It's been 20 years since English pop band 911 blazed trails through the UK music scene as one of the biggest boy bands of the mid 90s - making a series of hit singles, selling out venues and breaking countless teenage hearts.

Kicking off their eight-date anniversary tour in Glenrothes in October, the 911 boys Lee Brennan, Jimmy Constable and Spike Dawbarn spoke appreciatively of the Scottish crowd - after all, it was the devoted Glasgow fanbase that first propelled them to success.

The boys first moved to the city in 1995, living in a flat in Kinning Park then Pollokshields over two years. Though they were born and raised south of the border, the trio are considered honorary Scots as the band was firmly rooted in the Glasgow music scene.

At the height of their fame, a hundred or so diehard fans would wait outside their label's Gordon Street office just to catch a glimpse of the boys.

Lee - who was previously in a five year relationshop with B*Witched star Lindsay Armaou - said: "At the time it was crazy to see our fanbase slowly build up. It was the time of our lives. That's why we want to start the tour off in Scotland."

The boys want to take Glasgow fans on a trip down memory lane when they grace the stage at the O2 ABC on what date. Jimmy explains that they want it to be a more intimate occasion, projecting old photos with fans back in the 90s and talking about their music videos.

As 911 are used to playing seated venues, Lee thinks there will be more of a 'party vibe' at the Glasgow show. He added: "We just love Glasgow. It's a beautiful city, and the people are amazing."

Jimmy adds: "Our fans here were crazy for us, so it will always have a special place in our hearts."

The band have been working with Scots songwriter John McLaughlin on their new material over the last year. Though it's in keeping with their own brand - infectious pop, some uptempo ballads with anthemic choruses - their new songs have a much sleeker production to keep up with modern tastes.

Lee said: "We think the fans will love our new stuff - but we're obviously looking forward to performing Bodyshakin', which we're best known for."

 

He added: "We might even do a medley of 90s covers, maybe some Take That for fun. Maybe we'll bring back our old costumes and dance routines, actually - we have these red zoot suits we used to wear..."

"No," Jimmy says, laughing: "These costumes should just stay in the 90s where they belong. I don't know if they would even fit anymore.."

Despite being in their early 40s, the guys still remember all of the dance routines - and feel fit enough to bring the same on-stage energy which has been the band's strength since day one.

Packing in gruelling gym sessions and dieting in the run-up each tour, the three have grown up a lot since their weekly drinking sessions at Glasgow infamous Bonkers nightclub. "

I think we're in better shape now than we were back then," Lee admits.

Spike interjected, laughing: "Lee only says that because he was a lazy urchin when he was 19 - he practically only started going to the gym last year! I was in much better shape from street dancing back when we first started out."

Remembering their wild days, Spike added wistfully: "We used to love that Bonkers nightclub though. George Bowie and Tiger Tim used to DJ. It was apparently the worst nightclub in Glasgow but we knew the owners and we always ended up there anyway." "We wound up dancing on the bar sometimes," admitted Jimmy.

The guys spoke about how times have changed in the two decades since 911's prime. The global music industry has undergone a sea change - televised talent shows churn out flash-in-the-pan acts, CD sales have taken a dive in favour of digital downloads, and the rise of social media means that celebrities are under even more scrutiny in their everyday lives.

"I think bands back in the nineties had a more natural, better following. Shows like the X Factor have a lot of fans, more than the artists themselves really. A year after they appear, no one gives a stuff about them anymore," Spike said gravely.

Agreeing, Lee added: "Record stores have shut, the industry's condensed, so we released our own songs through our website last year when it used to be CDs. You have to keep up with the times."

While Lee said it would have been fun to have Twitter and Facebook back in the band's heyday to engage with fans, Spike said that he wouldn't have it any other way.

"If Twitter existed when I was young, I wouldn't have lasted!" he said, laughing. "I used to go streaking in the streets on nights out when I was a lad, I wouldn't have got away with all my antics."

The wild days of their youth might be behind them, but Lee, Jimmy and Spike are still enjoying the ride.

Pausing for thought, Lee said: "We want to just be in the moment. Our priorities have changed since we were younger. I don't think we got the chance to appreciate it all fully. We don't have to fly off anywhere to do promotions anymore. So we're not taking it all too seriously, we'll have a few drinks, get on stage and have a blast. For us, it's about having fun."