Why was Garth Brooks so popular in Ireland?

RiverOfLove

I bought the star newspaper today and in it is a 16 page pullout on Brooks. A written piece in that said that some people camped out for tickets because they grew up with his music in the background. I wonder if half of these even own a cd or two or more from him.

Meangadh

MadsL wrote: »

Here's the standing ovation he got at the ACM in 2013.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWgCGkSESJY

And you can be pretty sure that a lot of the people going to his concert this summer did not mention this standing ovation at the time. Or at the very least, it wasn't well publicised- I certainly didn't hear about it- so I can understand why someone may know nothing about him, particularly if they're under a certain age.

Meangadh

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

As in it displays a level of ignorance that surprises me.

I think Garth Brooks' music is bland and uninspiring but I don't begrudge anybody else who enjoys it.

Ah well, sure you know what they say, ignorance is bliss!! :P

I'd agree with you regarding his music, but I do genuinely hope people enjoy the concerts.

Femme_Fatale

ColeTrain wrote: »

No, this is different.

'Popular culture' is something like One Direction. Now, while I find One Direction deplorable, I can still see why they are popular, their music is never off the radio and they're always on TV - it's understandable.

This Garth Brooks craze is a different animal. My Facebook nearly exploded this morning with people proudly putting up pictures and statuses of their tickets.
Now, a lot of these people would generally have the intelligence of a dishwasher. There is absolutely no chance that they are fans of Mr.Brooks. Seeing as his music is not on the radio, he's not on TV and they would not seek him out. This is simply a bandwagon, nothing more and nothing else.

Do you remember about 1993 to 1996/7 when Garth Brooks was absolutely gargantuanly popular in Ireland? I mean, it was really off-the-scale stuff. And just because he disappeared doesn't mean people could no longer become fans in the years since.
It's presumptuous in the extreme to state as fact that it's just a bandwagon to a lot of people. I can't stand Garth Brooks but there is obviously something about his music that people really really love.

Iwasfrozen

What exactly is wrong with Brooks? I quite like him but people constantly complain about him on boards. I don't get it.

RiverOfLove

Came across something on donedeal earlier. Someone selling 4 tickets because they were an unwanted gift. It sounds dodgy as fúck. And 4 of them.

Sunglasses Ron

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Do you remember about 1993 to 1996/7 when Garth Brooks was absolutely gargantuanly popular in Ireland? I mean, it was really off-the-scale stuff. .

I actually genuinely don't!

I remember Oasis mania. I remember Oasis vs Blur. The Spice Girls were annoying the tits off any of us with workable ears. Boyzone were huge. Take That were what, just about ending then? There was some cheesey Eurodance making the charts back then as well.

But Brooks? It honestly does escape me bar that Low Places song.

Jamsiek

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

What exactly is wrong with Brooks? I quite like him but people constantly complain about him on boards. I don't get it.

His music isn't for me tbh, I find him cheesy and boring.

We are just commenting on why he's so popular in Ireland but it seems that lots of people including me don't like him.

rustedtrumpet

Read recently he has a vicious Ket habit, few grams a night, must have picked it up in Vegas. Be a funny affair with Garth Brooks wobblin round the stage playing his country music to the culchies in Croker, ketted off his rocker.

herdygerdyerdy

BadCompany wrote: »

Well said. I can't understand where this has come from. It's like the media hype up this gig (and others) to be something "not to be missed" and thousands of people with little or no interest in music completely buy into it. I'd liken it to the Bruce Springsteen phenomenon in Ireland of the last few years. Friends I met back in college were just going mental for him "oh can't wait for The Boss in June!", though they genuinely wouldn't have been able to name more than one song of his a mere two or three years earlier. Springsteen didn't come down in the last shower, it makes no sense.

Edit: Not saying for a second that there aren't thousands of genuine Brooks fans going, and more luck to them! He wouldn't be my cup of tea but horses for courses. I just think the hype has led an unusually large percent of people just following the crowd.

People may not admit that they are Garth Brooks fans to their friends, but because of the internet you can have tons of guilty pleasures.

