Rachel Masterson talks to ‘All-Ireland Talent Show’ semi-finalists, Lilac Blues – the band described by Dustin the Turkey as “The Roscommon Abba”…

‘Fate,’ that’s how Kathleen Mahon described it when I brought up the topic of a previous attempt at stardom, when ‘Your a Star’ hit Longford a few years ago. That day, unfortunately, a star was not born. After queuing for hours, Kathleen had to abandon her efforts. She had to go to work. She reminisces about that day laughing, because also there was a brother and sister duo and future bandmates, Laura and Emmett O’Gara . ‘It was like we were meant to be together now, doing this,’ she claims. Throw Alan Taylor into the mix and you have Lilac Blues, one of the semi-finalists battling it out in ‘The All Ireland Talent Show’.

Lilac Blues are a four piece from Roosky, Co. Roscommon. Alan and Laura are partners, who had already begun to work on music together before Laura and Emmett completed the act. Kathleen is from Newtownforbes, Co. Longford and a long time close friend of the others. The band formed four years ago when Kathleen was living in Longford. ‘It was summer time, probably one of the best summers we ever had,’ Alan says.

‘Alan brought his guitar to Kathleen’s house and we wrote songs’, Laura remembers. ‘It started off as nothing too formal but then me and Kathleen both got pregnant within three months of each other, that is when we really started to take stock of our lives and think about where we wanted to go. We didn’t want to work normal nine to five jobs, we wanted to follow our dream, and so we got together.’ They reminisce over the origins of the group; ‘We threw a lot of names together at the start,’ Laura laughs, ‘Alan wanted to call us ‘two pregnant ladies’, then he suggested ‘short and curly’ because of my hair and Kathleen’s height. One day Alan just said ‘Lilac’, to which Kathleen replied ‘Blues’ and we stuck with that.’

Lilac Blues are, as of yet, uncategorised, having not fully identified their sound as anything but ‘Lilac Blues’. Their musical influences  range from The Frames to Nina Simone, Beck to Metallica, Nirvana to Jeff Buckley. It is a wide range, none of which they really draw inspiration from. They respect a lot of bands for their work ethic and how they got where they are, this being the source of a mini argument in the Lilac Blues kitchen. What they do all agree on is that their music will start with what mood they are in. ‘Alan will start playing a riff, and depending on whether his humour is good or bad, it will reflect on how the song sounds’ Laura says. ‘It could be me or Kathleen, each of us will hear different things in the melody, which would be the starting point.’ Kathleen continues, ‘either myself or Laura will write a song to the riff Alan is playing, Emmett will add in a bass line, drum beat or bridge and a lot of the music. We really work together.’

Things were not always so good however. Lilac Blues came very close to not getting off the ground when family life and personal problems got in the way. It seemed to be one thing after another for this foursome who went from a covers band who disappointed audiences, to semi-finalists in The All Ireland Talent show. ‘We stopped being a covers band very quickly,’ they tell me, recounting one disastrous gig. ‘We are an acoustic group and covers didn’t work for us. We didn’t have great equipment and during one gig, Emmett got a shock from the PA system. The crowd were not impressed, and even Laura’s dad thought we were a disaster. After that we never played covers again.’

So what made them decide to keep going?

‘We paused for a little while,’ says Kathleen. ‘We were shy about playing our own stuff but we kept pushing ourselves and when we saw that people liked us we kept going.’ They recall playing a singer/songwriter night for the first time, ‘We were first on the bill, and you know that is when usually there’s nobody is there to hear you, but luckily a few people heard us and the next night Dave McGlynn had us as the final act.’
Dave McGlynn has had a major impact on the birth of Lilac Blues. ‘Remember that metal band ‘Saibhair’; they used to play a few years ago?’ Emmett says, ‘That was his band. He works for No Ego Promotions and has set us up with gigs. We’ve played with John Spillane and Ed Hamell; he plays as ‘Hamell on Trial’. Then he set up our My Space page and it’s been all go from there.’

‘Half way through the first six months we wanted to pack it in,’ Laura explains, ‘It was very hard because we were playing for free. We wouldn’t be able to practice until late at night because of work, and then we had children to look after. It was stressful.’

The idea to audition for the All Ireland Talent show came just at the right time for the group. ‘We saw the ads on TV and it just felt right. We wanted to see how we would be received, to get an outside opinion.’ This is the moment that they knew it was really happening. ‘We were queuing for hours, but we just knew this was the right place to be. We went to the final call back and it was just us and one other man,’ they remember, smiling. ‘We just knew then we were going to get through and all our work had paid off.’
Not everyone was happy about their success though, and it made the band question themselves. ‘Some people questioned our credibility for going on the show. They asked were we doing the right thing which made us think maybe we weren’t, but we know its right and just decided to go for it.’

And that is what they are doing. I met Lilac Blues a number of times in the fortnight leading up to ‘D-Day’. One evening, after a dinner of sausages and potatoes, the atmosphere is chilled, although competition mode is in full swing. The first of the semi-finals has already aired, and the other contestants are the main topic of conversation. Lilac Blues are relaxed and cool, but completely focused on where they are going and what they want to achieve. After dinner they are tuning up and gearing to go for a rehearsal when they warn me, ‘this is going to be loud, chaotic.’

And loud it was. The two girls harmonise beautifully. They both have completely different, but very distinctive voices, which elevate against each other, achieving that powerful, original sound, which makes them who they are. This band wouldn’t work without each member in it. They make it look like the easiest thing in the world. It just comes naturally, and you can see why they describe it as ‘fate’. Alan’s guitar playing and Emmett’s drumming both combine perfectly while Kathleen and Laura work together with the vocals and harmonies.

