The pair are booked onto This Morning to promote their upcoming show, however backstage all is not well. It appears that over the years one type of screaming (fan adulation) has given way to another (sibling acrimony), so much so that the green room has turned blue under a storm of expletive. Matt storms out, the door slam an arch segue into the upbeat title sequence. (When will I, will I be famous? I can't answer, I can't answer that.')

We then flashback to a time before reunion promo where we join the bros in their new life. Luke is now living in LA, starring in and writing movies. Notable IMDB credits include Blade 2 and Hellboy 2. (Recent films are suffixed with ‘Straight to DVD’). Matt too is in America, but he’s residing in Las Vegas. A friend of mine went to Vegas with his wife a few years ago and said how impressive Goss’ show was; this is supported in the documentary where we hear a Caesars Palace booker purr over his talent. The demand of performing show after show in one place has driven many performers mad, yet Goss seems to be thriving there.

Matt performs swing and jazz tunes.

All of this makes us wonder why Matt wants to reunite. I mean the man has it all. He has a plush apartment with money to burn. All his whims and fancies are catered for. If he wants a painting of his bulldog holding a pint, he’ll commission it. If he doesn’t want an argument, he won’t have it. (His home he explains is a no argument zone.) If people want to blow off a bit of steam: fine. Break something if you want. Just make sure you fix it afterwards. All of these pronouncements are cut and chopped together, so much so that the cumulative effect produces an avalanche of hilarity that we’re soon buried under. In observing Matt Goss you can’t help but see parallels with This Is Spinal Tap. Like Nigel Tufnel, Matt lacks a level of awareness that makes him at times stupid, whilst being completely endearing.

This is real.

In my favourite scene Matt and Luke are back in London reminiscing on their childhood. There wasn’t much money in the family home. Toys and gifts were hard to come by. They did have one though: a dart. They didn’t have a dartboard to go with it, but who needs a target when you’ve got an imagination. The game they played involved throwing a dart in the air and moving out of the way before they got hit. Unfortunately, one day one of them did get hit, causing them to run to their grandad to get the dart pulled out. With the thorn pulled from the paw, the young cubs were free to roam again, chucking the dart up into the skies, ignoring the past accident, giddy on the roulette risk of it all. At the denouement of the anecdote, Matt turns to camera and says,

“And now you can’t even play fucking conkers in England. Please can we start a petition as Bros for this ridiculous thing where you can’t even play conkers, you have to wear goggles. That is the biggest problem…You can’t play conkers in England.”

 

When I heard this I had to pinch myself and think 'is this real?' The backdrop of the estate, the unselfconscious talk, the impassioned delivery, all reminded me of This Country. Even better is Luke’s deadpan reaction, ‘I can live with that.’ Bros can’t even agree on conker regulation, how on earth are they going to play together?

Popstar shades on council estates.

 

The rehearsals for the reunion gig are fraught. Luke is nervous because he hasn’t played drums in years. Not only does he have to re-learn his instrument, he has to re-learn it for a gig at the 02. Also, he’s trepidatious because the last time he was in Bros he felt like a bit part player. His brother was the mouthpiece, spotlight and cover star – this time he wants it to be different. He wants an equal say in the direction of the gig. The problem for Matt is music is his business. He now knows more than his brother, which means treating him as his equal proves difficult. Here the documentary breaks away from being a satire on popstars and becomes a sincere examination of sibling rivalry.

The brothers are ridiculous – Matt, in particular – yet beyond their 2D buffoonery is something deeper and more profound. At the height of their fame they experienced personal tragedy, something, given the demands of touring and promotion, they never had time to process. Later, the boys breakdown in rehearsal when they sing a London ballad, ‘I dried your tears. I brushed your hair. I held your hand when you were scared. Remember the time when you cried because of thunder.’ Seeing the two cry together, rather than scream ‘cunt’ at one another, brings a lump to the throat.

In 1988 Terry Wogan asked the question, ‘What will you do when the screaming stops?’ The answer is here. They survived and thrived enough to produce a movie that has got the whole word laughing. Yet for all the Buzzfeed lists of ’20 Great WTF Moments From After The Screaming,’ they’ve somehow done it whilst remaining likeable. Having produced years of disposable music, this picture might just be the thing that endures.

Bros: After The Screaming Stops is on BBC iPlayer