Latest news with #Bushes
Sunday World
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Michael Flatley mulling over move to launch presidential campaign
"If I thought that I could be of benefit to the Irish people, and maybe more importantly, if I thought I could be a voice, a voice of the Irish people.' Michael Flatley has not ruled out a presidential bid and is consulting with 'a team of advisors' as he mulls over launching a campaign for the Áras. While the Riverdance star told The Brendan O'Connor Show on RTÉ Radio 1 that he has not yet made a decision and has not been approached by a political party, he said he has been 'approached by some very weighted individuals, people in the know'. "I've not made the decision, but I have a team of advisors that are advising me on this. And you know, for me, it wouldn't be – I mean, I have a huge business to run,' he said. "I have an army of dancers counting on me to make a living. I have a whiskey company, a beautiful young wife and son that I want to spend time with. Michael Flatley Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 19th "If I thought that I could be of benefit to the Irish people, and maybe more importantly, if I thought I could be a voice, a voice of the Irish people. Right now, I don't think they have a voice, not a true, proper, deep voice that, you know, that speaks their language.' He said he is 'blessed to meet the average person on the street' and often hears their concerns, adding: 'I'd be lying if I said they're happy right now, and somebody has to speak for the Irish people. "You know, I'm not sure we need another politician if I'm honest. I know it's a statesman's role, but I spent the last 30 years of my life touring the world, promoting Ireland and Irish culture. I've met them all. "I've met the Bushes, the Obamas, Trump, Putin. I've met the Clintons. I've met the King and Queen of England. I've met the King and Queen of Sweden and of Spain. I've met those people more to promote the country and I think maybe that's what the job of president is all about.' Asked whether he has been approached by a political party, Mr Flatley said: 'No, I have not, but I have been approached by some very weighted individuals, people in the know. "It's certainly not something that I've made any decision on. But it does get frustrating when you see the hard working Irish taxpayer working as hard out and having no say in things.' When it was put to him that he was 'absolutely' not ruling himself out of the race, he said: 'Let me finish with this, Brendan. Let it be said that I stand for Ireland and the Irish people. Sin é.' Former European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness will be formally ratified as the Fine Gael candidate at a party event in September, while Independent Galway West TD Catherine Connolly formally launched her presidential campaign this week. Fianna Fáil has yet to decide on a candidate, with former education minister Mary Hanafin saying it would be 'an insult' if the party did not have a name on the ballot. She said she would 'happily' contest the election, with Peter Power, the executive director at UNICEF another possible contender for Fianna Fáil to consider. Sinn Féin are also yet to make a decision, with party leader Mary Lou McDonald opening the door to a potential bid when she told reporters earlier this month that Sinn Féin 'are not ruling anything in or anything out'.
Irish Independent
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Barry Egan at Oasis's first gig in 16 years: ‘This is the sound of an entire generation singing its communal heart out'
Liam and Noel Gallagher hold hands as tour begins before 75,000 enraptured fans in Cardiff The Game of Thrones-like feud had dragged on for so long between Noel Gallagher and his little brother Liam that people were starting to believe their band's reunion would never happen. But at 8.15pm on Friday night in the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, it did. As the pre-recorded intro music of F**kin' in the Bushes blasted out into the night, a spooky voice announced 'this is not a drill' while behind on the giant screens was a flurry of media headlines about a certain band getting back together. And then, there they were — the once-fighting siblings walked out on stage holding hands, in a frankly beautiful display of reconciliation. Liam wore his trademark parka jacket zipped up to the neck like he was out for a walk on a winter's night; Noel was in a denim shirt like he was off to the pub with his bestie Bono. Backed by Bonehead and Gem Archer on guitar, Andy Bell on bass and Joey Waronker on drums, this was the first time Oasis had been on stage in 16 years. They immediately launched into the punked-up glamrock of Hello. 