by Aoife McLoughlin aoife@limerickpost.ie
REALITY television talent competitions have never been so popular, attracting millions of viewers worldwide, as audiences tune in for months at a time to become judge and jury of those who dare to brave the stage for a chance of winning the fame game.
Over recent weeks, Sunday evenings in Ireland have become synonymous with settling down in the
company of family and friends to see how many chairs will turn for the hopefuls that enter The Voice of Ireland talent competition.
As for myself, I love nothing more than to plonk on the couch and become the all-knowing talent guru, judging song choice, vocal ability, style and, for those successful at the auditions, their choice of coach.
But, having been on the other side of the cameras, I also know only too well what it’s like to walk out under those blinding stage lights, adrenalin flowing and heart pumping, waiting for your cue to sing your heart out and communicate down the lens to almost a million people.
It was nothing like what I had presumed it would be from the comfort of my couch. As a contestant on most reality television talent competitions you sign up to be purposely “judged” on a 90-second snippet of a song.
From the moment you stand on the stage, you become a character on a television show that can give you the chance to live your dream. It is a show where favorites are saved, progressing closer to the prize of a recording contract, while others are kicked off and left to slip back into the flow of their normal, everyday lives, pursuing their singing careers alone, only now with the memories, youtube clips, articles and varying degrees of recognition from those who engaged in some post-Sunday roast TV-viewing.
In 2013, I was the only contestant born and raised in Limerick to make the battles stages of the most popular television show in the country – a show that attracted almost 760,000 viewers.
This year however, Limerick has a whopping five contestants from our talent-filled hometown. If we are to crunch numbers, that means our Limerick singers make up ten per cent of the team members.
As we enter the most crucial part of the competition, ‘The Battles’, where two contestants under the one coach go head-to-head in a duet-style duel for a place in the live show, I met up with the Limerick hopefuls to find out some things about them that we will not learn on the show.
After all, those who make it through this stage will be leaving their fate in our hands when the live shows commence on March 22.
Name: Laura Enright
Coach: Bressie
Age: 19
From: Glin, Co. Limerick
Favourite song: “Toto – ‘Africa’.”
Favourite book: “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King
Childhood memory: “Spending time in Castelgregory Co. Kerry where we used to pretend to run a circus and perform it on the beach.”
Best thing about your Voice of Ireland Journey so far: “Spending my 19th birthday rehearsing for the battles with Bressie.”
Barry or Lyons: “Barry’s”
Tayto’s or Chocolate: “Tayto’s”
Any secret talents: “I can do the splits.”
Pick one coach to go on an night out with: “Una. She is mad I’d say.”
Four famous people (living or dead) you would invite to a dinner party: “Ellen De Generes, Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger and Morgan Freeman.”
If you could have a super power what would that be? “To be able to play every instrument in the world
Favourite hobby besides singing? “Writing.”
What does singing do for you? “Releases me, released my creativity and makes me happy.”
What does being on the show mean to you? “It’s a dream come true. If you’d have told me this time last year I’d be singing on T.V I wouldn’t believe you.”
If you could be an animal what would that be and why? “A sloth because I love sleeping.”
Favourite genre of music: “R’n’B and hip-hop.”
As a child what did you want to be when you grew up? “A firefighter.”
Name: Niall O’Halloran
Coach: Una Foden
Age: 22
From: Limerick City
Favourite song: “Etta James – ‘I’d rather go blind’.”
Favourite book: “‘The portrait of Dorian Gray’ by Oscar Wilde is my life.”
Favourite Food: “Thai green curry.”
Childhood memory: “Being Rachel Stevens when we played S Club 7.”
Best thing about your Voice of Ireland Journey so far: “The sessions and the collaborations.”
Barry or Lyons: “Barry’s.”
Tayto’s or Chocolate: “Taytos. Nom.”
Any secret talents: “I am the King of building Lego cities and a master of making tea.”
Pick one coach to go on an night out with: “Una, to do shots with.”
Four famous people (living or dead) you would invite to a dinner party: “Marlon Brando, Judi Dench, James Dean and Aretha Franklin.”
If you could have a super power what would that be? “Immortality so I could be young forever.”
Favourite hobby besides singing: “Writing and tea parties.”
What does singing do for you? ” Everything, music is the way I express myself.”
What does being on the show mean to you? “It gives me a chance to share what I love to do and hopefully make a living out of it.”
