Reamonn Music

When "Beautiful Sky" was finished, we wanted to play the songs from the album the way they were developed: directly, in a small circle. Not only to test them, but to play in the true sense of the word because of the enjoyment we get from the songs. However, we didn't have much space. On the stage, in the bus, in the tiny dressing rooms. Anyone who constantly has someone else hanging over their shoulder is going to become over-sensitive at some point. At the beginning there was a point where everything threatened to explode. It passed, we relaxed, and what I've come to love about our performances in the meantime is this quiet simplicity that we wanted to find at the beginning. We go out and we play.

I can imagine that some people find it improper to sing "Alright" when so much at the moment isn't "Alright". But that' s exactly the reason why the song came into being.

When I wrote it, the whole world was talking about war in Afganistan. About a global economic crisis. About the threat of terrorism. This negative energy depressed me.

No. It's not a song against something. It's a song for something. For solidarity. For loyalty. Hope. Friendship. There's a line that I particularly like: "Wipe those tears aways from your eyes, just take my hand you don't have to cry." I'm not against crying, absolutely not. On the contrary, I love the thought that there could be someone that is so close that one can stop to cry. "Alright" is the idea that someone is with you and says: "No matter what you've done, how weighted down with sorrow or how much it torments you - You are not alone."

By that I mean: "You have your rules, your values. They might be not what everyone wants, but nevertheless you belong to the world and have your place within it."

Of course. I needed a long time to realize that one person can make a difference. The worst feeling is when you are in deep shit and then are also the only one who knows. When I first came to Germany I lived alone, was lonely and had almost no money. But I always made sure my telephone was paid so that I could always speak to someone. That's what "Alright" is. The ability to help someone through love and understanding.

That's because there are situations where you have to take action. When we went to Minsk to visit a hospital for children with cancer, I at first didn't want to go. Then I realized what was ahead of us. The words that carried us there were:"Kinder in Not" (Children in Need) - the motto of our foundation. When we were finally there, these words took on a new meaning which was "see how children die." Through this "being there" I learnt a lot about life. I saw the difference between a word and the filling of the word with meaning. It is so easy to talk about how you're going to save the world, but it's a little more difficult when you see how much and what needs doing in this world.

No. Often I write songs that just come to mind. I'm the type that talks, but I'm also the type who listens. "Alright" is more or less what I would like to hear when I'm feeling down.

Before Reamonn's first hit "Supergirl" and the album "Tuesday" you not only had no money for a long time, but you were in a foreign country a long way from home, surrounded by strangers. Why did you keep going? What urged you on?

I never believed that fate had anything special in store for me. I also wouldn't claim that I really believed in myself as a musician. But I am pig-headed. I can't take leaving something unfinished. If I give up on something I want to be able to say: "I've tried everything and it didn't work."

Failure is a word that other people probably use more often than one's self. If you've put your heart into doing something you can never really fail. Things can go wrong, sure, but you at least know that you put your whole heart into it. Earlier it was like that for me: I was in a band on tour through Germany and was playing music I didn't like. I wasn't happy. Today I'm in a band, touring through Germany, playing music I love and I'm happy because I know I'm giving one hundred percent.

You can't plan or influence your happiness. But you can stay faithful to it. I often see how many people look at life only from a work perspective. They exist only in their daily work and have no space, and no free time, to enjoy their existence or even to simply be happy that they have one. That's a shame.

I would never put myself forward and tell someone how to live their life or how they can change it. I don't know how to do that and I have no right to do it. What I do say however is: If you want to change something, then you can. Everyone has this power at their disposal. If you turn away from the big picture that's constantly being served to you on TV, and exchange this enormous world for the small world in which we live, breathe, work, sleep, speak and eat, many things suddenly look very different. In this small world, in which friends, neighbours and colleagues live, lives the human being also. There he has strength at his disposal. There he meets others. He can influence, laugh, move.

