Pat Byrne: The Voice of Ireland

If you are unaware as to who Pat Byrne or what The Voice of Ireland is, you may want to check where you are living :)
First off, The Voice of Ireland has had us on the edge of our seats since the blind auditions. Not only was it the talent of the judges that had us intrigued but the contestants themselves have kept us engrossed with our little island's talent.


Pat Byrne was lucky enough to blow the mind of all four judges but he made it quite clear who he wanted to work with; Bressie. The crisp, husk tones of Pat's voice had shivers running down everyone's back, & as soon as the added touch of the harmonica entered, the whole room lit up. Showcasing his musicianship & adding his own touch with his instruments Pat was off to a flying start & had the whole nation raring to see what else he had to offer.

Next off was the battle stages, where Pat took on the lovely Dara with Sheryl Crowe's 'If it Makes You Happy'. Yet again, Pat shunned everyone & all judges were on the edges of their seats with what he took to the table. Pat was compared to Joe Cocker, full of soul but it was Pat's tone that won Bressie over which left Pat sailing through to the live shows.

Pat closed the show on Week 1 of the live shows, singing Paul Weller 'You do Something to Me', he had all the women of the country (especially Kathryn!) swooning over him. Ooozing & 'burning' with passion, Pat gave an outstanding performance. Bressie was a smug little soldier with what Pat had brought forward!

Pat's next performance was an upbeat rendition of the Singing Jets' 'Are You Gonna be My Girl'. It was Pat who opened the show joined by The Voice of Ireland dancers which were only too sure to make a headline or two;) -the crowd was pulled in with Pat's performance yet again.Pat rocked the stage out with his guitar, with Sharon mentioning how she 'hadn't seen Pat have a bad performance yet!' But it didn't end here....






In Week 5 of the Live Shows Team Bressie rose to the stage taking on The Kinks- All Day & All Night. With a mix of Mr B's suit, his guitar solo & the Team's harmonies the show was kicked off with a bang! It was Week 5 where we got to know Team Bressie a teeny bit better, with a trip to Lough Owel for a spot of ...fishing! Pat had us all laughing with his comments on how he was hoping for some rugby and wasn't expecting a day fishing! But after it all, he got to hold the 'slipperiest thing he's ever held in his life', so I'm sure it was worth it!


Pat took on Ocean Colour Scene's 'Day we Caught the Train' & had the audience cheering throughout. Another great performance showing his passion & drive for music, with the judges declaring it as another 'solid performance'. Bressie went on to mention how 'coaching Pat is like coaching the Barcelona soccer team-there's nothing to it...He's just pure talent!'.

In hope of gaining himself a place in the semi-finals, Pat took on Joe Cocker's 'With a Little Help From My Friends'. It was here that Pat was sure to have won over the whole of the Emerald Isle, probably his best performance up to that date of the live shows. He became Joe Cocker & owned the stage as if singing his own number. Described by Sharon as 'dirty' & 'nasty',Pat blushed at how the judges were so positively commenting on his performance. Bressie admitted to how he 'even fancied him on the night!' adding to Sharon's comments .... & the eyebrows, lets not forget the eyebrows-They were the highlight of the show! :p

Bressie was generous enough to post us a blog post on what to expect in the Semi-Finals of the show from his own acts. He explained his aim, as well his acts aim; to have their own personal interpretation & arrangement of a song. He went on to explain how an agreement was made to strip back any form of a big production in order to illustrate their unique, honest voices. Pats song was indeed what Bressie had described as an old classic, which we all recognised. Pat's performance on the Semi-Finals was nothing other than pure talent. We could see exactly how much Pat wanted to be there, & how hungry he was for the final (strange choice of words, but true!). His vocal was amazing. Everything was stripped down to the bear minimum & we were left with Pat's voice to wow us over- which it well & truly did! 

Pat is currently number 1 on the Irish Itunes Charts, where he well & truly deserves to be. His stunning performance had us all lost for words, with the odd but certain tear creeping down a face or two. Bressie has found his unique voice that captivates him, but its now down to the public to decide. If you, like me, think that Pat Byrne should be crowned The Voice of Ireland you should and need to download his single on Itunes all throughout the week. He needs all your support & like you saw on Sunday night's show anything can happen. 


