Why was Garth Brooks so popular in Ireland?

lazygal

He played Croke Park loads of time, sold shedloads of records and seemed to be here all the time. What was it about him that Irish people like, and would a comeback tour sell out? I think he's playing Vegas now.

vicwatson

Past tense, and that's where it should stay

Gambas

He had friends in loooooooooow places...

He'd sell out no bother. Awful, awful sh!te.

Christ the Redeemer

Every oulwan in the country at one point was doing line dancing.

Xcellor

'Cause I got friends in low places,
Where the Whiskey drowns,
And the Beer chases my blues away'

Chucken

He made country music sexy

johnayo

If he came back I think he would sell out a reasonable size venue. Still plenty of people singing his tunes at parties etc.

I am pie

He was like a more dangerous Daniel O'Donnell for the backwoodsmen beyond the pale.

frag420

Chucken wrote: »

He made country music sexy

I think you just killed the internet with that statement!!

Robbo

I was always more of a Chris Gaines fan myself.

guttenberg

His "Ireland" song was weirdly quite catchy.

Chucken

Christ the Redeemer wrote: »

Every oulwan in the country at one point was doing line dancing.

Im an oulwan and I never line danced in my life. It was the kids here that took to it. It was great fun to watch.

super_furry

Because culchies.

Sulla Felix

He'd sell out the O2 tonight ffs, still massively popular with idiots all over the country.

Pandora2

I'm with Chucken!

One of his numbers is my party piece!

Lucena

Brilliant write-up of the phenomenon here:

http://wheresgrandad.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/garth-brooks-a-warning-in-retrospect/

ballsymchugh

he was popular in a hell of a lot more places than just ireland ffs

MonkeyTennis

Gareth Brooks as he was known round our way

jester77

He played a niche genre, post-culchie I suppose would be a good name for it. It was like Irish country with more edge, so it was going to appeal to a lot of country people.

Pandora2

Robbo wrote: »

I was always more of a Chris Gaines fan myself.

Loved that song and I have searched high and low for it without success!! Hint, Hint!!

Rasheed

He's good but he's no Mike Denver

Chucken

frag420 wrote: »

I think you just killed the internet with that statement!!

Listen to this!! Any woman and some men would swoon at this being sang to her.

http://www.veoh.com/watch/e558764b2pwdda?h1=Garth+Brooks+%22The+Dance%22

WilyCoyote

Chucken wrote: »

He made country music sexy

Yes, he did. And he knows his audience! But why the wellingtons inside the trouser legs?
Take it away Garth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv2ICKak5C4

Sulla Felix

Ha, brilliant.

Ireland has long been a slave to folk music and country is like folk music as understood by a Teletubby who fell out of a pickup truck straight onto his head. It’s folk music you don’t need a social conscience or patriotic pride to get in on. You just need to like easy little stories about rodeos and whiskey chasers and patriarchy, all told in metre-perfect rhymes.

ollie1

When I was in school they made us do line dancing in PE with Garth Brooks songs. I still wake up at night with nightmares about it

Pandora2

jester77 wrote: »

He played a niche genre, post-culchie I suppose would be a good name for it. It was like Irish country with more edge, so it was going to appeal to a lot of country people.

It was impossible to escape! My Mother wore me down, then he did a few covers that I liked and before you know it....addicted! I would suggest that 'Ireland' was the end for him, much as I liked him, I found it patronising although...it's been done before.

Chucken

Rasheed wrote: »

He's good but he's no Mike Denver

Ah Jayses. he used to play with his mammy (:pac:) in a pub here when he starting out. PAINFUL.

hinault

Line dancing.

It was all inbreeding, I tell ye

argentum

Since he seems to have fans on this forun I'll let you in on a little secret..Every culchie in the country is going to want Santa to bring him or her tickets to see the man himself next year.He's playing the same type of gig as Bruce in the stadiums around the country following by a few nights in Dublin RDS.The deals done but won't be announced yet

Rasheed

Chucken wrote: »

Ah Jayses. he used to play with his mammy (:pac:) in a pub here when he starting out. PAINFUL.

He can play with me any time
Love a man in a snow white suit.

lazygal

argentum wrote: »

Since he seems to have fans on this forun I'll let you in on a little secret..Every culchie in the country is going to want Santa to bring him or her tickets to see the man himself next year.He's playing the same type of gig as Bruce in the stadiums around the country following by a few nights in Dublin RDS.The deals done but won't be announced yet

Don't toy with our emotions like that.