Take That Adorableness, and a Short Howard/Jason Pic Spam

[przed]

Last week, I ended up devouring Gary Barlow's autobiography in record time. (Yes, I've gone completely overboard on the Take That thing. Let's just accept that and move on.) Gary's story is a fascinating one - halotolerant has pointed out it's a perfect classical narrative, going from success and hubris to nemesis to redemption,- but what's even better for my money is the glimpses it offers of the emotional life of the band.

The moment in the book I keep coming back to, over and over, is one that takes place after their reunion press conference, and focuses on Howard and Jason, who seem to have become my fave Take That RPS pairing:

We came off stage, did a few one-to-one interviews and then went backstage to our room. Suddenly the security guys began clearing everyone out of our room – Howard was on his knees, crying, he was overwhelmed by it all. Jay sat hugging him, looking white as a ghost, and Mark, who had seemed the least fazed by the press, looked as worried as I felt.

Wow. I mean… just wow.

Three sentences, but there's so much there. Howard losing it, and Jay protecting him. Mark and Gary worrying over them. And the security guys, who've mostly been with them all from the start, since they were kids, instinctively acting to protect them all. Can I hear a big Awwwww.

Pretty much all of my slash pairings up until now have been stoic secret agent types. If I read, let alone wrote, a story with one of 'em weeping in his partner's arms, I'd consider it way over the top. But with these guys, it's actually happened. And it's incredibly sweet.

I don't think I'm going to lose my taste for the stoic ones, but I have to say, having guys be this out in the open about their emotions, and about looking after each other, is actually kind of refreshing.

In celebration of my discovery of Howard/Jason, here are a few pics of their awesomeness, roughly in order of increasing slashiness.

During the Beautiful World tour, clearly having a ball and enjoying being close to each other.


They just look like they're having too much fun here. And they're wonderfully scruffy, which is always a good thing, IMO. *g*


Jason hugging Howard backstage during the Beautiful World tour. This is during the period where Howard couldn't perform because he'd broken a rib on stage and given himself a pneumothorax, so he spends each concert making notes for the other blokes, and being all proud of Jason doing a solo song. (Real life h/c! How can I resist!)


I can't entirely explain why, but I just love this pic. I think it's the ease they clearly have around each other.


I'm trying to explain this without the slash. Trying, and failing I might add. Oh, boys. *g*


This is the pic I took my icon from, because it's just adorable. And as a bonus, it puts me in mind of Halo's utterly awesome story, The Insomnia Decades, where Jay falling asleep on Howard's shoulder is a key plot point.

Comments

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

The vibe I get off that video (which is one I've felt about Gary/Robbie before) is very much based on the clever song choice - that Gary is 'the last high', that being involved with Gary is actually sufficient stimulation for Robbie to free him from all the drugs and alcohol, that for Gary he will change. When Gary and Robbie went around singing 'Shame' there was this way Robbie would stare at Gary, like he felt safe as long as he was watching him, that I just adored, similar body language to what one sees at Children in Need (my theory is that, generally, when Robbie's feeling confident he flirts with Mark, when he needs reassurance he flirts with Gary... *g*). Whereas, as you say, there's no sense that Mark is a person to give Robbie that stability and reassurance - that's why in a sense I like Gary/Mark/Robbie, with Gary as the missing ingredient, although the dynamic is strangely hard to actually capture (perhaps because it's so unequal? - what I usually end up with is one of the three on the outside looking in)

If I'm feeling in a mood for something a bit angsty, I like the conception that Mark and Robbie had a thing, Robbie left, Mark got together with Gary, less exciting but stable, pleasant and then Robbie comes back to get his Markie and ends up falling for Gary and taking him away from Mark - there's quite a classic noir in there somewhere... I'd never write something that sad though.

Mark/Howard/Jason with h/c elements is just awfully pleasing, isn't it? *g* One of the reasons I loved writing that fic so very much!

Oh goodness, if anything's eaten my brain today it's the extra THREE hours I spent at work today after hometime dictating discharge letters (we dictate onto a dictaphone and get them typed up - I would be so much faster just typing directly but that's the system, designed for very non-computer-literate consultants) - easing my tired mind with TT pics now! *g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

I can see Gary/Mark/Robbie being a very difficult dynamic to maintain. Gary's rock solid, but the other two are flighty enough that creating a happy ever after with that OT3 would be very very difficult. I think you might be right on the money about Robbie's flirting with Mark and Gary.

