Back with a bang

ASLAN came back to the live circuit with two banging gigs at the Olympia at the end of last month, and they’re promising fans that there’s more to come.

Dublin’s favourite band have been rocking for the past four decades but it looked like the gig was literally up when lead singer Christy Dignam was diagnosed with cancer in February 2013.

However, less than 18 months later they were thrilling fans again at two sold-out shows, something guitarist Billy McGuinness thought would never happen.

“If you go back to a year and a half ago, we never thought we’d be doing this,

? he said last week during an interview on FM 104’s Strawberry Alarm Clock.

“They sold out in seven minutes. That has never happened for Aslan before so I think people are just genuinely delighted to see Christy back on stage.

“I always wondered what way Aslan would stop because we’d been through everything. We’ve broken up over drugs, we got back together, we’ve been through a plane crash; you name it, we’ve been through it and when Christy was diagnosed I though

‘s**t, this is it. Cancer is finally going to stop Aslan.’

“And that’s why stepping out on stage in the Olympia was just phenomenal. Not just for us, but for Christy’s family, the year they’ve had – Catherine, Kiera, the whole lot of them – and the year that Christy’s had, because Christy knows nothing but music, and for that to be grabbed away from him

?¦

“But the whole team, Smoky our sound man, our roadies, all getting back together again after a year and a half was just very emotional.

?

Christy admitted the reality of being back still hasn’t really sunk in and he spoke about how his cancer has affected his health and attitude.

“I thought the Olympia would do it but I still don’t feel that we’re back yet,

? he said.

“You see I’m not back yet. I’m still giving bloods and all that carry on so I’m not back yet to my full health.

“I’m just glad to be walking to be honest. I never thought I’d be alive now. I got six months to live eight months ago but I’m still here.

“I got a lot of letters of support and it really meant a lot. I know that sounds clichéd but it really, really did. When I was really low it was great to know that that support and love was out there.

?

The battling singer also told how cancer had changed his outlook on life.

“It gives you a perspective on life where you can cut out the crap,

? he explained.

“You don’t need to tolerate crap anymore because you see time as such a precious thing so you can focus easier.

“It [cancer] took my confidence. I got weak. At one point I flat-lined.

“I was trying to sing but I couldn’t because I was so weak. It’s a horrible feeling if you’re a singer and you can’t sing. I never thought we’d be back.

?

Christy has been overwhelmed by support from family, friends, fans and fellow artists like Bono who dropped up for a chat, despite the charismatic singers not always seeing eye-to-eye.

“We had a bit of a beef years ago but the papers made more of it than it actually was,

? he said.

“He was lovely. He brought me up a poetry book by Seamus Heaney. It was just nice for him to come up.

“I like him. He’s very down to earth. He didn’t bring any biscuits though. He ate my biscuits. He owes me biscuits.

?

Both Christy and Billy are determined to keep going with Aslan for as long as possible.

“We want to keep writing and putting out records,

? said Billy.

Christy added:

“It’s what we do. When you love something like that it’s just very hard not to do it. And as soon as you feel able to do it, you want to do it again.

“For the foreseeable future we’ll be doing it gig to gig. I don’t think we’ll ever get back to the way we were gigging before because it was getting ridiculous. We were playing too much.

?

‘I Need A Little Time’, which was first performed on the Late Late Show before the Olympia gigs, was released last Friday and is available for download on iTunes. The band’s next gig is at INEC in the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney, Co Kerry on Saturday, July 26.