If you could be an animal what would that be and why? “A dolphin. I connect with those guys.”
If you could have written one famous song what would that have been? ” Etta James – ‘I’d rather go blind’.”
Favourite genre of music: “Soul and Blues.”
As a child what did you want to be when you grew up? “Storm from the X-Men.”
Name: Stuart Bond
Coach: Kian Egan
Age: 37
From: Castleconnell
Favourite song of all time: “‘In My Secret Life’ – Leonard Cohen.”
Favourite book: “Anne and Barry Book 1.”
Favourite food: “Thai.”
Childhood memory: “Sitting by a stream in Fanore, Co Clare, fishing for rainbow trout while my mother had Barbara Streisand playing in the background.”
Best thing about your Voice of Ireland journey so far: “Getting to meet some lovely people and being dragged out of my comfort zone.”
Pick a coach to go on a night out with: “Rachel Stevens, no explanation needed here.”
Four famous people dead or alive that you would invite to a dinner party: “Leonard Cohen, David Glimore, Nick Cave and Tom Waits.”
Barry or Lyons? “Do any of these make a ginger and lemon tea.”
Taytos or Chocolate? “Chocolate.”
If you could have a superpower what would that be and why? “Time travel, so I could go back in time and audition for David Caruso’s part as Lieutenant Horatio Caine from CSI.”
Favourite hobby besides singing: “Drawing with crayons with my son Josh.”
Any secret talents? “I was a bit of an artist back in the day.”
What does singing do for you? “Clears my head and relaxes me.”
What does being on the show mean to you? “Gives me opportunities and fulfils my mother’s wish.”
If you could have written a famous song what would that have been? “‘Love Letter’ – Nick Cave.”
If you were an animal what would you be and why? “A sloth, chill out all day.”
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? “A musician.”
Name: Evan Cotter
Coach: Una Foden
Age: 20
From: Garryowen
Favourite song: “‘Rambling Fever’ – Merle Haggard.”
Favourite book:The 7 Singers
Favourite Food: Chicken
Childhood memory: “Being in the car listening to Luke Kelly.”
Best thing about your Voice of Ireland Journey so far: “Meeting all the talented people.”
Barry or Lyons: “Lyons.”
Taytos or Chocolate: “Chocolate.”
Any secret talents: “Making cornflake chicken.”
Pick one coach to go on an night out with: “Una.”
Four famous people (living or dead) you would invite to a dinner party: Luke Kelly, Paul Byron, Barney McKenna and Lee Evans.
If you could have a super power what would that be? “It would have to be, to be strong.”
Favourite hobby besides singing: “Playing music.”
What does singing do for you? “It makes me feel good.”
What does being on the show mean to you? “Nothing.”
If you could be an animal what would that be and why? “A dog.”
If you could have written one famous song what would that have been? “A Luke Kelly song.”
Favourite genre of music: “Folk.”
As a child what did you want to be when you grew up? “I wanted to be a metal work teacher.”
Tell us three things people may not know about you: “I am a weirdo, I am a happy person and I am hard worker.”
Name: Cristin Nolan
Coach: Rachel Stevens
Age: 33
From: Limerick, living in Bodyke Co. Clare
Favourite song: “‘Road House Blues’ – The Doors.”
Favourite book: “‘Under the hawthorne tree’ – Marita Conlan McKenna.”
Favourite Food: “Cheesecake.”
Childhood memory: “My great grandfather would play a song on the accordion if I went to the shop for him, to buy him a macaroon bar.”
Best thing about your Voice of Ireland Journey so far: “Meeting so many cool people and learning more about the behind the scenes.”
Barry or Lyons: “Lyons.”
Tayto’s or Chocolate: “Taytos.”
Any secret talents: “I do personal embroidery.”
Pick one coach to go on an night out with: “Kian, he is very down to earth.”
Four famous people (living or dead) you would invite to a dinner party: “Lana Del Ray, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison and Ozzy Osbourne.”
If you could have a super power what would that be? “To heal instantly.”
Favourite hobby besides singing: “Old school computer games.”
What does singing do for you? ” Happy. I get lost in a song.”
What does being on the show mean to you? “I have a chance to progress on the music ladder.”
If you could be an animal what would that be and why? “I would be a friendly grizzly bear.”
If you could have written one famous song what would that have been? “‘Army of Dreamers’ – Kate Bush.”
Favourite genre of music: “Rock.”
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? “An actress or a director.”
