Mullingar’s popular beat combo and all-round funky jivesters, The Blizzards, will step into their 2010 sabbatical on a high with a final gig of the year at the Greville Arms Hotel on New Year’s Eve.
The Greville gig will be a most appropriate punctuation on a landmark year for the band, when they supported rock monsters AC-DC and Oasis, and headlined Oxegen.
Mindful of their fans’ age ranges, the guys are putting on two shows on December 31. The first kicks off at 5pm, with tickets costing €15, while the later gig starts at 9pm and will cost €20. The lads have chosen to take the foot off the career pedal for the immediate future to concentrate on family for a while. The band has not yet given any indication as to when they might reform, but then, how long is a piece of string? The third album will come when it comes.
“It's a total break, it's not a break-up,” insists pin-up frontman, Niall Breslin.
“We could never break up, we wouldn't do it...We're very close friends and at least we're being entirely honest with one another here. But the time isn't right for us to make a third record. Three of the guys in the band now have children and their priorities have changed, simply because they have to. But if we didn't take this break, we would split up.”
Not being parentified himself, Mr Breslin plans to use his downtime equally fruitfully by going to work in London for 19 Management, Simon Fuller’s company, as a songwriter and producer.
“I'm going over there to be a sponge, to learn all I can about songwriting and pop production. I'm determined to go over there and come back a much stronger songwriter and producer,” said the former professional rugby player.
“I want to know everything before I sit down and write The Blizzards' third album. But it's pointless forcing it and none of us wants to make another record right now. You really have to put your life, soul and every minute of your day into an album. It's draining. With the guys having kids, we said let's take a few months out, just to look after your families, regain the passion and then come back in and make a strong album.”
Breslin, however, acknowledges the difficulties personally felt by being away from the stage for a time.
“Not performing for the coming months really is going to break my heart,” he says.
“I absolutely adore that. I can make the sacrifice of not doing it for a couple of months, but I don't think I could not do it for an extended period. I love it too much and I love playing as The Blizzards.
“It's weird, I've got on stage with loads of other people, but it's never felt comfortable. I only feel comfortable when I'm on stage with The Blizzards. That alone just answers the question for me that I can't do this thing in London for too long. I know I want to get back performing, but I want to get back performing honestly. I want to get back playing new songs.”
