"Open letter to the Irish music industry"

"The major record companies in Ireland have nominated their candidates," Gallagher notes, referring to the original nominations, announced for the "Best Newcomer/Hope for 2002" category. "Most of them are of the Irish Popstars/boyband ilk. Is Six and the like what they consider the best of Irish talent? What an insult to the Irish public and especially to the multitude of talented musicians and songwriters of this country."

Gallagher goes on to recount his own close encounter of the manufactured pop kind.

"About 3 and a half years ago, in my desperation for a break, I went for a Louis Walsh audition. This turned out to be for the group now known as Bellefire, who are ironically one of the other nominations for the IRMA Newcomer Award. The plan was I'd do the whole cheesy pop thing for three years, take the money and run and then do my own music, my own way. But looking back now I realise that it was a bad plan. I would have just ended up a soulless 20-year-old music-world joke."

Having been thwarted by the decision to make Bellefire an all-girl affair, Gallagher went back to gigging locally in Donegal and then, in January 200, formed The Revs.

"You could not believe how happy I am at the minute," he enthuses. "God does work in mysterious ways. If I'd gotten into that Louis Walsh band three-years ago we would not be in this position to challenge the big callous candy-floss machine!

"We've been very fortunate to have got involved with Robert Stephenson who had the experience, belief and shared love of music, philosophy, integrity, vision and hard work. Through him and his independent label Treasure Island records we found a champion for our cause and he has exceeded all of our expectations and our belief and trust in him."

Gallagher has little time for the majors who he feels "are doing a great disservice to the Irish public and to young Irish musicians. They're insulting us with their mindless regurgitated manufactured bubblegum rubbish.

"They ignore many much more gifted and original Irish acts like The Revs, Turn, Doctor Millar and the many young bands who play the 'Blast' events that we've participated in and attend."

He then goes on to accuse IRMA of being a closed shop.

"The 'majors' have traditionally maintained their Irish monopoly by keeping the IRMA membership fees high to discourage independent record companies from joining. Although now apparently IRMA is trying to seem more representative and open to independent record companies by reducing the fees, it's clear that the majors in Ireland will always control IRMA.

"In their condescending and arrogant manner they also consider and treat the Meteor/IRMA Awards as their exclusive property. The major record company executives annually carve up the industry and Awards between them. This year at least there is a public vote, but then is it a fair competition when you have a band like Six nominated who were not even around in 2001? Six did nothing last year except a few auditions and have our national television network, RTE, give up to €2 million worth of prime time TV to advance marketing and hype of Louis Walsh & BMG's end product.

"That whole Popstars tripe is really what amounts to a cynical demonstration of the power, arrogance and condescension of some individuals in the industry. It looks to me like they have duped the public, using publicly-owned facilities and – smarter than that – they got paid to hype their own product."

As a final broadside, Gallagher suggests that it is "more difficult for an independent band like The Revs to receive an IRMA Award."

He continues: "Is this because The Revs have shown that you can have success without millions being spent on artificial hype? Is this because the Irish branches of the majors in Ireland know that they will never be able to get their hands on The Revs or control what we do here?

"The Revs have been shortlisted for "The Best Newcomer/Hope For 2002" Award. It's your chance to let the Louis Walsh school of 'Let's make millions by polluting the airwaves with canned rubbish and disposable kids', know that their days are numbered. We have a chance to prove that rock 'n' roll is alive and well in Ireland despite their best efforts.

"A vote for The Revs or Damien Rice is a vote for real music with integrity and for independent bands and record companies," the letter concludes.

To read the response of IRMA chairman Freddie Middleton, click here.