Mrs Garth Brooks

It turns out half the country doesn't even know what he sounds like.

There's a facebook page set up by a bunch of 'so called' Garth Brooks fans. Trying to get him to play Thomond Park in Limerick.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/garthtolimerick/

A little bit down the page and there's a Friend's In Low Places video from youtube and some of them are thrilled that they found a Garth Brook's video on youtube.

And its not even him singing !!!

RiverOfLove

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

It turns out half the country doesn't even know what he sounds like.

There's a facebook page set up by a bunch of 'so called' Garth Brooks fans. Trying to get him to play Thomond Park in Limerick.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/garthtolimerick/

A little bit down the page and there's a Friend's In Low Places video from youtube and some of them are thrilled that they found a Garth Brook's video on youtube.

And its not even him singing !!!

Is this the video that they linked to:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=mvCgSqPZ4EM

That's definately not Brooks singing.

Someone a page or two back said that for some people this is merely just a bandwagon to hop on.

RiverOfLove

4th night added to Croker announced this morning.

BuilderPlumber

Sunglasses Ron wrote: »

I actually genuinely don't!

I remember Oasis mania. I remember Oasis vs Blur. The Spice Girls were annoying the tits off any of us with workable ears. Boyzone were huge. Take That were what, just about ending then? There was some cheesey Eurodance making the charts back then as well.

But Brooks? It honestly does escape me bar that Low Places song.

I think all the above and Garth Brooks were huge in the 1990s. There were 4 strands of stuff I remember from this time (mid to late 1990s):

-All the boybands: Take That admittedly had a lot of above average material. Boyzone came onto the scene then and were ok by themselves. Then, the factory started with Westlife et al. And then the girl bands. The Spice Girls were everywhere. More or less, this format of music has lasted in Ireland until this day. Even the folk/country scene have boyband like acts like Mike Denver and so much so that even Derek Ryan was a former boyband member.
-The bluesier rock acts: The Oasis and Blur. Here we saw a form of pop music that had respect for blues, older R&B, 1950s rock 'n' roll, and especially 1960s Beatles-style music. What they did was often excellent: fresh and appealed to an audience sick of hearing the same pop sounds over and over.
-Some strangely titled dance novelties: Makarana (sp?) and Mr Bombastic are examples.
-Line dancing: Billy Ray Cyrus (yes, Miley's dad) started this craze with a countrified take on Elvis-style rock 'n' roll with 'Achy breaky heart' in 1992. Then, Garth took over and had hits with country-pop like 'Tomorrow never comes', blues-rock like 'Ain't goin' down til the sun comes up' and honky tonk anthems like 'Friends in low places'. His music was good and catchy but some loved it and others didn't.

While some 1990s stuff was repetitive by the end of the decade, at least we were spared the reality talent shows of the next 2 decades by and large .........

secman

Absolutely no idea how he is that popular. If he paid me €10 grand to go to a gig , I wouldn't jump at it, but would be tempted, could change the car.

ronjo

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Do you remember about 1993 to 1996/7 when Garth Brooks was absolutely gargantuanly popular in Ireland? I mean, it was really off-the-scale stuff. And just because he disappeared doesn't mean people could no longer become fans in the years since.
It's presumptuous in the extreme to state as fact that it's just a bandwagon to a lot of people. I can't stand Garth Brooks but there is obviously something about his music that people really really love.

Sunglasses Ron wrote: »

I actually genuinely don't!

I remember Oasis mania. I remember Oasis vs Blur. The Spice Girls were annoying the tits off any of us with workable ears. Boyzone were huge. Take That were what, just about ending then? There was some cheesey Eurodance making the charts back then as well.

But Brooks? It honestly does escape me bar that Low Places song.

I dont remember much about him other than that song too.
All the others you say absolutely and The Verve too.
Moby, Chemical Brothers and Prodigy but he was barely on my radar.

TeddyTedson

I suppose he's Daniel O Donnell on steroids really isn't he, so it's not hard to imagine a certain demographic going crazy for his lovely hat and so on.

Ghost Buster

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

It turns out half the country doesn't even know what he sounds like.

