All Together Now!

If you are new to this site and an X factor fan please do check out Paul Fizzypop's X Factor write ups. This week's is here. They are as entertaining as the show and sometimes more so. I know I often mention Paul's blog but he's the most perfect person to comment on X Factor. X Factor is a show that really divides pop fans but this year I'm enjoying it a lot. Olly, as seen above , is very easy on the eye and I say he will never have to pay for a bit of Fred Perry clobber in his life again. The twins are there simply to annoy people but they are children, 17 year olds going on 12. They actually represent 1000s of middle class Irish kids who were born in the 80's or 90's, who have been spoiled since birth and faint at even the thought of a Saturday job in McDonalds. Ireland is a great big mess at the moment and the twins are all part of a country that was rich for a few years and is now sliding back to good old miserable the way it was again. That's my socio-economic take on them anyway! In Ireland we knock anyone who has success so even if John and Edward are not the world's greatest singers or dancers but at least let them enjoy being on prime time TV. Great singers are always voted out too early but the show has always been like that. I think a lot of the other contestants are very good this year especially the girls and Joe. I actually despise Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling by now but somehow the final 12 breathed new life and energy into the song on tonight's show. They all look so professional , especially for a final 12 first weekend show and they really look like they are loving being up there. John and Edward jump around a lot (standing out in Daz white) and you really realise how many pop star looking contestants are in the show this year.

Whitney's been Freemasoned!

Whitney is on X Factor next Saturday and Million Dollar Bill is new in the UK singles chart at number 12 which makes me v happy. If you live in Ireland her interview with Oprah is on TV3 next week too, Wednesday at 9pm. Million Dollar Bill has been given the Freemason remix treatment and by the second listen I loved it. Here's the full 8 minutes and 10 seconds of it.

A Moment

10 years ago I worked in a cinema here in Dublin. I still know people from that job such as Sinead, Orla and Tara. Even recently I have come back in contact with people that I worked with while there. It was a busy cinema so every day you would see hundreds of people. Regular cinema goers. Sometimes well known people would come in such as Noel and Liam Gallagher, Brendan Gleeson or The Edge. One pay I was standing collecting the tickets for the screens on one side of the foyer. A young man passed me with his head down and went back into a screen where a movie was playing. I glanced at him and I thought 'that's a nice looking gay man'. It wasn't that he was obviously gay (I hate that term), it's just that sometimes gay men just know other gay men. I didn't realise who it was until he had passed me by. That guy was Stephen Gately. Years later when he was on TV in a show or was doing well in London I would think of that single moment. I was never a fan of Boyzone but I loved Working My Way Back To You their debut song here in Ireland. I have always liked Stephen Gately as a gay man who is just himself. I always thought he has a great element of respect and dignity about him. I think Mark from Westlife has as well. Today I read of him being referred to as 'gentle'. Stephen Gately was not a stereotypical gay man and the media dosen't always know how to protray gay men who are actually the most typical of anyone we all know, our gay friends and family members. Yes, he was a performer on stage and some of Boyzone's dance routines are very naff but there were five of them up there on stage all doing the same thing. When they reformed I saw them at an Irish awards show with my friend Connell, they did a melody and they were simply great fun. On a day like today it doesn't matter if you liked Boyzone's music or not, the tragic thing is that a young man has died. It is now several years since Stephen came out as a gay man and since then we have come a long way here in Ireland in relation to how gay men and women live their lives and because of Irish gay people like campaigner Suzy Byrne, politican David Norris, Mark Feehily, superstar Panti, Stephen Gately and most of all ourselves we are now a proud nation. Last year I had extra respect for Stephen and Boyzone when the video for Better was released. In it all the band members have a respective partner and Stephen's partner was not female but is male. I watched it again tonight and felt very moved. Both Ronan's and Stephen's vocals really suited the song, a cover of the Tom Baxter original. The video is here. God bless, Stephen.