Interview with Gari Deegan

Bunratty native Gari Deegan is thrilling audiences with his performances on RTE’s hit reality show, The Voice of Ireland on Sunday nights.

For those who are unfamiliar with the show, four coaches (Bressie, Westlife’s Kian Egan, Brian Kennedy and Sharon Corr of the Corrs) each chose 12 acts from thousands of hopeful singers, who were then pitted against each other in a bid to progress to the Live Shows.

Following a nervy and shaky start on the first live show, the 28-year-old heartthrob showed nerves of steel to deliver an impressive performance which saw him sail through to the next show, which will be broadcast live this Sunday, April 1.

Sharon Whelton caught up with the Spin SouthWest DJ ahead of the third live show to discuss his experience so far, his relationship with the four coaches, and what advice he would give to young and aspiring musicians.

“Well, I’ve been singing since I’ve been about ten, and I did my first musical with the Ennis Musical Society,” Gari started. “I actually wasn’t going to apply for the Voice of Ireland. I had done a few reality TV shows, so when I asked to do it (the Voice of Ireland), I was hesitant.

“When I got the call, I was like ‘I don’t know, leave it with me and I’ll think about it’. I was watching the show on American TV and I absolutely loved it, so I kind of said ‘why not’, so I’m obviously delighted I went for it now!” he enthused.

“It’s the first Irish reality show that has gotten any bit of credibility, and ShinAwil have really pumped a lot of money into it. It’s a huge success so far, and I’m so happy I applied.”

So how has the Voice of Ireland experience been for Gari so far? “It’s brilliant!” he beamed. “I love it, but on the other hand, it’s stressful, it’s very tiring, there’s an awful lot of pressure involved, but I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can.

“I take it very seriously because I want to do well on this show, and I’ve been doing well so far. I’ve got a lot of support – people in Clare and Limerick have gotten behind me so much, and it’s just brilliant. There is a real sense of pride and I love it, I just can’t thank people enough.

“I have a team of family and friends from Bunratty and Shannon that have been amazing,” Gari smiled. “When I’m in Dublin, they have meetings and run a campaign for me. They don’t ask for anything in return, and they’re just brilliant. I’m the only one from the southwest, which is great, and the fact that I work with Spin SouthWest also helps!

“I’m so happy that everyone’s gotten behind me, but as far as the show goes, I’m loving it. I’m not good with competition though! I hate the fact that I’m up against people on my own team that I get on with. Pat and I are great friends, and the fact that I’m against him is very tough, but that’s the way it goes I suppose.”

During the recent Battle Stages of the show, Gari was pitted against Dervla, with media speculating that the pair were more than friends. However, he was quick to dismiss these rumours.

“Myself and Dervla just clicked and we got on great,” Gari explained. “But, I didn’t know that Dervla had a boyfriend at the time. We got on brilliantly, and we’ve kept in touch – she actually sent me a card before the first live show. She’s brilliant, lovely, and a brilliant singer too.”

Gari then spoke of the pressure that the first live show brought to both him and the other contestants. “Getting through the first live show was the main thing,” the Bunratty man said. “As I showed on the second live show, I was much more comfortable and it was a much better song, and I’m really getting the feel of it now.”

“My relationship with the coaches is brilliant! I’m so happy I picked Bressie because he’s genuinely in this to make music. He’s on the phone every couple of days, and he’s just so enthusiastic about music. He’s just great craic and a really cool guy.

And what about the other three coaches? “I get on brilliantly with Sharon. She’s lovely and great craic,” Gari continued. “She’s been very encouraging and supportive of me. I get on great with Brian too, he’s very funny.

“I get on great with Kian. A lot of people don’t think we do (get on well) for some reason, but was very supportive and positive to me during the second live show. I’ve had a pint with Kian, and he’s great.”

In terms of what he has learnt so far, Gari has realised that he can get a bit anxious at times, but feels that it’s due to the pressure. “There’s parts where I just feel like exploding with the stress of it all, but I try and put that aside. On the positive side, what I’ve learnt from the show is the power of TV. I do feel that you have to toughen up when you’re on a show like the Voice of Ireland. When you put yourself out there, you’ve got to learn to take the bad with the good.

