Newsboys shove aside their rock-star image and find freedom in

’88
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NOT
ASHAMED
SHINE
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DISCO
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Photo by Steven Hellon
Newsboys
Newsboys
[r]evolution
“Oh man, look at us! What were we thinking?”
Newsboys’ keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein says, grinning.
Bassist Phil Joel also stares at the band’s 1999 promotional photo
for the Love Liberty Disco album. He shakes his head. “I was on
drugs,” he says, with a chuckle. Then in mock horror, quickly adds:
“That’s just a saying, OK?!”
Flipping his
long, blonde
locks out of
his eyes, Joel
explains. The
band members
had sat down
Love Liberty Disco
for a pre-photopromotional photo
shoot make-up
session, but didn’t look in a
mirror before the photographer
started snapping shots. “We had
all this crazy make-up on and we
didn’t know it. We looked pretty
girlie,” he says. “Some people
liked it, but a lot of people hated
it,” Joel continues, adding that
Christian book stores were reluctant to put up the promotional
posters.
The conversation of the playful
and engaging Joel and the more
serious Frankenstein alternates
between light-hearted banter
and engrossment as they thumb
through years of pictures. Reminiscing about the past while
looking at promo shoots and
music-video stills, Joel recalls a
video that took rigorous hours
of work. He says the experience
was still better than posing for
still photos.
“We play music. We’re not models,” he says.
“Well, you’re not, but I am,”
Frankenstein says with a wry
smile.
Frankenstein eyes a few more
pictures and pauses at one from
the mid-’90s. “Mannnnn, look at
this—it seems like so long ago.”
In many ways, it was indeed a
long time ago.
With more than three million
albums sold and 20 No. 1 hits
under their belts, the Newsboys
have become one of Christian
music’s most popular and recognizable bands. Over the years,
even fans who preferred other
musical styles to the Newsboys’
catchy, rhythmic pop couldn’t
help but be caught up in their
elaborate showmanship. With
contagious, abundant energy,
they’ve wowed crowds with
flashy costumes, multiple video
screens, space ships and their
most notorious frequent stunt:
the rising platform that spun and
tilted drummer Duncan Phillips
Newboys continued on page 24
JOY
’00
’02
’04
As the Newsboys shove aside
their rock star image, they find
freedom in spiritual basics
By Linda DuBois
22
Clockwise from left, Phil Joel, Bryan
Olesen, Peter Furler, Duncan Phillips
and Jeff Frankenstein.
23
Clockwise
Clockwise from
from top
top left,
left, Phil
Phil Joel,
Joel, Jeff
Jeff
Frankenstein,
Frankenstein, Peter
Peter Furler
Furler and
and Duncan
Duncan
Phillips
Phillips pose
pose for
for aa photo
photo while
while new
new guitarist
guitarist
Bryan
Bryan Olesen
Olesen is
is onstage
onstage playing
playing with
with his
his other
other
band,
band, Casting
Casting Pearls.
Pearls.
24
Photo by Steven Hellon
Above, Newsboys drummer Duncan Phillips (left)
and lead singer Peter Furler (right) share doubleduty on the two-seater rotating drum kit the
Newsboys used to bring along on tour.
What the public doesn’t know
is what was going on behind the
scenes to lead
F u rl e r — a l s o t h e
band’s primary songwriter and
producer—to that conclusion.
The evolution began a few years
ago, when Furler found himself
in a place of utter despair, his life
crumbling around him. He was
leading one of the industry’s most
popular and successful bands, but
felt lost. His anguish reached a
point where he no longer wanted
to live. Self-indulged, he felt his
marriage and friendships falling
apart and knew something was
missing. While Christ was his
savior, he was far from living the
abundant life meant for believers.
“Every time there was a storm in
my life, I’d be blown over,” he says.
“I’d hear people’s opinions and
wouldn’t know what to believe
because I had no foundation. I had
no knowledge of God’s Word.”
Things began to change when
he began to ask God for a love for
His Word. Once he began digging
in to his Bible, his life began to
change. But he still
felt lost. Then about
three years ago, he
realized what was
missing.
“It became clear
to me through
God’s Word that it
is not good for a
man to walk alone,”
Furler explains. “I
had nothing against church, I just
didn’t go to church. I realized I had
no spiritual family.”
While F urler acknowledges
church attendance is difficult
while on the road,
he admits it’s just
an excuse. So he
got plugged into
a c o n g re g a t i o n
a n d a s ke d G o d
to bring men into his life to walk
with him in his spiritual journey.
His life took a dramatic turn when
he found friends with whom he
could be open and authentic.
Furler isn’t the only band member who stresses the need for fellowship. Frankenstein believes the
Newsboys in concert at the California State Fair.
Below, lead singer Peter Furler, and right, bassist
Phil Joel, who also sings backup.
Newsboys
“We probably couldn’t blow the
fuzz off a peanut back then, so
we needed a silver suit. Now
we’ve got thousands of people
praying for us … We don’t need a
drum riser anymore.” - Peter Furler
Photos by Steven Hellon
in the band.
