Episodes
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Jasper Rees is the author of "Let's Do It" the authorised biography of Victoria Wood. The book was written with the consent of Victoria's children following her death in 2016.
Jasper wrote the book by listening to audio recordings mad by Wood herself in preparation to write a memoir. "Let's Do It" has just been published in paperback and is a must read for any Victoria Wood fan. The book was described by the guardian as "a brilliant tribute while also – somehow, almost – bringing Victoria Wood back to life in all her complicated glory".
This interview was recorded live at the Cat Laughs Podcast Festival in Kilkenny in December 2020.
You can buy "Let's Do It" by Jasper Rees here
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Bright Light Bright Light is welsh musician, artist and songwriter Rod Thomas.
Originally from a small town in Wales, Rod has become one of our most respected independent queer artists with approval in the form of collaborations and touring opportunities from some of the world's biggest stars.
He began learning piano, guitar and saxophone as a child and began performing acoustically under his own name. In 2010 he defined his synth sound with the release of his debut single "Love Part ii". He has gone on to release 4 albums and has just released a compilation album "So Gay, So Dramatic". He has toured with Cher, Scissor Sisters and Elton John.
In this conversation we chat about LGBTQ representation, his place in the music industry and how he has done everything in his career himself.
You can support Fascinated by becoming a member of headstuff+ on headstuffpodcasts.com. In return for your support, you will get access to bonus exclusive bonus content. In the bonus content for this episode, you can hear Rod talk about remixing Dannii Minogue's iconic "All I Wanna Do" and we chat about our mutual love of Gayle and Gillian.
You can listen to Bright Light Bright Light's Music on Spotify, download on Apple or buy gorgeous physicals on brightlightx2.com
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Ireland has always had a great reputation for rock music. In the 90s Sinead O'Connor, U2 and The Cranberries led the pack. It took a while for the explosion of bubblegum pop which was happening in the UK and Europe to hit Ireland. Una was one of the first Irish female pop vocalists to be launched around the time the success of Boyzone was starting to attract international attention. Already a session singer she had recorded backing vocals for Something Happens and Aslan. In 1994 she released her debut single "Crawl" which became a huge Irish hit. But it was with the release of a cover version of Randy Crawford's "You Might Need Somebody" that she discovered the harsh realities of the music industry.
Una continued to perform and formed Boogie Nights a hugely successful party band and continued to release music independently. She then went on a world tour as a solo vocalist in Michael Flatley's "Celtic Tiger". After this She performed in the TV special "The Voice Within" and in 2012 was beaten by Jedward in an attempt to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest after which she took time out to start a family.
When Una's back catalogue goes online there will be a link to it here!
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Facebook: Una-Gibney-342844672405318 -
Una Healy was a gigging singer/songwriter when she answered an ad looking for a female singer for a girlband. What followed was a phenomenal seven years in The Saturdays one of the new millennium's biggest girlbands. A string of massive hits in the UK led to them getting signed by Island Def Jam in America and making their own reality series "Chasing the Saturdays" for the E Network. Since then Una has been a regular on Irish and UK television as a presenter and released a solo album "The Waiting Game" and a string of silly releases including a duet with Sam Palladio. Una returned to Ireland during the lockdown and is back living in the town where she grew up. She is one of the loveliest people and has an incredible new single "Until You".
You can support Fascinated by becoming a member of headstuff+ on headstuffpodcasts.com. In return for your support, you will get access to bonus exclusive bonus content. In the bonus content for this episode, you can watch the interview with Una.
You can listen to Una's music and The Saturdays back catalogue on Spotify.
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Facebook: /unahealy -
This is just a teaser for the Bonus Episode that is now available to subscribers of Headstuff+. You can subscribe for €5 per month and get bonus material for each episode as well as a bonus episode each month.
For this month's Bonus episode I chat to Sean Smith about his new album "Swing For The 90s" and we dive in track by track.
You can listen to Sean Smith here
You can order CD and Vinyl copies of the "Swing For The 90s" here
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What a guest and what a story. These are the episodes that I love to make!
