Endless aborted reunions, personnel changes and ego-clashes later, ‘90s boyband East 17 have finally found some stability and go back on the road this month.

Formed in 1991 and named after their home town’s postcode, East 17 were as big as Take That, and a whole lot meaner.

While their rivals projected a clean-cut image, the Walthamstow boys hit the charts with an R’n’B infused sound, shaved heads, tattoos and... um... really big ski hats.

If Gary Barlow and chums were The Beatles of their day, East 17 were The Rolling Stones – more streetwise and more likely to steal your girlfriend, and maybe your phone too.

Rarely out of the top ten, chart success hid a fractious relationship between lead singer Brian Harvey and chief songwriter Tony Mortimer.

Witnessing the ego clash first-hand was the band’s buzz-cutted backing singer John Hendy.

“We were together a lot in those days and there was always friction from the start,“ he remembers.

“Brian had all the fame where Tony was overlooked but had the financial success. I guess they both wanted what the other had.

“Tony was what you’d call the brains of the band. He did a lot of the songwriting and was busy in the background and was getting most of the royalties. But Brian got most of the attention, the newspapers loved him. He was straight talking and didn’t care what people thought. He was the sort of person people wanted to interview because he did speak his mind.“

Harvey’s honesty would soon bring about East 17’s end. In a radio interview he announced the drug ecstasy (which had recently been linked with the death of teen East 17 fan Leah Betts) was ’safe’ and made you ’a better person’.

“We’d done something for Top Of The Pops and I went to bed,“ recalls John. “My missus woke me up and John Major was on telly talking about it.

“I thought I was still dreaming, I was waiting to wake up.

“It was all over the papers for weeks with pictures of Leah Betts with tubes hanging out of her. I look at it now as a dad, and I can’t imagine how her parents must have felt.“

With Brian duly sacked, the band split. Tony took the break up badly, suffering from eating disorders and agoraphobia. Brian fell into drugs and ended up in courtrooms. Terry Coldwell returned to work. John started his own roofing business. So making the new tour, which covers Europe and ten UK dates, is something of a gamble.

“I do feel it’s make or break time. The business is going really well, and customers won’t wait for a year.

“Doing this isn’t an easier life but it’s a big chance, I can’t not do it.“

Initial indications show promise. Brian’s replacement Blair Dreelan is proving a hit with fans, T Mobile used House Of Love in a major online advertising campaign and their latest single Secret Of My Love is at number 20 in the German charts.

“We’re going at 100-miles-an-hour, it’s mental at the moment,“ says John. “We’re all 40 odd, so we’re not going to party quite like we used to – but I’m sure there will be some wild nights!“

East 17 embark on their Back To The Future tour on August 31. They come to the O2 Academy Islington on September 8. Details: www.ticketweb.co.uk