Brief heaven for true fans of famous five

As in the song, squealing fans Love to Love the Spice Girls-type group who are a genuine hit, despite having been prefabricated, writes DARREL MAGER.

It wasn't quite Beatlemania, but there were teenage squeals and tears as TrueBliss fans got the chance to meet their heroes in the flesh at the launch of their album Dream in downtown Auckland yesterday.

The pop stars - Carly Binding, Keri Harper, Joe Cotton, Megan Bronwinne Cassie and Erika Takas - who were formed for a TV documentary and scored a number one hit with their first single, Tonight, signed hundreds of autographs and sold 200 albums during a 1 1/2-hour appearance at Sounds in Queen St.

It was all a bit too much for 16-year-old Diana O'Carroll from Marist College in Mt Albert, who shed tears: "I love them. I can't believe I actually got to meet them."

She, like many other fans, did not believe the group would fizzle once the documentary cameras departed. She believed the band should try to write their own material for their next album to get out of the Spice Girl mould.

While most fans wore school uniforms, there were plenty of adults in a queue which stretched out into the street.

Robin Gill said she had got hooked on the music, thanks to her daughter, who played it all the time.

Security guards ensured fans got only a few moments each with the famous five.