Luciana Caporaso has been an undercover popstar hiding in plain sight since the 90s. Fate conspired against her for no less than five albums. This episode charts her journey from fresh faced teenager writing music for a detective series in the UK to becoming the Queen of Electro based in Los Angeles.
She has found herself in pop groups and rock bands, signed to 5 major labels. Albums were torpedoed by everything from mismanagement to world events. But when success came it was on her own terms as an independent artist now writing for and collaborating with the biggest artists in the world. This is one hell of a story.
You can support Fascinated by becoming a member of headstuff+ on headstuffpodcasts.com. In return for your support you will get access to bonus exclusive bonus content. In the bonus content for this episode I showed Luciana some photos and CDS and we continued our chat!
You can listen to Luciana's music on Spotify
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Facebook: /iloveluciana -
I’m delighted to kick off season 7 of "Fascinated" with the fabulous Samantha Mumba. Samantha is pop royalty and after an almost unforgivable hiatus she returned to music last December with a double whammy of releases. She dropped two new tracks “Cool” and “Process” within weeks of each other.
Samantha shot to fame in 2000 with the worldwide smash hit “Gotta Tell You”. She followed it with a string of hits and a huge debut album which sold 4 million copies. She then cared out a successful movie career which started with her starring in the Hollywood feature film “Time Machine”.
This episode was recorded on 20th December 2020 at the Set Theatre in Kilkenny as part of The Cat Cast. The Kilkenny Cat Laughs festival could not run last year because of Covid so in December some comedians live streamed the recording of podcasts from the stage of the empty Set Theatre in Kilkenny. Samantha Zoomed in from her home in Los Angeles.
If you would like to support Fascinated you can subscribe to HPN+ on headstuffpodcasts.com where for just €5 a month you can listen to bonus content from all of the shows on the network including Fascinated. For this episode you can watch the interview with Samantha Mumba.
You can listen to Samantha's music on Spotify
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In The first of a special two-part episode I chat to 90s pop star Kavana.
For as long as he can remember Kavana was determined to become a pop-star and he made it happen. At the time Take That were disbanding and a chance meeting with their manager led to him recording a song written by Howard Donald. He became a household name and mega-stardom followed. While he was very well known he didn't have immediate chart success until he released a carefully chosen cover version of "I Can Make You Feel Good".
Kavana's journey to fame and the aftermath have been an astonishing test of his resilience. He is a lovely guy and this is story that needed two episodes. In this episode we talk about his move to LA, coming out of the closet, his relationship with Stephen Gately and reality TV.
If you really enjoy this podcast you can support me by buying me a coffee on Kofi.
You can listen to Kavana's music on Spotify
You can check out Kavana's YouTube Channel here.
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Past Guests
Sean Smith has released his debut album "Solo". It's on all streaming and download platforms and you can buy physical copies here.
Chely Wright has re-released "Lifted Off The Ground" on vinyl. You can get copies here. -
In The first of a special two-part episode I chat to 90s pop star Kavana.
For as long as he can remember Kavana was determined to become a pop-star and he made it happen. At the time Take That were disbanding and a chance meeting with their manager led to him recording a song written by Howard Donald. He became a household name and mega-stardom followed. While he was very well known he didn't have immediate chart success until he released a carefully chosen cover version of "I Can Make You Feel Good".
Kavana's journey to fame and the aftermath have been an astonishing test of his resilience. He is a lovely guy and this is story that needed two episodes. In this episode we talk about his rise to fame in 90s pop.
If you really enjoy this podcast you can support me by buying me a coffee on Kofi.
You can listen to Kavana's music on Spotify
You can check out Kavana's YouTube Channel here.
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Follow Kavana
Twitter: @kavana_official
Instagram: kavana.official
Facebook: /Kavana-837714399647674
Past Guests
Sean Smith has released his debut album "Solo". It's on all streaming and download platforms and you can buy physical copies here.
