The Stunning to hit Athlone this weekend

FRESH from the release of their new album Twice Around The World, The Stunning are currently on a nationwide tour and will play in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Athlone on Saturday night at 8pm.

Tickets, at a cost of €28 each, are available from https://thestunning.net.

In advance of the concert, we caught up with Steve Wall.

Where are you from?

Most people think The Stunning are all from Galway. The band was formed there, but Joe and I were reared in Dublin and Co. Clare while Cormac and Derek are from Donegal. Jimmy Higgins is the only true Galwegian.
 

What is your earliest memory?

As a toddler I was playing with a broken radio on the floor. I had pulled the back off it and was fiddling with the insides. Whatever I did, the radio came on. My mother ran into the room shouting: "He's after fixing the radio!" Ever since then I've been taking things apart.
 

How and when did you first develop an interest in music?

Our mother always played music at home and the house we grew up in was full of records: lots of classical music and the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, The Beatles, Motown, Elvis, Frank Sinatra....I could go on. 
The music was easy to access as a kid, it was visible - a shelf full of records - not a Spotify playlist on someone's phone. 
That's why I display my music at home. My daughter has been putting on CDs and LPs since she was 5 yrs old. She listens to everything!
 

How would you describe your style of music?

That's always the hardest question to answer. I suppose something like: "strong melodies, lyrics and hooks, played with a soulful energy. We've always done our best not to copy the current trends".
 

Who has inspired you during your career to-date?

My mother. She passed away last January. I miss her terribly. As kids, she introduced us to culture from an early age and was always supportive of our endeavours, as was our father. They never chastised us if we failed at anything. We were encouraged to keep trying.
 

What's the best advice you ever received?

It all starts with the music. 
 

What is your favourite place in the world to visit?

Inishbofin. 
 

What are your pet hates?

Littering; the amount of needless plastic waste we generate; people who Tweet photos of a pint of stout; people who pick up their dog's poo but leave the bag on the path or even hang it from a tree! 
  

What's your favourite film?

Sunset Boulevard. 
 

Name one thing you can't live without?

Good friends.
 

Tell us about your forthcoming tour.  

The band is on fire. Our new album topped the charts last March and the shows have been selling out. The gigs are explosive.
We may take some time off next year, so if you want to see us at the top of our game - now is your chance! 
 

What can those attending your concert in Athlone on Saturday expect?

They'll be treated to a seven-piece band playing all the hits from our back catalogue.....and more! Special guests are a great young Irish band State Lights. 
 

Any special plans or ambitions for the rest of 2018?

I play the lead in a feature film called 'My Foolish Heart', it will be hitting the international film festival circuit this summer. I hope to be treading some red carpets for the very first time.