Meteor award winners The Blizzards play Oldcastle
HEADLINING the Phantom 105.2 Stage, at Creans of Oldcastle as part of the 11th Le Cheile Festival will be Mullingar five-piece The Blizzards. The past two years have seen the smart pop-rockers release two top ten smashes ('Trouble" and 'Miss Fantasia Preaches") which received huge radio airplay. Then came the debut album-gathering all these, and undoubtedly a few future classics, together in one place. A hot-blooded and relentlessly smart album, 'A Public Display of Affection" bristles with a buoyant fresh pop sensibility. Produced by legendary US producer Michael Beinhorn (Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Korn, Soundgarden to name a few) 'A Public Display of Affection" was released by Universal on 27th October and landed in the Irish album charts at number four. Beinhorn"s infamous beefy production perfectly captures the band"s long-established live reputation, matching their lust for life with a bright, loud and cheerful sound. Tracks such as 'Freaky", 'Superdrug" and the flirtatious 'Fantasy" may radiate the bands playful edge, but on hand also is a more introspective side, especially so with the calm single-in-waiting 'On the right track" , the exquisite 'War of Words" and the emotional, humorous yet touching 'Why do you Fancy Scumbags" The Blizzards were formed by Niall Breslin and a bunch of school friends -Dec Murphy, Anthony Doran and Aidan Lynch back in late 2004. With the arrival of the two-tone, ska-loving Justin Ryan, the band stepped up a gear. Exemplifying the 'hardest working band in show business" model, the band toured the country, almost non-stop. Their growing fan base no doubt helping their debut single, the self-released 'First Girl to Leave Town", to land in at number 11 the Irish charts. Heads in the music industry turned towards Mullingar and saw the band sign to Universal Music Ireland. Their speculation quickly paid off with the top 10 success 'Trouble". Not one to rest on their laurels, the band continued to tour and record on the hoof. Their third single 'Fantasy" became a summer anthem in 2007 and saw the band playing high profile sets on the main stage at Oxegen, Dublin Castle and Marley Park. A UK tour followed in October with The Blizzards wrapping up 2007 in style with two sold-out shows in Dublin"s Ambassador Theatre in December. Work on the second, as yet untitled, album began in January 2008. In February, The Blizzards picked up a Meteor Award for 'Best Live Performance" bolstering their best live band accolades that have followed them wherever they"ve played. Back on the road again, there"s a single out this summer with a September release pencilled for the new album. Support at Le Cheile on 1st August is by The Flaws and Cowboy X. Check out www.lecheile.com for tickets and other festival details.