Chely Wright has re-released "Lifted Off The Ground" on vinyl. You can get copies here. -
In July of 2013 Chicago singer-songwriter Steve Grand uploaded a video for his song "All American Boy". It was a video for a country song with a bare bum and a gay twist and a within days it had a million hit and Steve was the face of new gay country. Except that he wasn't and he wasn't even a country singer but he was in demand.
To date steve has had two successful albums and recently launched a range of underwear called Grand Axis.
I catch up with Steve to talk about his music, coping with online hate and of course underpants.
If you really enjoy this podcast you can support me by buying me a coffee on Kofi.
You can listen to Steve Grand's music on Spotify.
You can watch the video for All American Boy here.
You can buy Steve Grand physical copies and merch here.
Check out Grand Axis Underwear designed by Steve here.
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Twitter: @stevegrandmusic
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Past Guests
Sean Smith has released his debut album "Solo". It's on all streaming and download platforms and you can buy physical copies here.
Chely Wright has re-released "Lifted Off The Ground" on vinyl. You can get copies here. -
In this episode, Gearóid meets singer/songwriter and choreographer Doris Pearson who shot to fame with her brothers and sisters as Five Star. Doris is currently in lockdown in the UK and is working on solo material. We had a chat about her time in her family supergroup. We chatted about the humble beginnings, fame, money and family.
Truly a family business Five Star were managed by their father Buster and they stacked up hit albums and singles in the mid to late 80s earning a grammy nomination and a Brit Award for Best British Group in the process.
Success meant they moved from their home in Romford to a Mansion in Surrey. The tabloid-friendly family became the subject of a press witch hunt and they left for LA. The group disbanded officially in 2002 and regrouped in 2012 to perform at UK festivals.
This is the performance mentioned in this episode https://youtu.be/VQg-8MlBITY
In 2019 Five Star Gold was released.
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You can listen to Five Star here:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4toJT7YydhWcrYNgWJK4hW?si=v5Rt9Tb9SrqF6qkxu_d5iA
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In this episode I chat to singer songwriter Lesley Roy. As teenager Lesley would busk on the streets of Dublin and instead of dreaming of superstardom she actively chased it. She signed a record contract with and American Label and spent two years in Sweden learning to write pop songs under the direction of Max Martin who produced her 2008 debut album "Unbeautiful". The album was released and expectations were high but it wasn't to be. Lesley began cowrite for other artists like Ms Montreal and Adam Lambert. This year she was returned to performing and was due to represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam with her song "The Story Of My Life". The song was released and lauded however on the 18th March the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was cancelled due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
If you really enjoy this podcast you can buy me a coffee on Kofi https://ko-fi.com/gearoidfarrelly">https://ko-fi.com/gearoidfarrelly
https://open.spotify.com/album/1rHXAzNDnX5EU6eAZo7BWm?si=8ksts61uQe-FVa_I3lsCnQ">You can listen to “Unbeautiful” here
https://music.apple.com/ie/album/story-of-my-life-single/1502388582">You can buy to “Story Of My Life” here
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This is the live “Fascinated” show from the Dublin Podcast Festival to YouTube. My guests on the night were the fabulous singer-songwriter Naimee Coleman and the wonderful Niamh Kavanagh. Hits were sung and we even recreated the moment Niamh won the Eurovision Song Contest. The full show can be watched on YouTube.
If you really enjoy this podcast you can buy me a coffee on Kofi https://ko-fi.com/gearoidfarrelly
Enjoy it and stay safe -
In this episode I catch up with the wonderful Jann Arden in the midst of the worldwide Corona Virus epidemic. Last week she was supposed to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at the Juno Awards but the ceremony was cancelled amid fears around the outbreak. Last week she streamed a mini-concert from her living room as part of a movement by artists to entertain those in isolation and to urge people to stay at home.