'Yes, you beautiful people,' said Liam. 'It's been too long. Oasis in the area!' The reaction was rapturous. The next number, Acquiesce, set the tone. The brothers share the vocals. They sing about unity and harmony: 'Because we need each other/We believe in one another.' I'm not suggesting they've put all their differences aside and are watching movies together in their pyjamas each night, but at least they are standing on the same stage again. The fight that split up the band — in a Paris dressing room in August 2009, when Liam attacked Noel with a guitar — seemed a lifetime ago. As did Noel's comments to me in 2017 for the Sunday Independent, that his brother was 'a village idiot'. The noise level in Cardiff was as close to deafening as you'll get without actually sticking your head inside the engine of a 747. It sometimes made the sound distort and Liam's vocals hard to hear, but no one appeared to care much. The mood in the crowd was triumphant, even before they had played a note Over the next two hours, they didn't disappoint the sell-out crowd, playing a non-stop list of generation-defining Britpop stormers, mostly taken from their first two classic albums, Definitely Maybe from 1994 and (What's The Story) Morning Glory from 1995. ADVERTISEMENT Little By Little from 2002 was the only song they performed that was released after their third album Be Here Now came out in 1997. The mood was triumphant in the crowd even before they had played a note. It was like history was being re-made before our eyes. Indeed, the atmosphere all day in the streets of Cardiff was one of expectation, excitement and jubilation. Thousands of fans sat outside city pubs enjoying pints in the sunshine. Oasis songs blared out of every pub window and cafe. Handwritten signs outside restaurants stated: 'Don't look back in hunger.' The BBC were broadcasting live outside the bus station. Radio journalists from all over the world were interviewing fans on the street. Rock 'N' Roll Star still has the same audacity it had when it came out in 1994 Fans had travelled from as far as South Korea and South America. Oasis swiftly dispelled any fears that had left it so long that they would return as a heritage act. The songs, breathlessly performed, still cast a spell — the power of the melodies still sweep the listener off somewhere into their imagination. When Liam sang Supersonic at 9.30pm, the song's mission statement of 'I need to be myself, I can't be no one else' had the whole crowd singing the words back to him, like it was their song. That is the true wonder of Noel's songwriting. Everyone in Wales on Friday night had their own personal raw emotions and tangled memories particular to Oasis's songs. Rock 'N' Roll Star still has the same audacity it had when it came out in 1994. Roll With It is still a blitzkrieg of rock energy. Cast No Shadow is still one of the most powerful songs you'll hear about the human condition. A highlight of the night was the performance of Live Forever. It was made even more emotional when the image of Diogo Jota — the Liverpool and Portugal footballer tragically killed in a car crash last week and whose funeral was held yesterday — appeared on the screens. Liam still possesses one of the greatest voices in rock history. Noel still looks as cool as ever And Liam still possesses one of the greatest voices in rock history. Noel still looks as cool as ever, standing in the same spot all night 30 feet to the left of our kid. His solo performances of Talk Tonight, Half the World Away and, in particular, Little by Little was a testament to his genius as an artist who has written many of the greatest songs of his, or any, generation. Dressed in endless bucket hats and sports tops and runners, 75,000 fans hugged each other as they danced and sang along to the songs that were the soundtracks to their lives. It was the sound of an entire generation singing its communal heart out, still mad for it. 'You lot having a good time?' Liam asked before adding, tongue-in-cheek in reference to the controversy over ticket prices: 'Was it worth the £4,000 you paid for the ticket?' Joking aside, it was worth any money to see Oasis almost at their boisterous, mid-1990s' peak again.