There's a facebook page set up by a bunch of 'so called' Garth Brooks fans. Trying to get him to play Thomond Park in Limerick.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/garthtolimerick/

A little bit down the page and there's a Friend's In Low Places video from youtube and some of them are thrilled that they found a Garth Brook's video on youtube.


And its not even him singing !!!

These would be the Gareth Brooks fans

BuilderPlumber

ronjo wrote: »

I dont remember much about him other than that song too.
All the others you say absolutely and The Verve too.
Moby, Chemical Brothers and Prodigy but he was barely on my radar.

And I bet you remember 'If tomorrow never comes' as well and maybe 'The dance'. 'Ain't goin' down til the sun comes up' is his best very famous hit, an attractive blues/rock hybrid.

Yeah, Chemical Bros, Verve and Prodigy (all that techno was massive) too in the 1994-1999 period. Earlier, there was all that rave stuff with 2 Unlimited and then there was Right Said Fred. Moby was more later on: 1999-2002 period.

Plazaman

Ticketmaster tug-o-war again

ronjo

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

And I bet you remember 'If tomorrow never comes' as well and maybe 'The dance'. 'Ain't goin' down til the sun comes up' is his best very famous hit, an attractive blues/rock hybrid.

Yeah, Chemical Bros, Verve and Prodigy (all that techno was massive) too in the 1994-1999 period. Earlier, there was all that rave stuff with 2 Unlimited and then there was Right Said Fred. Moby was more later on: 1999-2002 period.

I do remember "If tomorrow never comes". I dont know the other songs names but maybe I would recognise them.
All I am saying that for me, knowing a couple of songs doesnt make his popularity "Off the scale" which is what I wsa replying too.

RebelSoul

5th date announced. That'll be sold out in minutes aswell I'd say

weldoninhio

RebelSoul wrote: »

5th date announced. That'll be sold out in minutes aswell I'd say

Where was that announced? Nothing online that i can see!!

RebelSoul

It's on Ticketmaster.

Leslie91

It's like the mad rush to get a mortgage all over again... sure isn't everybody going to Garth Brooks, I'd better go too.

Madness.

(No I am not going)

miss no stars

Leslie91 wrote: »

It's like the mad rush to get a mortgage all over again... sure isn't everybody going to Garth Brooks, I'd better go too.

Madness.

(No I am not going)

10% of the country is going :eek:

I don't think you could get 10% of the country to agree about which politician they'd want to spit on first!



and...


I'm so sorry but I have to be about 2 years old right now...





I'M GOING!!!!!!!!! :P :eek: *happy dance*


Had just bought tickets for my parents this morning to the Monday concert. Lost out on all 3 dates last time and I had been looking for 4 tickets at the time so figured I'd just try for 2 this time, selected 2 tickets for best available seats and got them, but they're up in the roof practically.

Even though I kinda want to go myself I didn't go back for more, partially because I felt I was lucky enough to get 2 and at that stage I'd probably wait ages and they'd be sold out. Was sitting trying to calm myself with a cuppa tea, listening to Tubs on the radio with cat on lap only to hear him say that news was just in, 5th date added.

Should I try for it? Feck it, I'll try for it. Clicked on the link the minute ticketmaster added the link to their facebook, picked 2 tickets and decided to chance looking for tickets in the lower Cusack stands. Got them! Delighted And I'm really happy about it because my dad works rosters and isn't guaranteed to be able to go on the Monday so having the 2 dates means that even if he's rostered for 2, he has more chance of being able to swap with someone for one of the dates off.

Good man Garth! Taking the wind out of the touts and scalps sails

Lapin

5th date.

The fúcker should just move here and be done with it.

gramar

If you pay Garth will play.

force eleven

Breaking News - GAA putting back All Ireland Finals to accommodate Garth Brooks 35th concert day sell out...

*disclaimer - may not be true (yet)*

Mrs Garth Brooks

Yipppeeee

Got the standing tickets I wanted for Monday and Tuesday. Have seats for the Friday.

Yipppeeeeee

Bring it on. Cannot wait.