Jann Arden is a huge recording artist in Canada and had international success in 1994 with her "Living Under June" album. She has just released her 14th album "These Are The Days" and has released more than 40 singles. She has been nominated for 19 Juno awards and won 8 of them. She has contributed to movie soundtracks and is a regular on Canadian television. Leonard Cohen visited her in the studio when she was recording one of his songs and wrote to her afterwards to tell her how her version "stays with him".
Aside from music Jann has written four books and regularly appeared in challenges with TV Host Rick Mercer which caused her to become a viral sensation to a new generation of fans. Her live shows are as popular for her story-telling as for her music. She has even hosted a gala at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. Her sit-com "Jann" was a smash hit in Canada in 2019 and the new season drops soon.
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The first album I ever got was a cassette copy of Bananarama’s “Greatest Hits Collection”. When I discovered pop music with their anthem “I Want You Back” I listened to it over and over. At the time I was too young to be allowed read pop magazines so i didn’t know what they looked like until I finally saw them in my friends copy of smash hits. But when I go the greatest hits that christmas I was surprised that there was a different girl on the cover. I learned that this girl was the original member of the band but not the girl that had appeared on their current hits.
It made no sense to me on that Christmas Day in 1988.
Jacquie O’Sullivan was the former lead singer of Rockabilly band the Shillelagh Sisters when she was called to a meeting and asked to replace Siobhan Fahey who was leaving Bananarama, then the biggest girlband in the world. Jacqui had four years of wild partying in the band until she was suddenly not there any more and Bananarama reemerged as a duo.
In this chat Jacquie talks for the first time about life in the band, her shock departure and life since. When she left the band she was one of the most famous women in the UK and she needed a job. She eventually fled to Thailand and led a very different life to that of a member of the biggest girlband in the world. Before coming home she found yoga and trained for two years to become a teacher.
https://music.apple.com/ie/artist/slippry-feet/165818619">You can listen to Slippry Feet here
https://music.apple.com/ie/artist/shillelagh-sisters/270295465">You can listen to the Shillelagh Sisters here
https://music.apple.com/ie/artist/bananarama/720991">You can listen to Bananarama here
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In this episode Gearóid chats to actress and comedian Jessica Chaffin.
In podcasting circles Jessica is well-known for her genius comedy creation Ronna Glickman formerly of the “Ronna and Beverly” podcast. She has just launched her advise show “Ask Ronna” with Bryan Safi.
Jessica has also appeared in a whole pile of sitcoms and movies. Most recently she can be seen on “Abbys’ on NBC. She is also on “Big Mouth” on Netflix and has previously had roles on “Veep”, “Two Broke Girls”, “Weeds”, “Search Party”, “Episodes” and “Man With A Plan”.
She has also appeared in “Spy”, “The Heat” and “Ghostbusters” all directed by Paul Feig who directed the original Showtime pilot for “Ronna And Beverly” and their subsequent UK chat show for Sky Atlantic.
A new episode of “Ask Ronna” drops every Tuesday and it is available wherever you get your podcasts. -
In 2007 Sean and his Sarah caught the eye of a production runner while queuing to audition for the X Factor. Within a couple of months they were both performing live together every saturday night to millions of viewers. Each week to Same Difference astonished producers by clocking up millions of votes. Their cheesy but note-perfect performances had won the hearts of the viewing public and there was no turning back. They were beaten in the final but went a way with an album deal and a legion of fans. The following year the financial crisis played havoc with the campaign for the major label release of their debut album "Pop". A major image overhaul accompanied their next album. There were acoustic sessions and naked photo shoots. Having made a lot of money Same Difference called it a day in 2014. Sean hit the gym and launched a solo career and hasn't looked back.
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Buy Sean's music https://www.energiserecords.com/sean-smith/ -
Ep 41: Beyonce That’s Who with Matthew Marsden
In this episode Gearóid chats to former soap-star, former pop-star and proper Hollywood star Matthew Marsden. After a stint as a male model Matthew began his acting career in the UK soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street. A brief but productive music career followed. He recorded the album “Say Who” for Sony. Notable because his backing singers on his second release were none other then Destiny’s Child with one Beyonce Knowles. Matt tells Gearoid how he ended up in the recording studio with Beyonce and why he walked away from music.