I don't know how you can make the world better. I also know that it's possible we could be critisized for singing a song in which "Alright" is constantly sung. But I know how it is when you are dependant and what that can do to you. I was unemployed for 5 years and dependant on a system that neither helped me nor did me any good. I still remember how I suddenly found myself back in the queue at the government employment office and thought:"What am I doing here? How did I get here? What has gone wrong?" Being dependant pulls people down. My life started to change at that moment. That's when I took it in hand and began believing in my future. Politicians don't believe in people. They believe in numbers and systems. People believe in people. They need more than just a place to lay their heads. People need perspective. They need a reason to want to get up in the mornings.

When I left Ireland there was an extremely high unemployment rate. At that time they had just started implementing a program by the name: "Back to work system", in order to help people help themselves. The support was paid first in full then as a percentage, however it wasn't shortened. They said:"Okay, he's your unemployment money, we'll raise the amount you get, you'll go to work." The people could position themselves anew, without fear, because if there were an emergancy there was the money lying there to deal with it. It worked. When I went back 4 years later, I saw growth.

People want to work. They want a better life. And the better life isn't: car, house, wife. It includes also respect. The respect is something you'd agree with if someone said to you: "You are one of 4.6 million, you are number such-and-such, and you are a problem."

I don't them all in detail. Basically I think that it isn't a matter of inventing more laws and regulations. It's about fighting for the individual. It's about making it possible for someone to help himself onto his own two feet all by himself. Just like development aid functions. What disturbs me in the discussions at the moment is that so and so million unemployed, social security recipients and pensioners is constantly being discussed.

Yep. How does that sound? Behind these numbers are people. A human being is an individual and not a cost factor. But it is unfortunately often this way: When things are going bad for people, they first generalize and then many think that soon the "chosen" one will come and tell them how it will go on. But that won't happen. It would also be wrong. Because individuals have to think for themselves and not one person for everyone.

If you want to make innovation possible, you don't achieve it by making more laws and limitations that make it even more difficult for people to be free. To try new things. To be crazy.

In no case should money be reduced in the education sector. By that I don't just mean schools and universities. Also kindergardens and training places. To have a job means so much more than just a certificate that you can use for applications. It means qualification. It means you have learnt something. In this way you can help someone work on the choices they have in life. To save money through education cuts pushes a society into ruin in the long term. When I occupy myself with our foundation "Saving an Angel", I'm not investing in myself directly, but rather I'm indirectly investing in my future.

We look after Children in Need. This is the next generation. These kids will influence the world they live in when I'm old. And I want them to know that they are needed as a positive affirmation of life. Not only by me but by all of us.

If I go back to Ireland for a longer visit, there are always things that bother me about the Irish that grab my attention. Of course these things are more or less gross generalizations. "The behaviour of a country's people" - that doesn't exist anywhere. Everyone is different. What came to mind when you asked about complaining in Germany was: When I came to Germany the first time, I was convinced that the Germans were the most organised, the most efficient people in the world. But I met a lot of loud people who saw things differently. I often asked: "Why do you never think that about yourselves? Where does this self-doubt come from? Where is your pride?"

I don't mean an over-exagerated pride. I mean a relaxed pride, a type of natural love and belonging. Like it is with football. When the team from our city plays I'm there for them. In the local league for my local team. In the world championships for Ireland. I would never run around saying: "I am pround to be Irish and the rest of you can go to hell."

The other day we were in a town called Senftenberg. I asked: "What do you have here that they don't have anywhere else in Germany?" The people couldn't think of one single thing. We searched for something But there was neither Senftenberger Beer nor Senftenberger sausages. In the end we found the Senftenberger Football Club. This sort of thing I find such an unbelievable pity, because I love indentity.

There is a big difference between national and cultural indentity. I prefer the cultural. If I meet a Bavarian wearing lederhosen when I'm in Bavaria, I think it's great. That sort of thing makes me happy.