Written by Amanda Brunker Sunday, 17 May 2009

Maybe it’s a Finglas thing, but i think Aslan rock. I’ve always loved their music, their mesage, Christy Dignam’s voice, their work ethics – everything.

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They are simply one of the best live acts I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing and I’m totally shocked that it’s taken me nearly 10 years working as a journalist before I’ve actually had the opportunity to interview them.

Considering I grew up living about six doors from Aslan’s drummer Alan Downey in Finglas – though my mother would always argue Glasnevin North – it’s a disgrace really that this hasn’t happened before now. After all these years I am glad to say, the boys were worth the wait.

Unable to coordinate all the members, I was thrilled to hook up with Christy Dignam and Billy McGuinness on Tuesday and over a light and sober lunch we talked spirituality, Tony Fenton and Gilbert O’Sullivan before the lads let lose their bitchy side and slagged off Louis Walsh and his greatest achievement – Westlife.

Neither of the lads would reveal their exact reasons for calling Westlife “Wa**kers!” but they agreed to let me print their views. Christy did then show his softer and more charitable side and expressed his admiration for the two lead singers, Mark and Shane. “They’ve incredible voices”, he admitted.

However, he had no good will left for Ireland’s leading pop svengali Louis Walsh.  ”Louis used to book us for gigs in the early 90’s”, explained Christy. “Then he would be on the the phone at 8:30a.m. Monday morning begging for his cut of the money. “It would only be about £40″, added Billy. “But he was broke then. “Everytime we see him now he says he’ll get Boyzone to cover Crazy World and the last time we saw him he said he would get Shane Ward to cover it. It’s never happened.”

Aslan’s own path through this crazy world has funnily mirrored another group of north Dublin rockers. Back in the day, there were many who thought they would go the distance ahead of Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam. They had the success, the groupies and the limos but with the sex and rock ‘n’ roll came the drugs that nearly destroyed Christy.

“We have put in the same as U2 but it’s just on a smaller scale”, said Christy.

“Aslan formed in 1982, yet we still manage to clock up at least three or four gigs a week. “Irish audiences are the most honest. They are not going to go see a shite band and if you are shite, they’ll tell you”.

They’re now back again with a new studio album which is released on May 22nd, entitled Aslan Uncase’d, it was recorded at Joe’s house and is a covers album of many of their heroes, including John Lennon, ELO and another famous Irishman Gilbert O’Sullivan.

“We wanted to do a duet with Gilbert O’Sullivan becuase we’re bg fans, so we went to meet him when he was in Dublin playing at The Olympia”, explained Christy.

“After a chat he agreed to do the collaboration on the condition that I would sing with him at The Olympia. So, that Saturday I went in and gave him a bit of a street cred”, he joked. “Then a week before I was due to fly over to Jersey to record the track he sent us an email to say he wouldn’t do it.

I ask Christy and Billy what they think of the younger crop of Irish musicians. “it’s always a bad vibe to slag off other bands” mused Billy. “But I think it’s great that there’s a healthy music scene in Ireland. “It’s great that there’s other good young bands out there like The Blizzards and The Coronas. It keeps us on our toes”.

Everyone familiar with the group will know of Christy’s dalliance with the dark side, so I felt I had to ask him how he was coping with staying clean. He looks extremely fresh in the flesh and was happy to talk about his battle. “If I didn’t have the band, I would go mental. Music is my therapy. I don’t perform for a week or two, I can feel the madness build up in me. I need to get it out”, he said. “You’re only ever 24 hours clean. NA (narcotics anonymous) wasn’t for me. it’s all about finding God. I found a Buddhist monk and he straightened me out.

“I was that angry sober person.” He told me that no-one was going to save me and that woke me up. “Religion is for people who want to go to heaven. Spirituality is for people who have been to hell!”. Almost speechless after such words of wisdom, we make promises not to leave it another 10 years before we talk again and part ways.

Written by Fiona McCann, Irish Times Saturday, 16 February 2008 The Irish Times – Sunday, 17th February 2008

It was a big moment for Ireland’s musical veterans at the Meteor Music Awards last night as Dublin northside stalwarts Aslan took the award for Best Irish Band after 25 years in the business. Fiona McCann reports.

Aslan beat an up-and-coming generation of new bands, among them Fight Like Apes and Delorentos, for the accolade which is decided by votes from members of the Irish public.

Irish supergroup The Saw Doctors, who were also spawned in the 1980s, were also honoured at the event, taking home a lifetime achievement award after two decades of hits that include I Useta Love Her, Ireland’s biggest-selling single of all time.

Newer musical stars were also in the firmament, with singer Cathy Davey, whose second album Tales of Silversleeve was lauded by critics on its release last year, voted Best Irish Female, while Duke Special took home the award for Best Irish Male.

Red FM’s Keith Cunningham took home the top prize in a new category, Best Regional DJ, with Today FM’s Ray Foley beating colleague Ray D’Arcy for Best National DJ.

For the eighth year in a row, pop sensation Westlife proved they are still kings of their genre, walking away with the Best Irish Pop Act accolade, and performing before a star-studded audience that included Oscar-winning actor Charlize Theron and her partner, actor Stuart Townsend, who were also entertained by the evening’s host, Irish comedian Dara O’Briain.

Best Irish Live Performance went to Westmeath band The Blizzards for their show at the Oxegen festival last year, with English rockers Muse picking up the award for Best International Live Performance. The Most Downloaded Song went to Mundy and Sharon Shannon for Galway Girl, and the Hope for 2008 award, which was voted by RT? 2FM listeners, was presented to Ham Sandwich.

This year’s Meteor Music Awards also boasted live performances from Cathy Davey, Sin?ad O’Connor, Republic of Loose, and a duet by Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody and Lisa Hannigan, who performed their hit single Some Surprise from charity album The Cake Sale.

The late Jim Aiken was also honoured at the event with an Industry Award, while Rose Donohoe, founder and chairwoman of the Rose Foundation, took home the Humanitarian Award, which came with a ?100,000 cheque for the charity.

Meteor: the winners

Best National DJ: Ray Foley. Best Regional DJ: Keith Cunningham.
Best Irish Band: Aslan.
Best Irish Male: Duke Special. Best Irish Female: Cathy Davey.
Best Irish Pop Act: Westlife. Best Irish Album: Addicted to Company (Paddy Casey).
Best Irish Live Performance: The Blizzards.
Best Irish Folk Traditional: Damien Dempsey.
Best International Male: Bruce Springsteen.
Best International Female: Amy Winehouse.
Best International Live Performance: Muse.
Most Downloaded Song: Galway Girl, Mundy and Sharon Shannon.
Best International Album: Neon Bible (Arcade Fire).
Best International Band: Radiohead.