Point Break - May 2000
Writer - Annemarie Failla
Girl.com.au caught up with charming Declan (Dec) Bennett, who is one third of UK pop rock band 'Point Break', on their recent promotional tour of Australia.
PROFILE:
Band Member: Declan Bennett
Nickname: Dec
Age: 19 yrs
Height: 5ft 10"
Eyes: Blue
Hair Colour: Light Brown
Star Sign: Pisces
Girl: Why the name Point Break?
Dec: Ollie and Brett have known each other for eleven years; they worked on a show together in the UK called 'Byker Grove'. After that show they formed a band with another guy and sent their tapes out to record companies but were not getting any response back. So they thought they'd make a last ditch attempt and go to London themselves and find a record company and their own management team, and if they didn't find anyone in a couple of days, they would break up the band - that was the breaking point. As it happened they went to London, found the management and within a couple of weeks landed a record deal with Warner Bros. So everything turned around for them from the breaking point, which is why they called themselves Point Break.
Girl: How did you end up meeting Brett and Ollie then?
Dec: The third member of the band had to leave because physically he was unwell and couldn't go on. It kind of all happened like fate if you like, as it was very strange how it happened really. I was performing on a show 'This Morning with Richard and Judy' where they were in search of the next boy band and were going to put one together live on air. My mum sent in a tape of me and out of 3,000 people who auditioned only nine were picked and I was one of them. The guys were watching the show and when they saw me perform they wanted me to be the third member of the band. They approached me and here we are.
Girl: How long has it taken you guys to get to the point you are now?
Dec: I've only been with the band for eleven months, but the band Point Break has been alive for two years.
Girl: Describe Point Break's sound?
Dec: It's apocadelic. Apocadelic is the name of our album and basically it comes from the word 'apocalypse', meaning the beginning of the end. Our music has so many different influences like popadelic, rockadelic, funkadelic, and so on. Our influences are all squeezed into our album and that is how apocadelic was born. 
Girl: What separates Point Break from other boy bands?
Dec: People might say we're a boy band and yes we are because we sing and we dance, but there is no shame in saying that at all. Boy bands are one of the great things that have hit the world in the twentieth century; they have completely taken the world by storm.
In terms of what makes us different, the apocadelic thing says it all for us. But at the end of the day, people are going to make up their own minds, aren't they?
Girl: What was it like recording with the producers of Cher's album?
Dec: It was cool and Cher is very funky. It was really weird going into the studios and thinking that Tina Tuner, Lionel Ritchie and Jennifer Lopez had all recorded in here. But it was really an excellent experience.
Dec: Yes we wrote the whole album.
Girl: Is writing material important to you guys?
Dec: Yes definitely because when you go out on stage, it makes it that much more personal for you. When you know that those lyrics have come out of your head and were your inspiration and now you are singing them live to the world, it is the most amazing feeling ever. 
Girl: 'Stand Tough' is your debut single and current release in Australia. When can we expect the release of your album?
Dec: July, it will be the same release date as the UK.
Girl: What is the song 'Stand Tough' all about?
Dec: 'Stand Tough' is all about standing up for yourself. You are always going to get knock backs in life but you just have to stand up to them and carry on full steam ahead. When you're on stage singing those kinds of songs, it is really a full on and energetic experience.
Girl: What was it like supporting Steps on their UK tour?
Dec: Absolutely wicked. It was one of the most amazing tours we've done. All of them are talented, really genuine and down-to-earth people. Their performance was out of this world; it was colourful and massive. The Steps tour is in the Guiness Book of Records now, as the biggest UK arena tour. It was sold out every single night for three weeks. 
Dec: Definitely Brett.
Girl: Do any memorable incidents come to mind?
Dec: He is just very mischievous, very cheeky. He is the most likely person who would pull his wedgies out on stage! (laughs) He is definitely the comical one of the band.
Girl: Now at the age of nineteen, you are the youngest member of Point Break. Do you get spoilt?
Dec: No I don't get spoilt at all. They pick on me all the time and they beat me up because I'm the youngest! (laughs)
Girl: Is this your first visit to Australia?
Dec: Yes and I love it. I am in love with Chapel Street in Melbourne. I went shopping the other day and bought some wicked clothes. The good thing about Melbourne is that it reminds me of London. It feels very nice to be here because it feels like I'm at home. I feel really comfortable and relaxed here. Australia as a whole, is cool. It's not what I expected it to be like.
Girl: And what did you expect it to be like?
Dec: Well I expected it to be very different from home. I expected a surfer dude to be walking down the street, with blonde hair, I guess the stereotypical image of an Australian surfer. I think I'm going to move to Australia though in our winter season and then move back to London when it's winter here. That way I won't have to see any winter seasons at all! (laughs)
Girl: Do you have any plans to tour Australia in the future, perhaps a big scale tour?
Dec: At the moment we're doing a promotional tour but we would love to come back to Australia and do a big tour, it would be really wicked. Obviously we have to wait and see what the reaction to our music will be here, but we're definitely going to come back and do a second promotional tour and play in a few smaller scale gigs and concerts.
Girl: And what message do you have for your growing number of fans out there?
Dec: Keep it sound, we will definitely be back and thank you to everyone who has supported us up until now. I know we are only just starting out here in Australia, but we are going to keep writing music and being creative, and we're going to keep giving the fans what they want. So stick with us because it's going to be one hell of a journey.
Girl: It sounds like one hell of a party too!
GIRL.COM.AU's 60 SECOND QUIZ
Fave Food: Chicken.
Fave Film: Scream (the original).
Fave Band: Point Break of course! Also, the Goo Goo Dolls and Silverchair.
Describe yourself in 3 words: Bad Hair Cut!
Best Feature: I've been told it's my eyes.
Worst Feature: My feet!
Your First Job: The paper round.
Your Ideal Woman: Sheryl Crow because she is sexy. She is my favourite artist of all time.
Person you would most like to meet: Madonna.
Hobbies/Interests: Snowboarding, skateboarding, playing my guitar and writing plays and musicals.
A talent you wish you had: I wish I could cook. Making toast is the limit for me.
The best advice given to you: 'The Prayer of Serenity' which my Nan used to read to me when I was younger.
"God give me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to make a difference." And those words have stayed with me, since I was a child.
**For further information, visit their website at http://www.point-break.net
- Annemarie Failla
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