All The Fun Of The Fair

“He’s gorgeous!”

“You would, wouldn’t you?”
“Be rude not too!”
“Absolutely!”
The four members of Fanfair are casting heavily mascara-d eyes over Hot Press’ recent Bruce Springsteen cover. President of this particular branch of The Boss’ fan club is Roberta Howett, who for all of her girl groupery, is a rocker at heart.
“I was at the last E Street Band gig in the RDS and he was just phenomenal,” enthuses the twentysomething Dubliner who also has a bit of a grá for Dave Grohl. “I sang at Oxegen last year with Bressie who’s a mate of ours and Mr. Grohl was in the dressing-room next to us. I did the stalkery fan thing and got my photograph taken with him. He couldn’t have been nicer – really down-to-earth and happy to chat away. Another person I’d love to meet is Rufus Wainwright. The couple of times I’ve seen him in Vicar St. he’s blown me away.”
How did the Bressie connection come about?
“Dublin being a small place, we kept running into each other,” she explains. “I’d written a song, which he produced. Then we co-wrote for a while and I did some vocals for his solo album, Colourblind Stereo. He’s always been popular with the ladies, but now he’s on The Voice I imagine he’s fighting them off!”
Ah, there are stories I could tell! Ms. Howett is also the only person I know who’s been on a date with Ozzy Osbourne.
“That needs a bit of explaining!” she laughs. “I went for X-Factor years ago and was a finalist, which opened lots of doors and led to me working with Sharon Osbourne who’s so lovely and giving. Even when I was voted off, I stayed in her house and got to meet the family. Anyway, there was an awards ceremony that I needed a plus-one for and Ozzy kindly volunteered. It was all very glitz and glamour – we arrived in a limo, the door opened and it was ‘flash, flash, flash’ as we walked up the red carpet. He’s very chilled, witty and not at all sniffy about the fact you’re pop and he’s rock.
“The postscript is that we were in Birmingham recently, walked into our hotel and there was Ozzy and the rest of Black Sabbath in the lounge. Really nice guys.”
As anyone who caught them opening for The Wanted t’other week in the Dublin O2 will know, Fanfair also bash out a damn fine version of ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’.
“Doing Philip Lynott proud I hope! It’s a really iconic song, and one of the anthems they play on match days at London Irish where we’re the resident group.”
How do they get on with all those hunks of rugby-playing beefcake?
“They were a bit, ‘What’s all this?’ at first – which you would be – but they’ve been very supportive and gentlemanly!”
So no offers to share a post-game communal bath with them?
“No,” Roberta deadpans, “but we live in hope!”
Along with the aforementioned Mr. Breslin, Fanfair have also been working on their debut album with Swedish pop guru Arnthor Birgisson.
“He’s worked with J-Lo, Britney, Pussycat Dolls, Leona Lewis, Enrique, Westlife, The Saturdays… Every song they played us, we went, ‘God, we want it!’ The plan is to go back and write together for a week; release a single at the end of the summer and an album in the new year. We’re pop but with an edge, which comes from the fact we’re a bit more mature, love different styles of music and aren’t manufactured. There were no auditions. We put Fanfair together ourselves and whilst we’ve great management who we’re happy to let guide us, insist on having the final say.”