| Showbusiness
Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody is leading a host of other Irish stars
throwing their weight behind a radical new music hub in his native Belfast.
Details have just been revealed of the Oh Yeah Building set to open
in the coming weeks.
Lightbody has been joined by Ash’s Tim Wheeler, Radio 1’s
Colin Murray and DJ and producer David Holmes in supporting the plan.
The building, an old whiskey bonding building in the heart of Belfast’s
resurgent Cathedral Quarter, will be home to rehearsal rooms, a recording
studio, performance space, a café and office units to incubate
new music businesses. The brainchild of former NME assistant editor Stuart
Bailie it has been called Ground Zero for music in the North of Ireland.
“What is needed is a nexus to focus musical energy into and to unite
the Belfast music scene in a way that has been elusive until now,”
said Lightbody.
“What the Patrol would have given for the advice of professionals;
the space to rehearse or cut demos; a place to hang out and listen to
music and meet people that might one day change your life.”
When Snow Patrol were presented with a Meteor Award last week for Best
Album Lightbody ripped off his shirt to reveal an Oh Yeah T-shirt.
“I think this is a fantastic, long-overdue idea for Belfast,”
said Tim Wheeler.
“The music scene in Belfast needs a hub like this. As a musician
from Northern Ireland I remember how difficult it was starting out. Finding
places to play and meet like-minded musicians was incredibly hard.
“We had no idea how to get the attention of record labels, our options
seemed very limited in Northern Ireland at the time. Luckily for us we
got a breakthrough, a contact in London and got a record deal over there.
“Cities like Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol and Glasgow have all
had celebrated music scenes, proving that London is not the only place
you can go to make music in our corner of Europe. With the right conditions,
Belfast could become known as a famous music hub.”
Fed-up Jane finds love in Ireland
Unlucky in love Celebrity Love Island star Jane Middlemiss has left British
males far behind and fled to Ireland to find herself a hunky Irish man.
The former Top Of The Pops presenter succeeded and bagged herself local
lad and former Assets model Alan Byrne.
They’ve been dining out around Dublin eating in such far-flung places
as Johnny Fox’s in the Dublin Mountains.
The couple looked blissfully happy and sources say Jane is well over her
crush on Lee Sharpe.
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