In the UK
Between 1987 and 1991, at the young age of nineteen, Matt Goss was the lead singer of a boy band named Bros, with his identical twin brother, Luke, on drums. They were such a success that their first album sold 400,000 in the first week and then went on to reach the 5 million mark in sales worldwide. While on tour, they played at highly regarded arenas such as the Sidney Entertainment Centre, Toyko’s Buddha Khan, the Royal Albert Hall and London’s Wembley Arena. They released two more albums and sold over 17 million worldwide. Bros had #1 hits in nineteen countries. They were the youngest group in history to sellout Wembley Arena for fifteen consecutive nights. They had 15 Top-5 hits in the U.K., and were on the charts for 84 weeks.

At the height of their young career, Matt’s sister was killed in a car crash at the young age of eighteen. Shortly after their sister’s death, and after their next song only made it to the #4 position in the charts, Luke felt that they probably couldn’t continue writing #1 hits and that they should each go their own way—so he dissolved the popular band that he had started.

From 1992 until present, Matt has gone solo and lived in the U.S., Italy, and the U.K., writing for productions as diverse as “Stuart Little”, a duet between Marc Anthony and Cleopatra for a show in Paris called “Cleopatre”, the theme song for the #1 FOX program, “So You Think You Can Dance” and the hit song “Change Me” for Keri Hilson and Akon, which appears on Hilson’s current chart-topping album, In A Perfect World.

He has written an autobiography titled, “More Than You Know”, and a children’s book named “Bear Crimbo”, due out 2010. In March of 2009, he signed with Robin Antin, creator of the Pussycat Dolls, to be his manager. In June, it was announced that he would be appearing at the Palms, here in Vegas, on the weekends, in a room named after him, the “Gossy Room”. His 8th album, Gossy, just released, illustrates Matt, the man, and his personal walk through the emotions of life.

THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSIC
Behind the sizzling-hot performer that women of all ages have been melting over worldwide, is a very atypically deep and profound man. Matt exudes a genuine warmth that we press-folk don’t encounter too often when it comes to interviewing celebrities. No airs, no pretentious glances; rather a refreshing down-to-earth spiritual man. Matt holds his ego, not only in check, but throws it in the trash before entering a room. This closer look into the man behind his music helped me to understand a little better his lyrics, which can be sometimes emotionally haunting.

THE VOICE
Soft, sexy, with hints of gravel.
~Women describe Matt’s voice as “dreamy”.
~Men play “Gossy”, when they want to get their gal hot and turned on.

THE SHOW
At first, you may want to label Matt as the next Sinatra, with his love of and variety of hats, along with his ability to belt out classic songs with a “Luck Be a Lady”-style. But Matt Goss is so much more than a simple déjà vu of Vegas’ Rat Pack of long ago. His signature writing and vocal style is that of a much more emotional performer, in my opinion. His music shines as an eclectic blend of old, new, traditional-classic, pop, dance and r&b.

What better a place than the Palms’ “Gossy Room” to see this hot act. From his funky-hot band that is tighter than a drum to his “Dirty Virgins” dancers, there’s something for every lover of entertainment. You can enjoy Matt’s gorgeous looks up-close and personal in this intimate Palms’ showroom, and then, for the men, the “Dirty Virgins” are as sexy as any striptease in town, with their burlesque style perfectly choreographed by Robin Antin, the creator of Pussycat Dolls. Robin has created a show that is a delight for the eyes, much like all of Vegas’ jaw-dropping lights. I’d call the Matt Goss show “eye-candy”—with Matt, the dancers, the backup vocalists, the funky band, high-tech projections, and state-of-the-art lighting. Yet it’s so much more.

Before I see any of my favorite bands live, I rock out all their music while driving on the way to the show. It gets me hot to see their live show. If you haven’t enjoyed the music of Matt Goss, I strongly suggest that you get the CD before checking out his show. You’ll truly enjoy the experience on a higher level if you do!

A SONG FOR VEGAS
It’s been a lifelong dream to not only become a part of the music history in the U.S., but also to play in a Vegas showroom. Now fulfilled, Matt’s dream of performing in Vegas has turned into a deeper, more heartfelt appreciation for the many people that have opened their arms to him here in Vegas. Matt was quite taken by Vegas’ community and many families that hold their city dear. “When I arrived in Vegas, the thing I realized was that there were people living here and raising families. It wasn’t just the Strip and the bright lights; it was a way of life; a community.” He has witnessed its heart and soul that thrives on culture—always state-of-the-art in technology and entertainment. This community inspired Matt to write a song about and for Vegas. “My Lovely Las Vegas” is a traditional classic, with a toe-tapping melody that will get you dancing.

“Matt arranged every single second of this song, including vocals and every single instrument. It just makes you want to get up and dance,” Robin Antin explained, as we all bubbled with excitement at the unveiling of Matt’s brand new baby, “My Lovely Las Vegas”.

Matt described the lyrics afterward: “There’s a line in the song that talks about the sunrises on Flamingo Road. We finished up in the Studio at the Palms at around five in the morning and our limo driver, Manny, who was driving me home, played the song as we drove. And just as we took a turn onto Flamingo, the sun came up on Flamingo Road—just like the line in the song!”