You're angsty story arc would be sort of perfect, but would completely break my heart, not to mention Mark's. Mark is the one I would least like to see hurt, even if he's the one who's probably most likely to end up that way. (Poor Mark. There's something about that man that trips every maternal, protective instinct I've got. Very interesting...)

Mark/Howard/Jason, on the other hand, is very pleasing indeed. Howard & Jason are rock solid, and provide a nice support for Mark. I can see why you loved writing that fic, quite apart from the fact that it's brilliant. (I've finally formatted it for my iPod. Hooray for having apocafic whenever I want!)

Your work sounds brutal. And totally inefficient. Surely as more doctors become more proficient with computers they'll overhaul the system. Or perhaps not. You never know with bureaucracies, do you? Have fun with the TT pics!

[anniina85.livejournal.com]

"You're angsty story arc would be sort of perfect, but would completely break my heart, not to mention Mark's. Mark is the one I would least like to see hurt, even if he's the one who's probably most likely to end up that way. " I just happened to come accross this pic spam and found this conversation you have going on very interesting ;) I hope you don't mind me making a little comment here...
The idea of Robbie first leaving Mark behind, then Mark finding a safe place with Gary, only to have him taken away from him by Robbie (who's possibly the love of his life), that's just beyond tragic, and way cruel on poor Mark. And I agree that it would most probably be Mark who ends up hurting in the end. If he would realise that there really is something going on between Gary and Rob, being the sweet, nice and caring person that he is, I have a feeling he would back down for the sake of them, no matter how much it would break his heart. He does have that need to please everyone and see everybody be happy. But the question is, could Gary and Robbie ever do something like that to Mark? So, maybe a threesome would be the best solution ;)

"(Poor Mark. There's something about that man that trips every maternal, protective instinct I've got. Very interesting..." I'm with you on this, there is just something about him. He just feels so genuine, always smiling and even on camera he always laughs from the heart, I love that about him :D Maybe it's partly cause we know the music business and the celebrity world can be quite hard and cold and cruel at times. And obviously Mark's not the most confident of people and the events last spring made it clear that he's not been unaffected by it. And everybody is always saying how nice and kind and sweet person he is. And underneath all those brave smiles he seems to be very sensitive as well. Very "unique", definitely not someone you would call a 'traditional' blokey bloke ;)
That said, I also fancy the pants off him and think he's wayyyy hot and sexy!

[przed.livejournal.com]

More people to discuss TT with is awesome, so welcome!

If he would realise that there really is something going on between Gary and Rob, being the sweet, nice and caring person that he is, I have a feeling he would back down for the sake of them, no matter how much it would break his heart.

You're absolutely right about that. Mark does seem to have a bit of a self-sacrificing streak, and I could definitely see him doing what he could to see his friends happy, even if it meant his own unhappiness. Again, I'll say, Poor Mark.

But the question is, could Gary and Robbie ever do something like that to Mark? So, maybe a threesome would be the best solution ;)

I don't think Gary would consciously hurt Mark. And Robbie would only do it accidentally, because he's impulsive and doesn't always think things through. So yes, a threesome would probably be the best solution all 'round. But it would be darn tricky to manage with those three.

I'm with you on this, there is just something about him. He just feels so genuine, always smiling and even on camera he always laughs from the heart, I love that about him :D

Well put! His authenticity, and his enthusiasm, are definitely large parts of why I find him so compelling. But also his vulnerability in the face of what is no doubt a brutal business. I'm a recent convert to TT, so I wasn't around when events unfolded last spring, but it's pretty extraordinary to read about them now, and see the footage in Look Back Don't Stare. I also find it interesting that he's clearly the most emotionally open when they're performing (his adoration of both Robbie and Gary is pretty clear when they're performing) but he's also frequently the one who reveals the least in interviews. Halo has also pointed out that the other members of the band will spill their guts about their own problems, and their issues with other band members, but they never say too much about Mark, except what a lovely man he is. I have a feeling they're all a bit protective of him.