“I’m not just saying it because I’m on this team, but we really have the strongest team, and even Brian Kennedy has said it,” Gari explained. “I’m up against Pat; I’ve been a fan of Conor’s since day one. I get on great with him and he’s got a great voice. He’s going to be tough to beat.

“I’m getting a lot of positivity and seem to be generating some fans as well, so hopefully I can beat Conor,” he added. “I want to beat Conor, even though he’s very good and I’m a fan. I think no matter what happens on the show, Conor’s going to do well from this, and hopefully I will too.

“From the other groups, I think Richie is very good and a nice guy, but a bit musical theatre for me, Vanessa on Sharon’s team is very good, and Nollaig is good too. From Kian’s team, Liam and Graham are great as well.

“But it’s weird, because I only have to worry about the people on my team until I get to the final, and hopefully I will get to the final. First, I have to concentrate on beating Pat, Conor and Kiera.”

Gari’s highlight and lowlight both relate to performances on the first two live shows, and felt that he didn’t do himself justice when singing ‘Tracks of my Tears’ during the first show.
“I love that song, and I was very disappointed with myself when I hit that horrible bum note at the end,” he revealed. “I came off the stage saying ‘oh my god’ because I sang it better at rehearsals, but I had to let it go.

“I think my highlight was redeeming myself on the following show with ‘Next To Me’, and I felt so much better singing it. The Blind Audition was also a lot of fun for me.”

“Without sounding overconfident, I think I’m improving every week,” Gari stated. “I think there’s room for a male Irish popstar at the moment, and I think I can do that. It’s going to be tough though, and that’s not me sounding cocky or anything, you have to be confident. Otherwise, what’s the point in doing it, if you can’t believe in yourself?”

Finally, what advice would Gari give to young and aspiring musicians that are eager to break into the industry?

“What I say to kids in schools is that when I was younger, I used to sing, but in my room,” he said. “I was afraid to sing. I know I could sing whilst I was in secondary school, but I just wouldn’t. I cared too much about what people thought.

“But if you can sing, or play an instrument, or are anyway musical, just do it and don’t care what anyone thinks. I wish I did it when I was younger. I’m 28 now, but I just think for confidence reasons, just do it and start young, because I wish I had,” Gari finished.

*The Voice of Ireland is broadcast every Sunday night from 6.30pm on RTE One, with the results show at 8.30pm.

UL Charity Week

THE acts and events for next week’s eagerly awaited Charity Week have been announced, with organisers hopeful that it will be the best yet.

The main acts of the week are former Blizzards frontman Bressie, popular Galway trio ‘The Kanyu Tree’, and up-and-coming alternative rock band ‘Storyfold’.

The Kanyu Tree and Storyfold will headline the all day festival on the Wednesday of Charity Week, while Bressie will headline the main Thursday night event, playing a DJ set.

Though everyone’s focus seems to be on the big names of the week, we shouldn’t forget the main focus of Charity Week, as the events help raise much needed funds for local and national charities.

This year’s chosen charities are Pieta House, Tipperary Limerick Care for Cystic Fibrosis (TLC4CF), Brothers of Charity, and The Mid-West Rape Crisis Centre.

A fantastic line-up of events and entertainment throughout the week has been secured and confirmed through the hard work of Events and Promotions Manager Keith Quinlan and his team.

The week will kick off in style with the annual Great Race, with participants beginning their country-wide challenge this Friday, February 24, and will culminate on the midnight of Sunday, February 26.

This year also sees the introduction of the Nearly Naked Mile, which will see students strip to their undies and run over the Living Bridge! Sponsorship is necessary for this event, so be sure to pick up your card on campus.

The Raft Race is again taking place this year, which has proven to be a huge success in recent times. Sunday night sees the pre-Charity Week Warm-Up, with a Club Night in the SinBin.