“Vegas was so gracious to me when I came here, and that’s no bullshit. The song is a genuine thank you to the people and the city of Las Vegas,” Matt expressed with his hands crossing over his heart.

“I’m a spiritual guy. I don’t consider myself religious, but I’m a man of faith. I have a strong faith.”

SLV: Who gave you the nickname, “The Voice”?
GOSS: The fans in the UK and Europe started to refer to me as this.
SLV: Yet I understand that your music teacher gave you an F…yet you knew you could write and sing. What would you say to her now?
GOSS: (smiling) I think I would just like to invite her to come to the show. Music is ageless and there are many lyrics that are written that are never heard, but are probably just beautiful.
SLV: Why, when the Bros were such a successful band, did you decide to dissolve?
GOSS: My brother Luke decided to quit. Luke decided we had nowhere to go and that we couldn’t continue to have #1 hits. You know the band was his band. (looking straight into the camera) I’m giving you credit, Luke. The band was your band! Luke put his band together, with him playing drums, and when they needed a lead singer, I tried out for the band and made it. So when he decided to stop the band, it was over. SLV: Did that hurt your relationship with your brother, Luke?
GOSS: Yes, the day he told me I sat down and cried. I didn’t know what the future held, but he was right. We each needed to grow. He grew in his own way and moved on to become a wonderful movie actor. He’s done tons of great movies. He’s gonna be coming out in the movie production of “Tekken”. And now, as we come together, we have great respect for one another, as two complete, but separate individuals.
SLV: What has been your highest high?
GOSS: Two back-to-back shows. The night before the Wembley, we booked ourselves in a small pub under another name, “The Terror Twins”, but the word must’ve leaked out and it was packed. There was a line a mile long going down the street, and then the next night we were stepping on stage in front of 70,000 people. The Wembley is the hugest thing in the U.K. My mom was there and it was fantastic. It felt like it was over in fifteen minutes. It was such an adrenaline rush.
SLV: What has been your lowest low?
GOSS: There’s one—my sister dying in a car crash. She was hit by a drunk driver. I feel it even more today as an adult grown man. I miss the fact that I can’t share with her and that she would understand and be able to give me good advice. She was just 18 when she died. I’m a spiritual guy. I don’t consider myself religious, but I’m a man of faith. I have a strong faith. Life is like a rollercoaster. It’s got its ups and then it’s got its downs, and you have no choice but to ride with it.
SLV: Any other band names in your past?
GOSS: Yeah, we named our band Caviar for awhile. We didn’t know what it was, but just that it was expensive. Then our friends asked us: “Why do you want to be known as Caviar?” When they told us it meant “fish eggs”, we changed our name to Summerhouse, and that worked for awhile.
SLV: What do you find really sexy?
GOSS: I think women’s toes, feet… When they’re nicely pedicured feet, they’re really sexy…and in a nice high heel… (smiling) I’m a leg and feet man. I’m what you’d call a ‘womanist’. I think there’s a negativity that comes along with the word ‘feminist’. It seems masculine. I think that if you’re a lesbian, then you should put makeup on and get all dressed up and enjoy the feminine side. I believe in the celebration of the beauty of the female form. But yeah, I’m a leg and feet man.
SLV: What totally turns you off?
GOSS: Arrogance. Any kind of arrogance… It’s bullshit.
SLV: Favorite Cocktail?
GOSS: Different drinks for different moods. For beer, I like a good Guinness. For just chillin’, Vodka on ice. For relaxing at home alone, Scotch on the rocks.
SLV: What is your favorite curse word?
GOSS: Oh, I like to fucking curse. (laughter) There’s ‘I’m hungry.’ And then there’s those times ‘I’m hungry’ just doesn’t do it. ‘I’m fucking hungry…’ That’s when you know a man’s gotta eat. (laughter)
SLV: Compare playing an arena such as Wembley to the intimate venue like the Gossy Room.
GOSS: The first day I went in this 70,000 seat arena, I went way in the back and looked out at the stage and it appeared so small, when indeed it was quite massive, like half a mile wide. They did a sound test and they let out a bass note that shook my whole body. It was so powerful, it made my balls vibrate. That doesn’t happen very often. (laughing) But it was just amazing. The smallest room I had played before the Palms was a 4,000 seat room. Actually, when I saw the Gossy Room, I was quite terrified. It made me feel very vulnerable at first. I could see the whites of the eyes of the people in the front rows. Now I’m getting very comfortable with it and really liking it.
SLV: When “The Dirty Virgins” dancers were first added to your stage rehearsals, did you have a hard time keeping the groove?
GOSS: Well, I’m a man, and yeah, I can sometimes get distracted. Yeah, there’s these beautiful women dancing in their underwear…I get distracted. But we’re all very professional. They’re my professional family.
SLV: What are your dreams for the future?
GOSS: To provide food for my family with my music. I’d like to make Vegas my home”
SLV: Do you see yourself with children in the future?
GOSS: I’d love to have children someday. I’ve gone with the same girl for five years, but it’s not going to happen. She’s busy and traveling and I’m busy… But children, yeah… someday. SLV

Issue 42 featuring: AJ Bailey, Karlie Montana, Charlie Laine and Melissa Jacobs