Well what a privilege it is to be interviewing you, G4!!

I, first all want to thank you on behalf of your all fans for reuniting in 2014. I am not going to lie you left me rather heart broken in 2007. All is forgiven now…

As a group you’ve had massive success 3 albums, over 2 million album sales and five sold out tours. From your view what do you think your highlight is? Jonathan: Performing at the Royal Albert Hall so many times with our own sell-out shows but the most incredible performance was when we were at the Proms In The Park, Hyde Park and sung in front of 45,000 people who were all going wild for us. Such a thrill!

Of course you came to everyone’s attention in 2004 on one of the biggest shows on TV ‘The X Factor’. What was your experience like? Ben: It was a complete whirlwind. Nothing we had ever done before could have prepared us for the amazing experience we had. One minute we were students, the next we were live on everyone’s TV screens on a Saturday evening! It was just an amazing opportunity to make music in the most resourceful way we could.

From all of your performances on The X Factor what do you think your favourite song to perform was? Mine has to be ‘Nessun Dorma’ an absolutely stunning performance. Mike: Nessun Dorma was an incredible moment for us as it was the first time ever opera was performed on a reality TV show. Bohemian Rhapsody is also up there for us, as it had been the one song that had been with us throughout our journey; before the X Factor (originally we sang it as an a cappella version, so just 4 voices which was a big hit with the public when we used to busk in Covent Garden), then at the audition stages, so to perform it on the X Factor final at the very end of the series felt amazing.

So after your reunion tour you did a Christmas by Candlelight tour. I have to say (without being biased!) it’s one of the most beautiful shows I have ever been too. I took my Mother, Sarah, along. Who came up with the idea and what do you think has made them so successful? Nick: Well, G4 toured around some of the country’s most beautiful cathedrals with a Christmas show once before in 2006. So it seemed like a natural thing to do after the Reunion tour as all of our singing backgrounds were based in buildings like these. We feel at home vocally in them, and they’re also the perfect setting for a Christmas-y show! The acoustics, the architecture, and the atmosphere of a dark wintry evening always make the shows extra special. I also think it’s lovely for our fans to see us in a different environment from the theatres we normally perform in. It also gives them the opportunity to hear some songs that we love performing, but wouldn’t do in our stage show.

My favourite song of the night was ‘When a child is born’ it was absolutely beautiful and simply breath taking in the cathedral. I also respected and thought how wonderful you were for supporting the Missing people and their ‘Home for Christmas Appeal’. Ben: Missing People is a charity that sits very close to my heart, as I was reunited earlier this year with my father in Bangalore after 30 years. A missing person is a terrible thing to experience and MP provide an incredible resource for both the person missing and the people they leave behind. They are a lifeline when someone goes missing.

As you can imagine I was ecstatic when I found out that you were in fact coming back to Norwich cathedral this year with your ‘Christmas by Candlelight Tour’ (I have my tickets). How many dates are you doing? And how much are you looking toward to meeting your fans during the festive period? Mike: That’s great that you enjoyed it so much last time! We’re doing 14 dates on the Christmas tour this year, in churches and cathedrals across the UK. It’s always great fun to see the fans, and some people buy the VIP tickets which includes a Meet & Greet with us before the show, so we get a chance to meet people properly and for us it’s a vital part of what we do. What’s amazing is having fans that have followed us since day dot, sitting next to someone who’s never watched us live. And the funniest thing is when you get husbands being unwillingly “dragged” along by their wives, who end up having a ball and becoming more of a fan than the wife was to start with!

What’s next for G4? Jonathan: We are over the moon to certainly be Back For Good as we hit the studio soon for another exciting album G4 Love Songs (out Feb 2017) we are collaborating with Merrill Osmond and Lesley Garrett with the incredible orchestration of the City Of Prague Symphony Orchestra backing us throughout. This is being created through crowd funding in collaboration with Pledge Music. We are then heading out with another Christmas By Candlelight Cathedral tour this festive season and then take the new Love Songs Album on the road in March 2017. Busy times but so much fun!!

As long as you return next Christmas to do another ‘Christmas by Candlelight’ I don’t mind….

Boys, it’s been an absolute honour and privilege to interview you. You are all fabulous and we are so happy to have you back! I might even buy you a coffee when I see you next in Norwich… Aha – we look forward to seeing you there!

G4 will be preforming at the Norwich Cathedral on the 22^nd November 2016 – tickets on sale now, visit: www.g4official.com

Interview By Alex Wiseman