inthebeginning.page

In The Beginning

Once upon a time...(nah only jokin) It all started waaaaay back in 1996 when three strapping young lads (lol) from Sligo, performed in their school (Summerhill College) Musical, Grease. After a successful performance, it attracted many people because of their talents.
Somebody approached them and sugested that they should form a band. they teamed up with three other lads, Micheal, Derek and Graham, and called themselves 6 as 1.

They began touring around Sligo, playing at lots of different venues in the beginning of 1997. They quickly rose in popularity. The band changed their name to I.O.YOU. They recorded a single together called �Together Girl Forever� and released it in Ireland. It didn�t do too well and didn�t make the Irish charts.
One day, they were doing a performance in a childrens hospital, and a TV News program broadcast their show, they caught Louis Walsh�s eye but at that time he was too busy with his boyband Boyzone.
Their luck changed for the better in 1998, when Shanes mother gave Louis Walsh a call, to try and get them their big break that they had been searching for. He said he had too much on his plate but he would try and sort something out. He gave Ronan Keating a call and that was that sorted.
Louis and Ronan had arranged for I.O.YOU to support the Backstreet Boys in Dublin. EVERYBODY loved them.
I.O.YOU split up, because all their voiced could not match. Mark, Kian and Shane joined together again and there was a search to find the perfect people to join their band.
Hundreds of young talented singers turned up, but eventually it was decided that Bryan McFadden and Nicky Bryne were just right. They were two mates, both from Dublin. They had met through Karoke and parties. they had both dreamed of being in a boy band. (Obviousley why they went to the audition!)
Their name was changed to Westside, in honour of Sligo, because the I.O.YOU name was too boy bandy.
They first appeard in a UK magazine in September 1998, when they were still know as I.O.YOU.

The Boys also toured with Boyzone in November 1998. (OMG they were signing autographs in the hallway when we all came out the concert!!) and they won 'Best New Tour Act' at the Smash Hits Awards 1998.
Due to circumstances including 'Westside' being copyrighted in the USA by another band, they had to come up with another. It ended up as Westlife and stayed.
They released their first single in April 1999. and have been up the top since then.