Eventually, in New York during September - 3 t J» Jf A & fib J|§ m k ^ jk # k 1996, with the band disintegrating around JBBS B S ggg I mjr* a gF® Bj B B jjjj B^* a Bj B B B B^ BB^ a ^g B her, Dolores made the crucial decision THIS IS THE RORD TO HELL to cancel everything and go home. “Yes, it was me!” rejoices Dolores, raising OTHOR GROUPS WHO HRUeSUPPORBB 00 her arms triumphantly. “Women are talkative m\JL jj I / r*^jj m b If j i* ^ b/ j b Ir * and open. They can sense vibes and like to bring up things, while boys like to keep it BLUR quiet and hidden.” American tour of 1992 met “I thought it about a hundred times, but with apathy from the grunge-fixated didn’t say it,” remembers Noel. “You didn’t natives. Blur regrouped in England, want to be the one to say anything, but you Sk B Kg a a fI as B ag B K K a K k msgte i 3 easa / I samug k m k a m a k K k B m B declared war on Yank culture, and hoped somebody would. I was relieved when invented Britpop. ^ ■ m B jg a B a B 3 B I jp B^ a a B / B Dolores spoke up.” “I didn’t want to do it because it would mnnic s t r e e t I a B B a a / I B B I a B K B B disrupt so many people,” admits Dolores. PRERCHERS “And of course we were going to lose so Thailand tour in the summer of much money if we cancelled. But we were 1994 now viewed as the genesis dying in our hearts. The most annoying of Richey’s breakdown. Unwisely toured K B a ^K at B tt at aj B Bj K B a a B K at thing was going to the doctors to prove that Europe again that autumn, deepening I couldn’t continue the tour. It meant standing Richey’s despair. in a room full of four male doctors which was Berry Good: DflniEL BOOTH DnhHores: PAUL POSTLB very intimidating.” □R SIS Did they prescribe anti-depressants? Ninth tour of the States in “No. 1 didn’t need drugs. All I needed was to September 1996 ended suddenly arguments, and in the end, splitting up seemed the get back into real life. The doctors passed me when Noel flew home after a fight on to a counsellor in London who said that he’d with the group. The remaining seen a lot of people get to that point living members followed the next day. a non-normal lifestyle and he thought theUIrayJHB CRHnBGRRIGSreMue M r liuinghell I should just get away from it. I felt “A lot of those publications aren’t life outside the music industry. Dolores k terribly exposed, like I couldn’t genuine,” she smiles. “It’s guesswork. is so engrossed in her own family life escape. Suddenly, journalists Different bands have different recording that when asked if she thinks Cerys “ WAS sick,” shudders Cranberries would follow you to your contracts. I’ve never been obsessed Matthews is the Welsh Dolores - on singer Dolores O’Riordan, “I was house, into the supermarket, with money. I used to drink crap cider account of her exaggerated singing seriously sick. And chronically they take photos of you at and eat pasta every night because it accent - she replies innocently, “Cerys j depressed. I’ll never forget it.” i your grandmother’s funeral. was so cheap.” who?” Incredibly, she has never heard | j j The other Cranberries nod It was the front cover on What is your greatest extravagance? of Catatonia and relies on Feargal’s solemnly. Dolores leans forward, some newspaper the next “I’ve got a Mercedes,” she beams, prompting: “You know, she sung on frowns anxiously and lowers her day, me at the funeral “and about seven or eight horses. It’s ‘The Ballad Of Tom Jones’.” ___. voice to a confidential whisper. i with my grandmother only been in the last couple of years that “Oh, I like that song,” she trills, as the “And that made you lose your own soul. I laid out That stuff does we’ve been able to enjoy what we’ve penny drops. “But honestly I’ve never You completely shut up. It’s total isolation. 1 vour head in.” worked for.” heard of Catatonia.” You just sit there and think that absolutely Dolores estimates that “6 0 to 70 Earlier, we had swapped some highly everybody hates you, everybody’s looking per cent” of their earnings come from libellous Ronan Keating anecdotes, at you and talking about you. it obviously BRCHhome American sales (“No Need To Argue”, which had reduced the male three- affected the band’s morale.” f in Ireland, with the went platinum seven times over in the quarters of The Cranberries to hysterics. “We were close to splitting up,” | nightmare still a fresh States). America has been good to The It would be no exaggeration to say that we had become so big and hadn’t taken | experience, they took Cranberries in other ways, too. It was they loathe Boyzone. Since “To