After starring opposite Michael Caine in the movie “Shiner” Matthew relocated to Hollywood and has never looked back. Roles in “Black Hawk Down”, “Transformers” and “Anacondas” followed. On TV he appeared in “NCIS” and “Two And A Half Men”. He also chats about his introduction to Stallone when they worked together on “Rambo”.
As well as acting Matthew has just completed his first project as writer, director and actor. His movie “I Am That Man” is the story of a Navy seal trying to reintegrate into civilian life. Matthew has spent his career playing military roles and with this movie he was determined to accurately portray the lives of the people who serve. You can watch a trailer for the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6YDlbClJVw -
In this episode Gearóid talks to his favourite actress of all time: Tyne Daly.
Tyne Daly is a celebrated star of stage and screen. She once dreamed of becoming a nun to the theatre, but a stint as Dirty Harry's sidekick in "The Enforcer" led to her starring opposite Loretta Switt in a tv movie of the week called "Cagney & Lacey" which was a buddy film about two women working as New York police officers. The movie turned into a series and despite some bumps and cast changes the show went on to become iconic television.
During the series run both Tyne and her co-star Sharon Gless were nominated for the Best Actress Emmy with one of them taking home the prize each season. Tyne won an unprecedented three in a row and also took another in the last season. "Cagney and Lacey" was the first time in the history of network television that an hour was turned over to tell stories about women. It is widely accepted that the show changed the way women were perceived in television.
Tyne's hasn't stopped working since. She went to Broadway and one a Tony for "Gypsy" and returned to the theatre in a string of new plays including the Pulitzer Prize winning "Rabbit Hole". Recently she starred opposite Sally Field in "Hello My Name Is Doris", the revival of ninties sitcom "Murphy Brown" and "Spiderman: Homecoming".
This interview was recorded live at the Townhall Theatre, Galway as part of the Galway Film Fleadh where Tyne was promoting her new movies "The Bread Factory Parts One and Two" Directed by Patrick Wang.
You can purchase the complete "Cagney & Lacey" series here
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This is another side to a story we've already told but what a story this is. In this episode comedian Gearoid Farrelly chats to singer and actress Celena Cherry about her time as the front woman of 90's R&B band the Honeyz along with band members Heavenli Denton and Naima Belkhiati. The band debuted in 1998 and had a massive hit with the self-penned "Finally Found". They followed it closely with other mega-hits like "End Of The Line" and "Won't Take It Lying Down". The band struggled with internal conflict and Heavenli left just as they were about to sign a million pound deal with Def Jam records in the US, then unprecedented for a 90's girlband. But the deal falling apart wasn't only drama caused by the line-up change. In a bizarre move the groups management salvaged a promotional tour of Australia by adding to the lineup a lookalike of Heavenli Denton (the band member that had left) in the hope that Australian fans won't notice. Almost 20 years later fans uncovered this slight of hand in internet footage from the tour and so was born the Honeyz meme "Fake-Hev".As heard in episode one, Mariama Goodman from the band Solid Harmonie joined the group and the hits continued. But Naima who was powerful force in the group clashed with her from day one. Eventually after eleven months Mariama and the accepted story is that the management brought Heavenli back to the group and insisted she rejoin much to the horror of Celena and Naima. But Celena explains that this isn't exactly how it actually happened. The Honeyz gave us some of the best RnB songs of ninties but they existed in an industry that was inherently misogynistic and unapologetically racist. https://music.apple.com/ie/artist/honeyz/219651229">You can purchase Honeyz music hereFollow GearoidTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/gearoidfarrelly">@gearoidfarrellyInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/gearoidfarrelly">gearoidfarrellyFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/gearoidfarrelly">/gearoidfarrellyFollow Celena Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CelenaHoneyz">@CelenaHoneyzInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/cherrycelena">@cherrycelenaFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/">cherrycelena1
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