Ronan Keating on Nostalgia, Returning to India and Being Part of a U2 Music Video
The Irish pop artist will perform in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Shillong this week, coming back to the country after he last performed with pop group Boyzone in 2005
Irish pop artist Ronan Keating will perform in three cities in India this November. Photo: Courtesy of the artist
When Ronan Keating was just about 21 years old and hitting it big with Irish boy band Boyzone all around the world, among those nodding in approval were rock favorites U2, so much so that they included them in their music video for “Sweetest Thing” in 1998.
Keating appears in the video alongside his bandmates as U2’s Bono rides in a carriage, with Boyzone part of the apology theme that runs throughout the song. It’s been 25 years since the release of that video, so it’s only fair that Keating chuckles a bit when he’s asked about starring in the “Sweetest Thing” video in an interview.
Looking back at it, he terms U2 as the “biggest, greatest rock band in the world.” He adds, “The U2 gentlemen are very generous artists and performers and I was lucky to call them friends. For them to invite us to be in this music video was such an honor, especially for a boyband like Boyzone. What it showed was just how big U2 are and it doesn’t matter. They’re bigger than everything. They’re bigger than the industry. For them to be able to put a boy band in a music video shows that they’ve transcended it all.”
U2, in 2019, made their India debut and while Boyzone’s Keating had visited India at least a couple of times before the rock legends, the pop artist will play his first shows as a solo artist here this week. Keating is performing in Mumbai on November 17th, in Bengaluru on November 18th and at the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival on November 19th.
Ahead of the shows, Keating — best known for songs like “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “Lovin’ Each Day,” “When You Say Nothing At All” and more — spoke with Rolling Stone India about coming back and the pull that music from the Nineties and early 2000s continues to have around the world and exploring India. Excerpts:
What do you remember from your last time in India?
My first time in India was with Boyzone back in the Nineties. It was a crazy time but we loved it. We did a show in Bangalore and then we were meant to do a show in Mumbai but there were so many fans around the hotel that the security couldn’t get us to the venue in time. We couldn’t believe so many people had come to see us! The Last time I came in 2005 was for the MTV Awards. Again, I had an amazing time surrounded by such great people and such a vibrant culture.
What’s the one thing you’d say has definitively changed about you (as a musician or even as a person) since 2005, when you last visited?
Well obviously I’m a little older but I still love performing live. Getting the chance to stand on stage and perform all my hits is something I never take for granted, it’s a true privilege.
You’re arriving in India on the back of a lot of other pop artists being here – Backstreet Boys were here, Westlife will be touring, and Blue almost came down but had to postpone.
I think that shows just how welcoming the Indian people are so I can’t wait to come back for the three shows there in November.
What do you think is the allure of the early 2000s/late Nineties pop that made it timeless?
Music for any generation is very special because it’s the soundtrack of your life. We all have songs that take us back to those important teenage years that help us define us as people.
How have you changed things up and done things differently for yourself over the years as a performing artist who gets to tour around the world?
I’m lucky to have a lot of songs to pick from both my solo career and also my time in Boyzone. It’s always great to revisit some songs that I’ve not performed in a while but there’ll always be all the hits that I know the audience expect to hear.
What kind of setlist do you have in mind for these India shows?
There’ll be all the hits from my solo career and the Boyzone years too. I have a great live band touring with me so I know we’ll have a great night in each city.
Do you have any plans in the country outside of the performances? What else is coming up through 2023 and 2024?
Our schedule is pretty packed out but I’m sure we’ll find some time to get out and explore your amazing country.
Get tickets for Ronan Keating’s Mumbai show on Insider.in, his Bengaluru show on Bookmyshow and Shillong Cherry Blossom here.
