Shane Filan has revealed how he felt petrified his solo career wouldn’t take off – after being declared bankrupt.
The former Westlife star went bust in an English court over debts of €23million from bad property deals.
But the 34-year-old – who is now signed up to support Garth Brooks at Croke Park – insists “it’s not a game now” for him because he is “not a young popstar now like the lads in One Direction”.
And Shane admits that despite 14 years at the top with Westlife he was still shaking before starting his solo career after realising how “serious” it was for him as “you have a family and kids and have to provide”.
Farewell: Shane’s final gig with Westlife at Croke Park | VIPIRELAND.COM
“Starting out it was very very scary last year. I was shaking, because you don’t know where your future is going for the first time in my life,” he said.
“With Westlife you knew, the album was going to probably do well, and the tickets were probably going to sell. And that’s what happened because Westlife became so powerful and big.
“Not that we necessarily took for granted, but probably in a way we did. Because we didn’t realise how lucky you are when you’re a band like. But now you’re starting out again, and you have to.
Happier: Shane feels things are on the way up | VIPIRELAND.COM
“Everything is shaking because you don’t know whether people are going to like your music… but after everything else that happened it made me very determined to do this. There is no room for error here, there is no room for nerves, you just have got to go for this 1,000%.
Now Shane told Tubridy on 2FM that he feels he is finally been able to move on from his bankruptcy – and that was all by talking about it.
“I think it’s part of the process – if I wasn’t chatting about that, I’d be chatting about something else in my life, something else probably serious,” he said.
Help: Shane’s wife Gillian supported him through hard times | VIPIRELAND.COM
“Because people want to know everything about you. And at the time that was the most topical thing to ask about. And everyone wants to ask the questions.
“So I think when we did our first interview, it was the first time I’d spoke about it. But I felt that the more I spoke about it, you eventually have to move past it, you have to move on and focus on your future.
“Because you can’t change the past – you can only try and change the future and fix the future for the better. So the more I spoke about it, the better I felt.
“Once I got to the live shows people were talking about my singing then, which was nice. And it didn’t really change until I got until the shows.”
Chuffed: Shane will support Garth at Croke Park | VIPIRELAND.COM
And Shane revealed how “chuffed” he is to have been given the call up to support US country legend Garth Brooks at Croker after “singing his songs into the mirror as a kid”.
“I actually can’t believe it. I was looking forward to going like half of Ireland, I was definitely coming over to see it. I had to see it, simple as that.
“Then I got the call to say I was opening up for him. It’s really weird, it’s the gig of the lifetime for somebody. I was a huge Garth Brooks fan growing up.
“I remember watching him on the Late Late Show years ago or the Pat Kenny Show, growing up. I would have been glued to it, I remember staying up late to see him.”
