09-05-2025
When boyband Five went to prison: the police wanted autographs
One morning in December 2000 I was outside the office of the Official PlayStation magazine in Dublin, where I worked, when I saw Jason 'J' Brown, a member of the pop group Five, walking along the street. I approached Brown and asked if the band would like to do an interview for the mag. Brown was keen and gave me his tour manager's number to set it up. The interview never happened. That afternoon Brown and his bandmate Ritchie Neville were arrested and imprisoned following a fight in Temple Bar. Nine months later the band broke up under the weight of court cases, exhaustion and nervous breakdowns.
So it comes as a surprise to be seated in front of Brown, Neville, and their bandmates —
