Jaysus. i don't understand it. i don't get it. why would a young band put themselves in the firing line like this? it doesn't matter how good the offer is, won't it drive you nuts hearing people say "you're a star band, the shakes"? the factual details of the prizes are one thing, but the chances of you wining are low (older people and kids vote - they like easy to listen to stuff and pop) and therefore the chances of your career being tarnished with the reality show tag for the foreseeable future is all too real. something like this destroys credibility - if a judge decides your music is crap, what right do any of them have to judge it? why would you allow yourself to be at the mercy of people who probably can't play instruments very well? who probably can't write songs? i don't understand it. don;t bands have any belief in themselves any more? a show like this isn't the answer....

I think that the shakes are right to have a go at the you're a star thing because its a lauchpad for young bands to get their name out there, too many people i think are prwejudice against these shows i think, and its just musical snobbery. The prize at the end of the show is an international record deal,so who cares about a few begrudging irish bums. Would it not be worse if decents bands like this got no recognition and no record deal?? dont let the name fool ya

Your a star is a popularity contest full stop. And popularity is a fickle thing which never lasts. The show is all about the here and now and its got nothing really to do with what happens to the winners after the show is over. The prize is a poisened chalice as no band/act yet has been successful following your a star. After 6 months, no one cares about this years winners as they have all moved on to looking forward to next years possible winners. That is the target audience for the show. The reality of the show is the fact that its an opportunity for a comercial company to make money out of phone line revenue by playing on the hopes and aspirations of young people who want to be famous...If it was really about developing the career or careers of prospective musicians, then there would be a follow up on the winners after the show, bringing them from a talent competition on into to profesional music. But there isnt, winners are just left by the wayside, to make room for next years hopefuls. There is nothing wrong with a band having a go at this competition as long as they go into it with their eyes open. Is it musical snobbery to make little of the entrants to this competition. Maybe. A certain amount of it that some people believe that a band/musician has to earn their attention by the long days touring or the hard worked album. But then this doesnt make sense when you see how irish people jump at the american/uk bands as soon as they hit the irish shores purely on word of mouth alone. I duno. Personally, if a band/person goes into this show expecting the gig-going public to fall at their knees as soon as they have won the show then they are really misguided as it just is not going to happen. Yes, you might get a number one single out of it, and you might get a couple of gigs, maybe the tour of the country that the winners seem to undertake every year, playing every crap venue going. But its unlikely, in my humble opinion, that 6 months later, the people who originally bought your single, will even care where you are now. As, being the nature of the audience, they will have moved on.

Of course we are going into this with our eyes open. We had grave reservations about going on in it in the first place but the prize on offer was so good it was something we had to consider. The fact of the matter is that I moved back to Belfast 18 months ago while the other 2 boys stayed in Dublin. We practise every week in the bass player's gaff in Newry (a happy medium) but it is getting harder and harder to put the time in as college life becomes a distant memory. We are a credible band who have played regularly in places like Dorans and The Hub in Dublin, but let's be honest, no A&R types are sniffing around there picking up people like us. Other recent gigs include HWCH and supporting The Radiators in September. We entered this show for no other purpose than to gain a bit of exposure for our music. We're not stupid. We know the craic and what has happened to the winners of these reality shows in the past. If people see us on it and like our music, they can hear more on our website and our fan base will increase. We will have lost nothing.

Well then fire ahead. Seems like ye are going in to it with yere eyes open. Just wondering, have ye set up a MySpace account with some sample music. Probably would be a good idea. Then attempt to join as friends to other Irish and internation myspace musicians. Therefore people looking at the other users site will also see yere band as being "friends". On myspace, no one gives a crap about who you are or where youve been. If the music is good, the crowds will follow. Good luck with it, and welcome to cluas by the way.

www.myspace.com/thef**kinshakes Thanks for the welcome.

I think that there are less obvious positives to the many negatives involved with what you're doing lads but if you're allowed to maintain control over what you do on the show then it could be a good opportunity for you and I wish you only the best of luck with it. Are you allowed to play your own songs on the show, either on the heat this week or more importantly if you et through the the last however many it is? Because if you are then it's potentially a very good opportunity to showcase your material to a wide audience, if your not then you could get labled as a covers band. Also, if possible please tell Brendan thingy from the sindo that he's an annoying, unfunny douchbag, thanks.

Yeah, we played our own song in the audition (see post at the top to hear it) and intend on playing our own stuff the whole way through (if we get through on Sunday). Otherwise what would be the point? Our main focus is exposing the songs we have made to a wider audience.

A recently-thawed caveman, frozen in the Alps for 20,000 years, could tell you this was a bad idea. Just write songs. Sorry, was that naive?

I can completely understand why everyone thinks it's a bad idea, if you go on statistics and all that especially but Patistuta's argument is valid, what can possibly be lost? F*ck "credibility" and such nonsense, I think it's great to see a 'real' band on something like you're a star, they can show the little teeny tarts how music should 'look' (example: Music should look more like a guitar than lipstick) and hopefully, If they're any good, sound. If anything, they will get more fans than they had before the show, even if they are fans that f*ck off after a short while, well good f*ckin riddance, they were probably complete toerags anyway...and if not, hoooray! Pastistuta, I'd say that everyone seems to think that people who do get exposed to your music, will think 'Ah but they're only the w*nkers who were on You're a star'. But that's just music snobbery because it should only EVER be about the music. Fair play to ya and good luck (oh and I'll vote too, even if I end up thinking you're music is sh*t, just because your bound to be better than all the other d*ckheads on it) It's the middle of the night and I'm in work so I have rights to cuss more..

The Shakes rule! Well, one time at Radiator they did. Also, if I have credit I will do a vote. Good luck.

Whatever happened to Dave's Radio?

best of luck, patistuta - nothing wrong with being ambitious and wanting to be famous; isn't that the whole point of being in a band? otherwise, we'll never have anything except. if there's one thing ireland needs right now it's proper glammed-up rock stars (and a better health service, of course. but rock stars too!) so, go forth and be rock stars!!!! shock the grannies!!! if you're only going to be famous for just a week, then at least make it one hell of a seven days that no one will forget! (of course, if you're only a shower of ugly, boring grungeheads keeping it 'real' I take back my 'best of luck' and I'll vote for the karaoke wedding singer instead)

best of luck lads,when will you be gracing the stage of dorans again@radiator you nordy cocks...seriously though lads fair play,trev

i wil be voting for yas although i already know a person through to the helix so dont count on my vote after this round

Go on lads , hope it works out for ye guys , will deffo vote !