In spite of that vulnerability, though, it's also interesting that he's clearly a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the look of their shows and the way things are staged. There's an interview I've seen somewhere (can't remember if it's LBDS or somewhere else) where Gary points out how much Mark drives them mad when he's being a perfectionist over the look of the show. But he says it with great affection.

That said, I also fancy the pants off him and think he's wayyyy hot and sexy!

Yes! Definitely! While Howard is usually more like my usual taste in blokes, there is something utterly compelling about Mark. That smile! That hair! That crazy dress sense!

[anniina85.livejournal.com]

"You're absolutely right about that. Mark does seem to have a bit of a self-sacrificing streak" Yes, it really seems so. Appart from his appearance and behaviour, that's quite evident on his solo lyrics as well. I think the solo lyrics are a brilliant window to his soul and to the person he really is behind the smiling and at times bubbly and silly exterior.

"I don't think Gary would consciously hurt Mark. And Robbie would only do it accidentally, because he's impulsive and doesn't always think things through. So yes, a threesome would probably be the best solution all 'round. But it would be darn tricky to manage with those three." Ah, Robbie really should sometimes think twice before he opens his mouth or does something ;) but of course he doesn't mean any harm, he just can't help himself. The dynamics in that threesome could be a bit tricky indeed. I guess for me, to have Gary and Robbie work in a romantic sense I need to have Mark in the mix. I see that Robbie and Gary adore and respect eachother, and Robbie obviously looks up at Gary in almost a big brotherly way, but I can't feel the erotic side to them. Sure Robbie does flirt with Gary, but it seems he does it more cause it's fun to play like that. Whereas with Mark it feels more intimate and more intense. (Could also be the different ways Gary/Mark react to the flirtations. Gary usually laughs about it, like he did at the movie awards performance this week, and Mark seems to really savour each moment of affection.

"I also find it interesting that he's clearly the most emotionally open when they're performing (his adoration of both Robbie and Gary is pretty clear when they're performing) but he's also frequently the one who reveals the least in interviews. " Mark seems to really lose himself into the music when they perform. On the other hand he’s brilliant at speaking to the audience and getting in ‘character’ for the big performances etc, and on the other hand, especially on tv performances, it’s seems like he often gets completely into his own little world and just feels the music (and does all those weird little dance moves LOL). Mark does speak very little about how he feels about things in interviews. He did reveal a bit of his inner thought on LBDS, but for example on For the record, compared to the rest, he says very little about anything. His only comment when the documentary talks about Robbie leaving is that he didn’t think about it that much and that only knew he had two weeks time to learn how to rap (for a tour that was coming). Which obviously was not how it went according to Gary’s fairly recent quote, saying how a girl has never broken Mark’s heart, but Robbie did the day he left the band. That Mark was inconsolable. That is an interesting observation that the others very seldom do talk about Mark, hadn’t noticed it before but it does seem to be like that! That must be protectiveness from their part.

I love that bit in LBDS when Gary’s saying how Mark drives them insane with his perfectionism! That’s a classic Barlowen moment. And the way Mark’s face lightens up the second Gary says he loves him :) Mark seems to be a very creative and visual person and seems to have quite strong visions on how things should look. From the documentary I got the feeling Gary and Mark can at times clash a bit creatively, cause they do have quite different kind of styles. And Gary being a very authoritative and outspoken person can sometimes say things quite straight. But he must know Mark well enough to know that he can take things the wrong way and is ready to explain what he really meant ;)

I think if you look a bit under the surface the vulnerability that Mark has is quite evident. I find that very appealing. In search of acceptation I think he loves when the other boys show him some affection, a little cuddle here and there always earns a massive smile from him ;) Also, I love that he has his own style and isn’t afraid to dress/act a bit girly at times. Totally adorable! *g*

[przed.livejournal.com]

You're absolutely right about Mark's lyrics revealing a self-sacrificing side to his personality. And then some. "Blissfully tortured" indeed.

I definitely see much more intensity between Mark and Robbie than between Rob and Gary, while Rob and Gary have a more playful, more stable feel. Doing an OT3, if you could get the balance right, would give you the intensity and the stability. But get the balance wrong and it all goes horribly wrong. :-/

On the other hand he’s brilliant at speaking to the audience and getting in ‘character’ for the big performances etc

Absolutely! In the concert DVDs, he seems the one most intent on making a close connection with the audience, and having a care for everyone.