Not only has Pat got The Voice of Ireland but he certainly has the personality as well, never a dull moment when he's on screen. He even has the famous Amy Huberman as one of his number one fan's!

So guy's, Who's Your Sexy Pat? Get voting, this guy deserves it & sure let's make Mr Breslin an even prouder Daddy & let him see Pat crowned the winner :)


See you all after Sunday's show
Best of Luck Pat & Niall- ye can do it!
Thanks for reading...
Shaunna:)...

RTE The Voice Live Shows: Week 6

The final week of only getting to see two teams has been & gone and what a week it was yet again!

Team Kian & Team Sharon took to the stage to show us what exactly they've been up to this past few weeks. Similar to last week, this weeks show let us get to know Team Kian & Team Sharon a tiny bit better. For Team Sharon it was off to do some salsa- Kevin was certainly stuck for choice when it came to partners! For Team Kian it was off to Sligo for some surfing, followed by 99's.

Yet again, it was nice to get to know more about both teams & see just how much they all get along as a team.


It was Team Kian's turn to wow us with their group performance, and without any let downs they surely showed us how its done- forget Westlife Kian & say hello to your new band! Team Kian tackled 'More Than Words' and strangely seemed like Westlife up there on their stools (Kian's dream finally became a reality with his famous stools!).

Last week's show was a strange one for me. Elliot who finally won me over with his performance & one of my favourite contestants from the moment she was shown on the show, Nollaig were sent home. I wasn't expecting either to be voted out & I thoroughly enjoyed their work on the night. Elliot gave a stunning performance of The Goo Goo Doll's 'Iris'. Can honestly say I couldn't make my mind up on this chap, but he kicked me up the butt with this performance- it was truly beautiful.

Unfortunately one of my favourite contestants from the get-go, Nollaig was next to be let go from the show. I was honestly heartbroken for her. I think shes unbelievably talented & has grown with more & more confidence each week. I do agree with the judges when they mentioned how the second half of Nollaig's performance took away from how talented she really is, but can we please just look at the beginning & forget the rest? It was astonishing! She owned the stage-nailed it, it was so so beautiful! As Bressie also said, she brought 'musicality' to her performance & made it her own, & this is definitely something Nollaig has to be admired for. 

We've reached the Quarter- Finals this week & all members from all four teams will be performing for us on Sunday. The competition is sure to be felt ;) Are ye all as excited as me to see what everyone has to offer? And don't forget the wonderful Coronas will be popping in to give a little performance in the Results Show!

Hope everyone enjoys Sunday nights show & I'm sorry this post is so rushed & short, I'll make up for it next week hopefully! (Final Year Stressssss :/)

Massive appreciation  for reading

Shaunna ...:)

Shadows & Dust

I've put off writing this post on Shadows & Dust for quite some time- I haven't wrote anything like this before & I'm so scared I wont do the band justice, but I think it's time I shared my little find with you all. 


Whilst roaming through Youtube, I some how managed to stumble upon this quaint set up & was instantly blown away. Shadows & Dust are a five piece 'soft-spoken rock' band based in Dublin. Band members include:

     Dermot Kennedy Guitar and Vocals                                         

Micheál Quinn Drums

Lia Wright Violin and Vocals

Simon Glynn Lead Guitar

Donnchadh O’Malley Bass and Vocals

It's hard to know where to begin with this band... I genuinely mean it- they're amazing! Dermot's voice instantly captivates the listener, followed by the lyrics & beautiful pitch of the violin set in among the remaining choice of instruments. The talented bunch are musically driven with three of the band members, Dermot, Micheál and Donnchadh all studying pure Music degrees at University level.