“We probably couldn’t blow the
fuzz off a peanut back then, so
we needed a silver suit,” Furler
says. “Now we’ve got thousands
of people praying for us. We’ve got
churches behind us. We’ve got the
power of God in a show. We don’t
need a drum riser anymore. We’re
looking for people to have lasting
fruit instead of just getting an
emotional high.”
Sur prisingly, the Newsboys’
unabashed worshipful tone has
been warmly received even among
secular audiences. After playing
several mainstream festivals with
bands such as Smash Mouth and
Judas Priest, Furler has noticed
how much people are searching
for answers.
“I think if you’ve got a light and
you shine it in a dark place, people
take notice,” he
explains. “ The
key i s m a k i n g
sure you’ve got
that light in your
life.”
Photo by Steven Hellon
in all directions.
It’s been quite a journey since
lead singer Peter Furler co-founded
the group in Australia in 1986. For
one, he’s the only original member
left. Much also has changed in
the 10 years since the 1994 Going
Public album rocketed the band to
stardom.
The most recent modification
was the departure about a year
ago of long-time guitarist Jody Davis, known for his
animated strumming style and
dark, moppy hair.
He felt called by
God to leave the
Former Newsboys
band so he could
guitarist Jody Davis
be home to help
his wife care for their severely
disabled little girl, who suffered
brain damage after she mysteriously stopped breathing as an
infant. Despite leaving behind a
life some would call glamorous,
Davis, now living in Yuma, Ariz.,
seems happier
now than he has
ever been. According to his former
bandmates, who
are still his close
friends, Davis is Former Newsboys
frontman John
n o w w h e r e h e James dressed in a
knows he should gold suit in a scene
from the Newsboys’
be—at home with 1999 video, “Down
Under the Big Top.”
his family.
D av i s wa s re placed by Br yan Olesen, who
started out as a Newsboys fill-in
during last year’s “Festival Con
Dios” tour.
But the Newsboys have weathered far more significant alterations. Fans noticed a dramatic
difference between last spring’s
worship-oriented “Adoration” tour
and earlier concerts. People say
the “Adoration” tour—sans the
illustrious glitzy stage presence—
has been their most powerful to
date. Furler says it has been a
new experience for him, as well.
Looking back, he can understand
why fans have noticed a change
Photo by Steven Hellon
Newsboys
Newsboys continued from page 23
church at large should take note.
“There’s such a lack of realism in
the church—a lack of openness
among Christians,” he says. “I
think the enemy wants us to feel
like we can’t share our problems
and shortcomings, because we
would grow stronger in our cause
if we could communicate better.”
Christians who work in the
public eye are kept grounded by
the church, Joel points out. If the
only other Christians he interacted
with were autograph seekers, he
might believe he was something
special. “And that’s messed up,” he
says. “You go to church and stand
there with your friends who are
plumbers and you worship with
your family and you realize you are
no different than anyone there.”
A native of New Zealand, Joel
has witnessed American Christian
culture for the past 10 years.
“We have a lot of Christians in
this county who know a lot about
God, but they
d o n’ t n e c e s s a rily know Him,” he
says. “I notice so
many people who
have problems in
Newsboys continued on page 27
25
ing for Jesus to come back. It’s
about raising up men and women
of integrity. That’s what we’re here
for—making disciples, being disciples and building a church that
reaches every nation. The church
is the only hope for the earth.”
“These are the things that are
changing our music,” he adds. “I
t hink when you
start to figure out
what God’s purpose is, you start
to write better
music, you start to
have more of an
New Newsboys
guitarist Bryan Olesen impact.”
This spir it will likely show
through in the Newsboys’ new
Newsboys
Photo by Steven Hellon
Newsboys continued from page 25
their lives and I say, ‘Well, what is
the Lord saying to you in your intimate times with Him?’ and they
say, ‘Oh, my life is so busy, I don’t
have time for quiet time.’”
“We need to seek God every
day,” is Joel’s message to audiences. “Old-school quiet time has
been lost in the midst of all these
activities. Our No. 1 priority is to
spend time with our Creator.”
Joel learned that lesson three
years ago—the same time Furler’s
life was at a turning point.
“Now we’re seeing what God’s
purpose is for the earth,” Furler
says. “The Christian life is not
about packing our bags and wait-
“I think when you start
to figure out what God’s
purpose is, you start to
write better music, you
start to have more of an
impact.” - Peter Furler
album, devotion, releasing Nov. 2.
However, the band is no longer
concerned about the reception of
albums or concerts.
“Our focus right now is to get
to know God better through His
Word and to walk with His spiritual family closer together,” Furler
says. “We put that first, and all the
music will come. The concerts will
come. When we’re there, we will
have way more authority, conviction and substance. We will have
something to give because we’ve
been filled up. I’m expecting great
things. In fact, you haven’t seen
nothin’ yet. I want to see the spirit
of God move more than it has in
rock ‘n’ roll history.”
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