Mark does speak very little about how he feels about things in interviews. He did reveal a bit of his inner thought on LBDS, but for example on For the record, compared to the rest, he says very little about anything. His only comment when the documentary talks about Robbie leaving is that he didn’t think about it that much and that only knew he had two weeks time to learn how to rap

I know! I've spent the last two months mainlining TT history, so when I finally got hold of For the Record I expected big revelations from Mark about how Rob leaving the band affected him. And then there was...virtually nothing. Which first I found frustrating, but on further reflection becomes very interesting. Especially given that quote from Gary. (I'd seen that quote about Rob breaking Mark's heart before I saw For the Record.)

I love that bit in LBDS when Gary’s saying how Mark drives them insane with his perfectionism! That’s a classic Barlowen moment.

Ah, it was in LBDS. And it is a brilliant moment. As is the moment when they clash over lyrics. You can see how much they both care about getting things right, how Mark takes things to heart, and how Gary works to smooth things over once he realizes how Mark is taking it all. It's like their working relationship in a neat little package.

In search of acceptation I think he loves when the other boys show him some affection, a little cuddle here and there always earns a massive smile from him ;)

Again, this gets an emphatic Yes! from me. He's obviously a very physically demonstrative guy, and that's in a band that extraordinarily touchy. But he does just light up when one of the other boys--especially Rob--gives him a cuddle. The Knebworth concert footage of him and Robbie shows that in spades.

Also, I love that he has his own style and isn’t afraid to dress/act a bit girly at times. Totally adorable!

Again, yes, yes yes! It's interesting that in spite of the fact that he seems perhaps the most insecure of the lot of them, he also seems the most secure at exhibiting his own style and ignoring what might be socially expected of him. That is, perhaps, what most endears him to me.

[anniina85.livejournal.com]

That "Blisfully tortured" feel is all over his lyrics, so it can't be a coincidence, it must really mean something. Like he's bit of a masochist, in an emotional sense... Like the story behind "What you want from me". Emma goes away for a few days and the first thing he thinks about is whether she would come back and not wanna be with him anymore. As he said himself, the fear was coming from his insecurity.

I like how you described Robbie/Mark and Robbie Gary. Intensity vs playfulness and stability, sounds very true! With Barlowen I also get that sense of certain stability, maybe that's what both Robbie and Mark seek from Gary, someone to rely on. A solid shoulder, in Mark's words ;) It's obvious Gary is looking after Mark a bit. I also love how Gary often has this amused smile on his face when Mark says or does something silly or random. He's not laughing with him, he's laughing at him, but in a loving and caring way LOL! Apart from the certain protectiveness, it seems that's Gary has really enjoyed having Mark as a writing partner during the OT4 times, meaning that he doesn't have to do all the writing alone anymore and can bounce on ideas with someone. (Howard and Jay's contribution has of course been extremely important as well)

Btw, have you seen that interview the boys did on radio 1 last october/november time? Imo it's the best interview they've done during the Progress era. It's all five of them + it's soooooo funny :D
Part one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOu-m20ts4Y

"when I finally got hold of For the Record I expected big revelations from Mark about how Rob leaving the band affected him. And then there was...virtually nothing. Which first I found frustrating, but on further reflection becomes very interesting." You're right. It actually says quite a lot that says basically nothing about how he felt back then. Obviously he was not ready to do so, at least not for a camera...

"He's obviously a very physically demonstrative guy, and that's in a band that extraordinarily touchy." Again, very true! Have you noticed that Mark has a tendency to kind of hold on to one of the boys' arms, usually it's Gary or Robbie, when they're standing or standing up and starting to walk after an interview ec? It's quite adorable! And when they were doing the Echo awards in Germany it seemed that most of time on the red carpet Mark was either holding on to Gary's arm or hiding behind him, haha ;) And the way his face lightens up when one of them touches is beautiful to see :)

The contrast between the insecurity and maintaning his unique style is very interesting. Could you imagine any of the other boys wearing a sparkly jumpsuit on stage in front of 80 000 people?!? And apparently that suit was all Gary's fault ;)

[przed.livejournal.com]

Gary seems to look after them all. Among all the lovely bits in LBDS was Gary talking about their working method for writing. How he puts together a ton of backing tracks for them to play with so they can all bounce the different ideas around, and so he can change the track when Robbie gets bored.