After their recent performance in Bewley’s Café Theatre Grafton Street, fans of the band have been able to download their latest recordings for free- ‘Cobblestones’ and ‘The Hunter's Tale'. The mellow, relaxing tone of Kennedy’s voice is beautiful as well as the violin which adds that extra something to the musical creativity of the band. Each member adds something unique and special to the works, Quinn steady on the drums, and both Glynn and O’Malley heightening the atmosphere with their talents.

‘Cobblestones’ sets a mood of relaxation and freedom. Dermot’s cool tone in his voice for this one is alluring. The song itself is truly beautiful, both the lyrics and the musical content itself. It’s slow relaxing air, smoothes out a bad mood and allows the listener to become relaxed & at ease.

‘The Hunter's Tale’ is a more upbeat tune than ‘Cobblestones’, yet Dermot makes it his own exquisite work with his captivating voice. The violin, yet again, sets the tone of the piece as well as the added xylophone, which adds an exciting aspect to the beginning of the work. The harmonies enrich the voice of Dermot, adding to the fascinating music.

Both recordings are honestly both inspiring and impressive. The band can do no wrong. The choice of lyrics are desirable and definitely not the choice of lyrics we are so used to hearing in current music in the industry. We’ll be seeing plenty more of these guys around, you can be sure of it!  

I can think of big names to compare these guy's to; Bon Iver being one of them. Being a fan of Vernon & his gang, Dermot reminds of him with the way in which his passion comes through in his work; singing about real things, real life. So I'll leave you with my favourite find from the band & live in hope that these guys become huge! I honestly think they're amazing & hey, here's to hoping they sell out the Royal Albert Hall as well as the o2 ;)

Seriously hope I've given Shadows & Dust the appraisal they deserve & don't forget to go download these two tracks; its free & you won't regret it....

I promise!

Shaunna :)

RTE The Voice Live Shows: Week 5

 The show is flying guys don't you think? I'm convinced its due to the fact of how much I'm enjoying it!

Sunday night's show let us get to know the contestants from Team Bressie & Team Brian a teeny bit better. Both teams were taken on excursions by their team mentor; for Team Brian it was off to Carton House for a pampering session, for Team Bressie it was off to Lough Owel for a touch of ....fishing! Pat was ever so shocked, he was expecting an afternoon of getting to rugby tackle the rest of his team and Bressie, but nope to his shock it was time he held 'the slipperiest thing' he'd ever held in his life!


It was nice to see everyone's personality shine through and also nice for the contestants to get time to unwind with Brian and Bressie.


After bonding over fishing it was Team Bressie's turn to take to the stage. With the big man himself all suited up, centered on stage with his guitar, Team Bressie blew us away with their rendition of The Kinks- All Day & All Night. Between Mr B's guitar solo & suit and the Team's harmonies the first performance of the night was kicked off with a bang!

The competition continues to heat up nicely & I'm finding it harder and harder each week to choose a favourite performance. I'm a massive Pat Byrne & Conor Quinn fan. I just think the two guy's are amazing! Since their first performance they've just been great.


Conor took to the stage on Sunday night with a slowed down version of MGMT's-Kids. I'm still getting shivers everytime I listen back to the performance. To say he was amazing would be an understatement. He blew everyone away. A complete tear jerker rendition, sang with complete passion and soul. The arrangement was truly beautiful. There were few tears shed throughout the house! ;) He definitely stole the show, showing all the other contestants just what they're up against.

For the results show, we were lucky enough to have the lovely Olly Murs perform. Wasn't he great? The cheeky chappy is always willing to give people a bit of advice so it was nice to have him there for the contestants & also for his antics with Eoghan in the engine room! 

Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Gari and Sineád, but its onwards & upwards from here on in! 

Can't finish off my blogpost without mentioning the stunning fashion- Ingrid Hoey, is just simply amazing!!! Every week the styling just keeps on getting nicer, fancier & even more beautiful. Here's a little flavour of her handywork this week ;)

        

So who's everyone shouting for this weekend from Team Sharon & Team Kian?  Will there be another shocking results show in store for us again? Be sure to tune in guys, the show will be sure to not let us down! Hope ye are all enjoying the snow in April so far!


Until next week....
Shaunna :)...