Ronan Keating

The less responsibility I have, the better I feel.

Galore Magazine Germany – May 2006 issue

27/04/2006, Hamburg. Ronan Keating doesn’t even look at the sunny and spring-like river Alster which floats underneath the window of his luxury hotel. It is hard to get him out of his routine of answering that is fast, mellow, precise and personal.

Mr. Keating, you are the youngest of five children, a real pet of the family. Did you have to fight for your rights or had your elder siblings already done that for you?
It was clearly easier for me than for them. I’m definitely also the one who’s most spoilt of all of them, very much like the cliché. (Laughs)

How did you take advantage of these liberties?
I didn’t. Except for some cases: Until today I’m the only one of the kids who has a tattoo.

You moved house with your parents many times, mostly to the countryside. That makes children often get the feeling of not belonging anywhere – some get very peculiar. You didn’t?
No way. I always made friends quickly and found it easy to adapt to new surroundings. There wasn’t a problem, even though I admit it wasn’t always easy. Unemployment was a huge problem in Ireland at the end of the 80s and young people had to make big compromises to find a good job. After my elder sister had found good opportunities in New York, the other kids followed her. I remember some Christmas dinners with only my dad, my mum and me. Mum cried all the time cos she missed the other kids so much.

Do you suit the romantic picture of a young guy from a simple background who made it from the backyard to the very top?
Not quite. We didn’t have holes in our shoes or were beaten up by our stepfather. We were happy. But still I can say that I’ve worked hard for what I have now and that the success didn’t come overnight but it came step by step.

Nevertheless, your former band Boyzone went right into the charts with the first single.
Yes but no one speaks about all the months of hard training and working that took place before this first single. All that is different today, it is much more focused on making quick profits. That’s not meant to sound bitter but still make clear: We worked hard for our success and we weren’t given anything for free. And anyway I enjoyed every moment of that time very much.

Boyzone were one of the most right decisions you have ever made?
Without a doubt.

If you aren’t so sure when making an important decision: Who do you ask for advice?
I always listen to my mum.

It really sounds like his mum was still alive, also in the German. It might have been mistranslated in the first place, or he just might have said it in a bit of an ambiguous way. Or he means he still wonders what she *would* say to him if she was still there…

Seriously?
Yes, she has a lot of good advice. I must also admit that I’m a person who isn’t very keen on making decisions. I have phases in which I can’t make a fucking decision.

So you worry a lot?
Absolutely. My head always wants to consider all potential alternatives. That annoys me.

This neurosis about making decisions is surprising considering there were many times when you made surprising decisions that changed your whole life.
What do you mean?

For example that you didn’t accept the sports scholarship that was offered to you by an American elite university and went to the auditions for Boyzone instead – which was an extremely risky alternative.
Actually it wasn’t as risky as it sounds. You must know that the training of my athletic abilities – I was quite talented – always went off smoothly. I often got offers like these. So I thought in that case, I should give the band a chance because it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was only 16; you still have many options at that age. But I admit it was one of the decisions I found very hard to make. Also because joining the bad meant leaving school without a certificate – that was only five months before I could have taken my last exam.

Did you ever do that later?
No. What for? (Laughs) Things also went quite ok without it.

Looks like it. You got married at 22, consciously to have a big family.
Exactly. My family has always been extremely important for me. That’s why I wanted to get married at a young age and have children. I wanted to be as young as possible when I see my children grow up to be closer to them in feelings and in mind. I think it’s unfortunate to be an old father. The older you get, the bigger the intellectual and emotional distance to your own child.

And still it can’t have been an easy decision considering you were young, smart and good-looking and the world – especially the female one – was at your feet. Even more surprising that you married your first real girlfriend.
I had a fantastic and adventurous time before that, if you know what I mean? (Grins) I didn’t miss out on anything. Apart from that, this was one of the decisions that were made only by my heart. She was the right one so why wait?

Were you still a childlike person during the Boyzone days?
Just the opposite. At the age of 16 I was extremely serious. When Boyzone started, I had the thoughts of a 25-year-old. I always took care of the other lads, almost like a tour manager. Only now, thanks to my children, I rediscovered this childlike naivety and letting go. The less responsibility I have, the better I feel.

Do you always make a lot of plans?
No because there are already enough things in my life to be planned – every single day as an artist and as a singer is defined by a strict schedule. When I come home, I just don’t want to see any plans anymore.

Honestly: What’s better – a day off within your family or a concert in front of 20,000 Ronan Keating fans?
Being honest I mist say, standing in front of 20,000 people who stare at you and sing along with every single one of your words is one of the most immediate and most significant feelings I’ve ever had. It’s completely different but no less intense was the day when my first son was born. It was so intense that it almost hurt.

Is the part of the father-to-be who is doomed to do nothing really that hard?
Absolutely, I felt like the most useless fucker in the world! (Laughs) I didn’t do anything; I only stood there with a glass of water and asked: “Are you ok?” What a stupid question! And she said: “No I’m fucking not ok!” And you just stand there and think: When will it be over? It’s really hard for a man being so useless and at the same time not to run away.

Otherwise, being confident is not a big problem for you, is that right?
It all depends on what I do. I am confident as a father and as a singer. I’m not confident at all on the golf lawn. (Laughs)

How about when you’re writing songs? You still write only few of your songs alone.
I admit, on my own I’m not the best songwriter. That’s also got to do with my difficulties when making decisions. I’m finding it immensely relieving when experienced people help me do that. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. And it is a good opportunity to talk an awful lot of nonsense. I’m sure that if I was being filmed in the studio and everyone saw how much shit I talk there – I would never get a record deal again (laughs).

A huge thanks goes to Lizzie for typing and translating this article and scanning the pic!