Being so distinctive could work either way for the group, depending on how the day goes. In a recent interview, Dathii O’Shea said, ‘I have one band in their 20s [Lilac Blues] who I think will be an easy target with the judges. However, you often find the ones who are criticised by the judges are often the ones that do well with the viewers.’ The band though, takes this comment positively, ‘That is more coverage for us.’

It won’t be a lack of coverage that will prevent them from winning. I caught up with them the Monday before the show, where they are playing in one of the local schools. With less than a week to go, any publicity is good publicity. The audience votes count for half of the overall score so this packed school hall is a good place to start. Having already toured other schools in the area, they are well on their way to scoring a lot of votes. After a quick introduction they play ‘Wonder You’ and a slower balled ‘Let Me Forget You’, which differs from the upbeat tempo of most of their songs. Following a quick question and answer session where the students get acquainted with the band, they play ‘The Kids’. We then leave for the Lilac Blues house for our own question and answer session amidst tea, chocolate caramel digestives and ham and cheese sandwiches. We talk scientology, music and how they hope the evening will go. Then some time is spent perfecting newer songs for their upcoming debut headline gig, in The Dock in Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim.

The Dock is an intimate setting, with a cool atmosphere and a good crowd on hand. Lilac Blues arrive on stage with a quiet confidence. If they were nervous, it never showed. The atmosphere backstage had been tense with a mix of excitement. The atmosphere on stage was electric. This was their moment to shine, to show people who Lilac Blues are and what they have to say. Their fantastic personalities shone through in their music, captivating each member in the audience. Kathleen and Laura use each other for guidance while Emmett and Alan silently support in the background. They lift each others confidence and elevate each other musically.

There was an occasional mention of the talent contest, although, as Laura did point out, it meant more to this band that 60 people are there, to hear them alone, than 600,000 who would only be half listening. Sitting in this room it feels like you are experiencing something special. It is something big, which is just about to explode. I am glad to be a part of this ride, and it is one that is taking us to Bray, Co. Wicklow, to The All Ireland Talent Competition. That is not where the journey ends. This is just the beginning of the Lilac Blues story.

Ardmore studios in Bray are a far cry from the intimate setting of The Dock. The studio is a lot smaller than what you’d imagine from seeing it on the television but it is the biggest stage Lilac Blues have ever stood upon. There are 600,000 viewers nationwide watching them. Each region has a section in the studio audience. The West region are the Lilac Blues fans who are sent into a frenzy at the mere mention of the words ‘West’ or ‘Lilac Blues’. After a warm up act from ‘Kila’, the show gets started.

Each act on the show brings a different talent to the stage. There are singers, dancers, musicians and of course Lilac Blues. They graced the stage with style and dignity, dressed beautifully in midnight blue and black. They performed ‘The Kids’ flawlessly. The judge’s comments however were disappointing, giving them a poor score of 30. It was left to the audience votes and nerves were shot. Lilac Blues look calm on stage as they await the final votes. They flash the occasional nervous smile but it is clear they are enjoying every minute of this. Unfortunately, fate was absent from competition and Lilac Blues were voted off second. They left the stage to the sound of their fans cheering for them vociferously in the background. They had done what they came to do. They showed the country their original style and talent.

This band; as a group, and as individuals, have come incredibly far in a relatively short space of time. They have taken all that life can throw at them, and overcome so many obstacles. The All Ireland Talent Show is the start of a new beginning for this band and they are staying positive. They didn’t get through, but that does not mean they have lost.
www.myspace.com/lilacblues

‘The Band’

Kathleen Mahon

What is on your IPod/ in your CD player?

Ray Lamontagne, Nina Simone, Kings of Leon, Muse, and Miles Davis.

What is your favourite song?

My baby just cares for me, Nina Simone for a good mood. Babe I’m going to leave you, Led Zeppelin for a bad mood. They way young lovers do, Jeff Buckley.

Who would you most like to have a pint with?

Wentworth Miller (Prison Break), Jeff Buckley.

What would you do if you had a day left to live?

Have my daughter and my family with me.

What is your fantasy gig line up?

Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Buckley, Nina Simone and Lilac Blues.

If you could be anything for a day what would it be?

A bar of soap for Wentworth Miller.

Laura O’Gara

What is on your IPod/ in your CD player?

Nick Drake, Nina Simone, Frames and Roysykopp.

What is your favourite song?

Nike Drake, River Man.

Who would you most like to have a pint with?

Nina Simone.

What would you do if you had a day left to live?

Record songs to leave a legacy. Cook dinner at my parent’s house. Go for a walk with Lorcan and Alan.

What is your fantasy gig line up?

Nick Drake, Frames, A duet between Amy Winehouse and Nina Simone, The Stunning and Queen.

If you could be anything for a day what would it be?

The headline act at Electric Picnic.

Alan Taylor

What is on your IPod/ in your CD player?

Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Neill Young, Kings of Leon and Elbow.

What is your favourite song?

Enter Sandman, Metallica.

Who would you most like to have a pint with?

The guys from The Waterboys.

What would you do if you had a day left to live?

Make finger puppets. Go walking. Read Ulysses by James Joyce.

What is your fantasy gig line up?

Beck, Radiohead, Elbow, Jack White, Rage Against The Machine, Jack Black and Ray Lamontagne.

If you could be anything for a day what would it be?

Brad Pitt’s hand.

Emmett O’Gara

What is on your IPod/ in your CD player?

Pearl Jam, Primus, Metallica, Nirvana, TV on the Radio and Beck.

What is your favourite song?

Tommy and the cat, Primus.

Who would you most like to have a pint with?

Les Claypool, the front man in Primus.

What would you do if you had a day left to live?

Get a really fast car.

What is your fantasy gig line up?

Pearl Jam, Metallica, Primus, Tool.

If you could be anything for a day what would it be?

A Pilot.

Rachel Masterson