How we took poor Shane for a ride
We tricked him over rollercoaster thriller
Hi Nicky here,
TO borrow the title of our co-manager Ronan Keating's brilliant new single,
Life Is A Rollercoaster for us right now. Literally.
We've been enjoying all the fun of the rides and amusements in Disneyworld
here in Orlando, Florida.
We've also been performing here, doing personal signing sessions and meeting
lots of Irish fans on holiday out here.
Disneyworld is just fantastic and it brings out the child in everyone..even
the parents who are out here with their kids. There are some rides that send
chills down your spine - but none of us chickened out of them
Shane isn't mad into the rides, so we played a mean trick on him when he
joined us after his trip home to Sligo for his sister's wedding.
The day before Shane arrived back, a guy from Disney brought us around
Disneyworld and it was a brilliant experience. We were able to skip all the
queues and go free on all the rides.
There's a new one here called The Rock 'n' Roller, which goes from 0 to 60
in two seconds! It's really stomach churning stuff.
We tried it out the first day and it was a really exhilarating experience.
The following day we were back again, but we knew that Shane would turn it
down if he knew what was involved. So we told him it was a tour. The ride
actually says Aerosmith on the outside and it plays rock 'n' roll music when
you get on it. He got into the rollercoaster beside me and put the security
strap over his head. Then he said to me, "We're getting very buckled up for
just a virtual reality ride." It was then that I had to break the shock news
to him. "Shane," I said, "this is like a mega rollercoaster ride."
He looked totally freaked out, but it was too late. We shot off from 0 to 60
at the blink of an eyelid.
When we stopped, Shane had a smile from ear to ear. He absolutely loved it
and got straight back on again! From then on, there was no stopping him. He
joined us on all the daredevil rides, including Space Mountain and a new one
called House Of Terror. It's like a hotel; you get into an elevator and it
brings you up, floor by floor, and then drops you to the ground. Shane
wasn't a big fan of that one.
WE'VE also been doing live shows here in Dis-neyworld and meeting the fans
from the States, as well as girls from Ireland, Scotland, England and other
parts of Europe.
There are a lot of Irish out here. We actually met some girls from Dublin
who've been supporting us from the start.
We did a signing at the Virgin Megastore and some Scottish people said to
us, "When you did a signing in Glasgow last year we queued for six hours and
never got to meet you. We come to Florida on holiday and our dream comes
true."
There were also girls from places like Donegal and Galway and they were
saying, "I can't believe we got to meet you!" It was quite exciting for us
as well.
Lots of people gave us Irish chocolate that they brought over. They said,
"You've been on the road for a long time, so we'll give it to you."
It was great to hear all the Irish voices out here. It made us feel at
home..
BEFORE going to Florida, we were at a party in Los Angeles for a legendary
American soul singer called Smokey Robinson.
That was a real rock 'n' roll night with lots of stars, including Savage
Garden and two guys from Guns N' Roses, Slash and drummer Matt XX.
That was a night when we got the chance to sit back and relax and enjoy the
entertainment and the party.
It was a big LA affair, all glitz and glamour. The Guns N' Roses guys and
Savage Garden got up on stage and jammed and it was exciting to watch.
I LOVE you all and when I see pictures of you I buy them and stick them up
on the wall in my bedroom. Soon mammy won't have to paint the wall because
there'll be no room left. I jumped for joy when you made history by having
five number ones. You've made us all proud of being Irish.
Leanne Stapleton, Borrisoleigh, Co Tipperary.
I JUST want you to know that I love your voices. You have made my life so
happy as your music is just fabulous. I listen to it all the time.
Aisling Doherty, Newport, Co Mayo.
KIAN, I would love to meet you as you are such a talented guy. Not only your
obvious musical talents, but I've noticed that you've got a flair for
writing.
Elaine H, Co Mayo.
WESTLIFE are the best thing that has happened to me. Bryan is my favourite.
He is so gorgeous and his impressions are really cool. I can't wait to see
you at the concert in the Point next year. My dream is to meet you one day.
Rachel McKevitt, Dundalk, Co Louth.
YOU are the best band ever. You are all gorgeous, especially Bryan. I love
you so much. I'm looking forward to your concert next year. Keep making us
proud.
Aisling McGrath, Tallaght, Co Dublin.
I AM your number one fan in the whole world. I'm going to your concert next
year and would love to meet you all. My favourite is Bryan...I think he is
the sexiest man alive.
Deirbhile O'Mahony, Thurles, Co Tipperary.
