Girls, Girls, Girls

“Okay girls, this is your last chance to impress us. Relax, be yourself and give us all you’ve got!”

If any of the girls at the audition felt Kian Egan’s instructions were a bit at odds with each other, they didn’t show it. But if you’re trying to convince one quarter of Westlife as well as pop impresario Louis Walsh that you’ve got that most elusive of talents – star quality – then it’s probably best not to concern yourself with contradictions but to do as the girls did – totter onto stage, up to the microphone and sing as if your life depended on it.
Sunday afternoon at the Tripod and the hopes of over a hundred girls hang in the air. Having auditioned 579 girls on Friday and a further 680 on Saturday, Louis Walsh and Kian Egan have called back 108 hopefuls on Sunday to whittle down the numbers to five to create a world-conquering girl band.
The girls have made an effort and with all the glam hair, tans and heels it’s more like Saturday night inside the Tripod instead of the hour that half the country is returning from Mass. Despite the competition they all seem in good form – chatting away, congratulating the lucky ones who make it through to the next round, commiserating with those who don’t.
Rumours abound that three places have already been allocated, but when this turns out to be false, there is a palpable sigh of relief. The atmosphere may be convivial but the competition is fierce. Hopefuls for the band include You’re A Star’s Sharon Condon, model Michelle McGrath and even Kian’s fiancée Jodi Albert, which must make for a tricky evening at home. They’re all gorgeous and they can all belt out a tune, but then, so can the other 105 hopefuls.
Although talent shows like The X-Factor and You’re A Star seem to have enduring popularity and Louis is no stranger to them, there had been no plans to televise these auditions. “We didn’t want the public to know about it,” says Louis. “The public didn’t see the Pussycat Dolls being manufactured or the Sugababes. It’s an audition.”
The lack of television exposure means that for most of the hopefuls, it’s a chance to sing in a band, and not fifteen minutes of fame that’s the deciding factor. “I’ve always wanted to be a singer,” says Sharon Condon who impressed the judges with her rendition of ‘Piece of My Heart’.
Sharon is one of the lucky 43 that makes it through to the next round, as is Faela Horgan from Killarney. “I’ve sang all my life,” says Faela who looks both excited and shell-shocked to have survived the first cut. Breathing a sigh of relief, Jessica Cervi, from East Wall, admits: “I was sick to my stomach.”
The aim of the auditions is unashamedly commercial. According to Louis, they are looking for girls with “star quality. Girls that can sell records all around the world.” Fair enough. Louis Walsh isn’t a man to think small and if he gets his way, then five of the girls milling around the Tripod on this warm Sunday afternoon are soon going to grace million-selling CDs. Louis’ aim is to create the ultimate Irish girl band, but “not the Corrs.”
The as yet unnamed band will be part Girls Aloud, part Bangles, part Sugababes but better, according to Louis. “We’ve already got better girls.” In fairness, he’s not exaggerating – all of the girls taking part in the call back have talent. If anything, that’s the problem. “I don’t know how we’re going to decide on the final five,” he sighs, “We’re spoilt for choice.”