Daily Mirror
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Liam Gallagher makes cheeky four-word comment to Oasis fans in Cardiff
Oasis have finally taken to the stage on Friday night after fans patiently waited for a reunion for 16 long years and Liam couldn't help but speak to the crowd Liam Gallagher told the crowd 'it's been too long' as he and brother Noel Gallagher took to the stage on Friday evening for the first night of the Oasis reunion tour. Thousands of people flocked to Cardiff for the iconic event after the brothers finally made up following a 16-year feud. After Cast and Richard Ashcroft took to the stage, fans eagerly awaited the arrival of Oasis. When they finally got to the stage, the kicked off the night with their hit, Hello, before moving onto Acquiesce. Liam soon told the thousands of attendees: "Hey beautiful people. It's been too long," and then swiftly transitioned into Morning Glory. In true Liam style, he made a cheeky remark to the crowd, joking: "I see you're all on the glue still down there!" The Manchester brothers swaggered out into the Principality Stadium to incredible noise from the crowd tonight, for the biggest rock reunion the world has ever seen. Walking on stage to their 2000 track, F***in' in the Bushes, the band were welcomed by cheers from the sold-out crowds as thousands of pints were thrown into the air. Noel and Liam, who have only been snapped together twice since announcing the tour almost a year ago, went straight into their hits as 70,000 fans cheered in the stadium. It was estimated more than 100,000 people travelled to Cardiff yesterday, with some hoping to get a last minute ticket or just to be there to celebrate in the pubs and bars as they parties late into the night with Oasis songs played on loop. Super fans Lachlan Weekes and Jayden Helm, who travelled all the way from Australia to attend the concert in the Welsh capital, were among fans gathering ahead of the gig. Mr Weekes said: "We've been planning it forever. We always said that if they got back together, we'd be at that first show." Mr Helm said: "We've been lifelong fans - we're 22 and 21, so haven't really had a chance to see them before. "We always said it was worth it to come, we wouldn't miss it for the world," he added. "To take time off work to come over here, it's more than worth it." The pair also visited Manchester, where the band formed in 1991, stopping off at Heaton Park as part of their personal Oasis tour. Alex Schuetz, an Oasis fan from Germany, said you could not travel far enough to see the band. "The first time I saw them was in 1997," he said. "The last time was in Manchester 2009, just before they broke up. I even got a ticket for a small festival in Germany, and on the ferry to that festival, I heard they broke up. I was like, 'Oh my god' something was dying inside of me - it sounds a bit stupid, but it took me ages (to get over it)." He added: "I've come from Germany. You cannot travel far enough, I've been a fan since 1995.'
Fox News
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Brooke Shields once walked in on George H.W. Bush, wife Barbara in their bedroom
Brooke Shields once barged in on former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush in their bedroom after she believed their home was flooding. On Thursday, Shields co-hosted "Today with Jenna and Friends" with the couple's granddaughter, Jenna Bush Hager, and explained the mortifying moment at the elderly couple's home in Kennebunkport, Maine. About 15 years ago, the Bushes invited Shields to come stay at their home after they initially formed a "sweet" friendship in the '80s. "I was doing a movie in Boston, and I get a phone call — doesn't say who he is — literally says, 'Excuse me, young lady, I hear you're in the area. If you do not come to Kennebunkport, you are in trouble, young lady,' and of course, that was Papa Bush, so I brought my kids and we stayed there," the model and actress said. So, Shields packed up her daughters, Rowan and Grier, and headed to the Walker's Point compound. The trip was going smoothly until Shields noticed the living room "flooding" from the ocean water after putting her daughters to bed. "I'm panicking, right? And I'm thinking, 'Oh, my God, I gotta tell somebody, but nobody's in the house!'" she said. "I was like, 'This is a moment of my life that was so special.'" The "Blue Lagoon" star knew she had to go into the Bushes' bedroom to alert them before the damage set in. "So, I go to the downstairs bedroom and, like, with the fear of God [in me]," Shields explained. "They had their little TV dinners, their little BarcaLoungers, their little La-Z-Boys, and they were watching ['Law and Order'] 'SVU.'" Shields joked that once she entered the bedroom, she shielded her eyes because Barbara was "in her dressing gown." "And I'm like, 'I just want to tell you that I think the house might have flooded, but I think I got it,'" she told Hager of the moment, still covering her eyes as she recalled what happened. Barbara wasn't alarmed and insisted Shields sit between their chairs and finish the TV episode with them. "She's like, 'George, maybe Brooke can answer this question… Ask her, ask her.' He goes, 'Well, who do you think did it?'" Shields said. The "Pretty Baby" actress calmed down and enjoyed the rest of her night with the couple. "I was like, 'This is a moment of my life that was so special,'" Shields recalled. Hager thanked Shields for the story about her grandparents. The Bushes died a few months apart in 2018. "I never had a grandfather, and since I was quite young, he [George] would give me boy advice and be like, 'OK, I like that one. I don't like this one,' so it was a very sweet relationship that I needed to have and hadn't had anyone else," Shields said.