Another new event this year includes the King (and Queen) of the Campus, which sees participants sign up for a small fee, and will then design their own ballot boxes.
A donation of one euro qualifies as one vote, and the winning pair will win free entry into EVERY SU event for themselves and two friends for the remainder of their college years!

Other interesting events include Shave or Dye, the Duck Race, the Lovely Girls Competition, a Vow of Silence, a Slave Auction, Mock Weddings, a Mankini Challenge, a Campus Waterfight and a Campus

However, with only one week left before Charity Week descends on the campus, students have been urged to be on their best behaviour throughout the week.

President of the University of Limerick Student’s Union Derek Daly stated that the behaviour that led to the cancellation of College Week in NUI Galway would cause a situation on the UL campus.

“We are already under pressure from residents,” Derek said. “The residents have begun building a portfolio and will use any excuse to call and work for the cancellation of Charity Week.”

"Best behaviour throughout the year is necessary - that means shutting up when passing through the estates and not leaving cans and bottles lying around."

Daly added that other authorities have offered the Student’s Union significantly more than what has been raised in the last two years combined, to give to a charity of the Union’s choice if they will cancel the event.

"Students have an obligation to use Charity Week to give back, as well as take time to enjoy,” the SU President stated.

“In the last number of year the average donation per student has been about 50 cent - that's pitiful - and that alone plays into the hands of those who want the week cancelled.”

Campaigns and Services Officer in the university, Paddy Rockett stated that the one of the biggest things is that we highlight the effect students of UL can have on the outside world, just by being students.

“Charity Week paints a negative picture from a resident’s point of view, due to the actions of few,” Paddy added. “What’s worse is that so many great students are involved in raising money for charity and getting involved with the fun events.”

“What I will say to students is that Charity Week is yours. Jump in and be seen, jump in and help out, and see your true worth by doing what students do (enjoy themselves) and see the great effect it has on these great charities.”

Keith Barry's Eight Deadly Sins - Review

WOW..where to start in reviewing Keith Barry’s sell-out show at the University Concert Hall in the University of Limerick on Wednesday, February 8.

To say that the show was unbelievable would even be an understatement. Some of the sections of the show were simply mind-blowing, with Barry drawing gasps of pure shock and disbelief from every member of the audience.

The show kicked off at 8pm, with Barry receiving a very warm response from the 950-strong capacity in UL. Participants during the show were chosen from the guest book which was available to sign before the show, and through catching the paper balls that were thrown out into the crowd by Barry at various points of the show.

Barry invited every audience member to think of what they thought was the eighth deadly sin, and one member of the audience was then invited up on stage. I won’t ruin the surprise, but take my word for it – it’s certainly worth the suspense! When Keith announced the surprise twist at the end of the show, audience members were in complete shock!

At the start of the show, Keith also announced to the audience that he purchased a ticket for the Monday Millions draw in the local Spar. He then proceeded to invite seven audience members up on stage, and six of the seven audience members shouted out a number between one and 39. Lo and behold, when Keith opened up his lottery ticket, his numbers on the ticket matched the numbers that the audience members predicted!

Another aspect of the show including Keith inviting four audience members up on the stage, and the only criteria necessary was that one of the invited members didn’t have to believe in psychosis. Barry then asked the three members who believed in psychosis to think of a person that had passed away, and to write their name down on a sheet of paper. Barry proceeded to ask the guests some questions whilst communicating with the person that had passed away. Does he guess the right name? Who knows!

There were various other tricks during the show, and it concluded with Barry inviting two male audience members up on stage, where they had to tie Keith up with a 100foot rope, and then wrap cling film around his head three times. The agreement was that if Keith could not open the rope before the time in which it took, both guests on stage would receive €250 each. Did he complete the task successfully? Who knows!!

Overall, it was a fantastic show, and I would most definitely recommend everyone to see this show if possible!

apologies!!

Oh Jaysus, I've just realised how much I was neglecting my poor blog!! I have been writing away though, so I'm going to post up some of the stuff I was kept busy with!! Enjoy it anyway :)