Thank you sooo much Maya and Chrissy for sending me the scans from Sligo Weekender's Lissadell Festival Supplement!
I typed up one part of Shane's interview in it and will post the rest tomorrow as well as Mark's interview from the supplement.
Westlife's road from St Anne's YouthFrom 100 fans at Westlife's first 'homecoming concert' in St Anne's Youth Centre in 1999 to next week's massive gig at Lissadell, it's been a fascinating road for the band.
Brian McHugh talks to Shane Filan about Westlife then and now.Shane: I got this dream and it is still going on"As a young fellow in Summerhill college, it was always a dream that I never thought would happen. Some people dream about going to college and being a doctor but for me I dreamt about being in a band. I got my dream and it is still going and I don't forget that for a second".
That's how Shane Filan summed up his thoughts on the remarkable Westlife success story as he and the other bandmembers prepare for next week's sell-out Lissadell concert.
Shane puts it all down to the band's choice of music and a solid fan base.
"It's unbelievable you know, after 12 years or whatever, it's kind of hard to believe we are still going strong every year. Our popularity keeps going strong and every album we release does well and tickets still sell.
"I think we have come to the stage with fans now and have reached a certain point where if you release good music and stuff, the fans will stay with you.
"We now have a very solid fan base around the world and we still have the same kind of fan base and they have kinda grown up with us and obviously we are getting a lot older audience now as well."
"At concerts around the world you notice fans that are still there with us growing up and some of them have kids now, married, and then you know you have the mums and dads that come then it's more of a family event. That's the secret of a long journey for Westlife, we just have that solid fan base that just sticks with us".
Looking ahead, when asked where he would see himself and Westlife in ten year's time, Shane said: "We would still obviously like to be in Westlife, we look at Take That now and they have a massive comeback. They're obviously doing great stuff at the moment and they're 9 or 10 years older than us.
"They were the band we looked up to when we were 16 or 17. They were our age doing what we're doing. It's great to see them at that age being so strong. And obviously Robbie's back with them now and it just shows you we can do it when we are 39 or 40 years old. It's just a matter of getting the songs right".
On the reasons for keeping going, Shane said: "We enjoy it, of course we do, we wouldn't do it if we didn't enjoy it. I think as a band we have done so well now that if we weren't enjoying it anymore we wouldn't have to do it.
"We have had a lot of success but for us it's all about the next album and the next single. It's great fun you know as a band. We have grown up together as people, we have gotten married, had babies and different stuff and we are a very close kind of group of friends now as well as band mates".
Summerhill boys still friendsDESPITE his rise to international fame, Shane and his fellow band members succeeded in keeping close to their roots. Shane has many friends from his days in Summerhill college.
On Friday last he attended the wedding of one of his best friends. "I had a great bunch or friends at Summerhill, a lot of fellas I know to this day; I still see them".
Shane found himself going directly into showbusiness after Summerhill. When asked if he thought about what his life might have been like if he had taken a different route back then, Shane said: "I suppose you always think back of what it would have been like but I'm a firm believer in what's meant to be is meant to be.
"Sometimes you think things are great but then you have bad days or whatever's meant to be in your life, that's the path you're meant to take and for me it was to be in Westlife.
"I didn't get to go to college like everyone else and have the mad years away and live that side of life. I didn't have a rag week or any of them kind of things. Small stuff, but for me it was all about dreaming to be where I am now, in a band like this and touring the world".
Credit/Source: Sligo Weekender - Lissadell Festival supplement / Thanks Maya and Chrissy
He's just posted this on his Twitter page:
