Student Articles

What makes a good super fan?

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Category: Students' Articles

Published on Tuesday, 21 February 2012 11:53

- Wirtten by Joanne Tierney   

I’ll start by saying that this is a follow up to my last piece and yes I have to confess that it offers me an excuse to talk about my favourite band! Seeing Royseven again on Thursday got me thinking about this question. I always thought that it involved a number of factors. Liking the band is obviously a good place to start but I think it also includes knowing all their songs, how well you know them, if you’ve met them (although not always obligatory) and if you’ve got band related stuff! So bearing all that in mind let me tell you how much I love Royseven!

I love them! The members are lead singer Paul Walsh (yes he is that guy off the telly!) lead guitarist Sam Garland, rhythm guitarist Eamonn Barrett, bass guitarist Bernard O’Neill, keyboard player Paul ‘Lego’ O’Hara and drummer Darragh ‘Dazzy’ Oglesby. They have two albums, ‘The Art of Insincerity’ which was released in 2007 and ‘You Say, We Say’ which was released last March. The name came about because ‘Roy’ (track 4 from the 1st album!) was the first song that they wrote together and they liked the name. Unfortunately, there were four other bands around the world called ‘Roy’ so they couldn’t go with that. They decided to keep Roy and add something to it. They thought about Roysix but that didn’t sound too appealing, until Mr Walsh saw an interview with David Bowie on ‘Planet Rock Profiles’. Bowie said that “a song isn’t complete until someone outside the song writing process has heard it’ so six members of the band plus the listener gives you Royseven!

I’ve seen them 7 times since last July (last Thursday being the 7th!) and just keep getting better and better! I know all the songs off by hear and I can recite the order they’re in on both albums! My favourite songs have to be ‘The Big Blue’ (track 6 on the 2nd album, I’ve yet to see the lads play that one live!) ‘We March On’ (track 12, 2nd album) ‘Send Me to Hell’ (track 11, 1st album), you know I think I may be running the risk of listing all their songs so I’ll stop there! On a side note, I’m learning how to play ‘Send Me to Hell’ on the violin!

I do have band stuff! I have (in no particular order) both album downloads, photos, a signed edition of Hotpress (the one from Oxegen!), a signed poster, a signed ‘You Say, We Say’ album, a set list from Arthur’s Day, a towel Dazzy threw off stage after they played support for the Coronas in Killarney, a set list from last Thursday, Dazzy gave me a drumstick and Sam gave me a pic and I’ve gotten hugs from the lads too! Sam Garland called me a hug-olic! True story!!

I wasn’t trying to claim the title of Royseven’s super fan by writing this (unless you wish to give it to me, I won’t stop you!) But I think that’s gotten all of last week’s excitement out of my system… for now!
   
Thanks for reading! Until next time! ^_^