He's not laughing with him, he's laughing at him, but in a loving and caring way LOL!

I think it's that he honestly enjoys Mark's take on things.

I have seen that Radio 1 interview, but watched it again anyway. It is lovely, apart from Howard being hidden from the camera most of the time. They all get equal time, and they're all clearly having a blast.

You're right. It actually says quite a lot that says basically nothing about how he felt back then.

Number one on my wish list now is for Mark to do a memoir like Gary did. That would be very interesting.

Have you noticed that Mark has a tendency to kind of hold on to one of the boys' arms, usually it's Gary or Robbie, when they're standing or standing up and starting to walk after an interview ec?

No! I hadn't noticed that. Shall have to do more research. Oh, the pain of having to watch more of their interviews. *g* I do love how his face lights up when one of the other lads gives him a bit of affection.

I thought the jumpsuit was a blast, especially considering the rest of them were in tasteful black with a little bit of sparkle. I had the jumpsuit down as pure Mark. It's funny it was Gary's fault.

[anniina85.livejournal.com]

Oh, I bet Gary desperatelly wanted OT5 to work, and that's why he made sure to have enough tracks ready so Robbie wouldn't get bored ;) Also, it's nice how he kept pushing Howard forward with his ideas, cause he knows Howard is a bit quiet and needs that little pushing. And the fact that Robbie felt the need to impress the other boys with lyrics, just shows how much he must respect the others these days.

"I think it's that he honestly enjoys Mark's take on things." That must be it. Mark can be wonderfully silly and random *g* I think it's quite funny and adorable how he often starts answering a reporter's question and ends up bubbling ages without really answering the question, LOL!

I would love to read Mark's memoirs! But I'm afraid he's too private a person to ever publish something like that.

One example of the 'arm holding' is the Brits acceptance speach. Mark keeps holding on to Robbie's arm when they're on stage/leaving it ;)

I think it was the London i-tunes vid from the Circus tour, where Mark's having a little costume fitting of the sparkly suit, and there he tels the camera that the suit was Gary's fault...with a massive smile on his face! I think Gary really enjoyed seeing him in that suit, on one of the passes they were showing Mark backstage getting ready to be lifted up stage for Hold up a light, and Gary was there too, saying how Mark had his *catsuit* on ;) Infact, all the boys seemd to enjoy the suit cause there definitely was quite a few bum slappings/gropings going on (judging from pics/youtube vids I've seen) when Mark wore that suit... ;)

[przed.livejournal.com]

I'm sure Gary did his best to make sure everything worked. I do like the way he pushes Howard forward. I also found it interesting the way he mediated when Robbie and Jason had a tiff over lyrics, pushing Jason to come up with something better if he doesn't like what Rob has.

I'm afraid you're right about Mark ever writing his memoirs. If he's that close-mouthed during interviews, he'd never write it all down. But a girl can dream. *g*

I shall have to go check out the Brits acceptance speech again. Oh, the hardship. *g*

I've only just got hold of the Circus iTunes vids, so I hadn't seen those bits now. But I just watched it, and yep, Gary is to blame. I have to say that I found the London section got me a bit teary, with them all a bit sad to have the tour over. (It's also made me very sad I won't be seeing the Progress tour live. Ah, well, next time 'round I shall deviously suggest a family vacation in England at the appropriate time.)

[anniina85.livejournal.com]

There is a little preview video of the coming tour ( I think it was sponsored by samsung), so it looks like there will be backstage vids this time as well :) I really really hope so! I love the Circus i-tunes passes so much. It's nice seeing the boys backstage, relaxed and being themselves and interacting with each other.

[przed.livejournal.com]

I found the preview this afternoon! It looks awesome, and had me once again toying with finding a way to get over for a show.

I do hope there's a lot of backstage footage. With all the concert disks, I almost like the backstage stuff better than the show. They are so lovely together.