The Faithful mournfully, his eyes fixed and unblinking. a bloody break. There was a lot of other J a six-month hiatus, while supporting Suede there in the autumn Departed”, other Irish groups have coasted “Yes, very,” confirms Dolores. “Looking shit happening, too. Lots of friends passed Tonight, Matthew, I’m going to be. isla St Clair (1993) Marie from Roxette (1994) David Batty (1994) | hoping that a return of 1993 that Dolores’ transformation from to fame and fortune because, some would back, I can pretty much laugh at it, but at away and we were unable to go to the to reality would help a “painfully shy” petal, who sang with her say, of The Cranberries’ absence. Was the time it was hell. Absolute hell.” funerals. It was considered more important } them regain their sanity. back to the audience, into a confrontational that frustrating? to play the gig than to do anything else.” I It worked. The two suedehead capable of commanding “No, because we’ll always have our “We weren’t communicating with each I remaining unmarried stadium-sized venues began. own distinct sound that people will like,” FlDI I lu l I iD u ll The Cranberries? other,” reveals bassist Mike Hogan. “We I Cranberries, Feargai “We toured for so long that after each says Dolores. “I don’t think we ever felt You may be one of 28 million people who had separate tour buses. After each gig, land Mike, finally tied the night you’d get a bit more confident,” threatened. But I don’t think any of us likes bought a Cranberries album to hear the Dolores would go straight into hers, and I knot with long-standing Dolores recollects. “And the Americans that sort of music.” lilting indie pop melodies and the piercing we’d go straight into ours.” | girlfriends, while Dolores are always telling you that they love you. Does the shallow packaging of Irish voice behind Dolores’ volatile public Didn’t that alienate you, boys? f had her first baby, Taylor It really surprised me. When you start as culture for world-wide consumption, persona. You might even have heard “No, it was all right,” shrugs guitarist Baxter Burton, in a teenager, you stare at the floor in between epitomised by B*Witched’s “C’est La the new single, “Promises”, which bustles Noel Hogan. “We’d been together seven November 1997. But each song and you imagine that they think Vie” riverdance, offend you? with the energy of a band who have years, and after that amount of time what now, with “Bury The you’re a spastic. I just closed my eyes and “It’s a bit disappointing,” groans rediscovered their love of pop music. is there to talk about?” Hatchet” about to be sang as well as I could.” Dolores, with more diplomatic Equally as vibrant is the forthcoming album, Didn’t it worry you that people ; released, they’re due to Did that shyness ever impede your benevolence than she probably feels. “Bury The Hatchet”, which is something would interpret it as a telling symbol |jf tour the world again. Aren’t love life? “The Cranberries have always been of internal friction? I they worried the horrors “Yeah. It’s fine for some of the people cautious about playing obviously thatenveloped the band three years ago. “I didn’t really care what they thought,” m will repeat themselves? who are born gorgeous and automatically traditional Irish music. When I was five says Dolores, “it was always going to be If “No,” Dolores declares get boyfriends. But, as a teenager, I had Cranberries exhibit little of the gloom difficult being the only girl with three boys, | emphatically, “we’d be a face like the back end of a bus. I used my father’s accordion, the spoons, all so we always said from the beginning that jf able to recognise the to think, ‘Why, God, did you give me this of them really well. But when I joined the “hell” to which Dolores refers. But as soon as we could afford a second tour f warning signals. If we start face?’ I had a lot of adolescent insecurity.” The Cranberries, it was rock’n’roll. And the memories persist. Having achieved bus, I’d have it. But when we stopped to get tense about things, then By the time she married in 1994, you if you throw traditional music into rock, talking, I guess it enhanced the tension.” we’H just gently draw back a suspected that most of her insecurity it just sounds cheesy. It sounds so much Drained through overwork, Dolores bit. 1 can’t believe that I used to had vanished. She said “I do” to former nicer if you just go to a pub on the Irish wereexpected to push themselves with found the seemingly never-ending media J get stressed out over a gig. I’m Duran Duran tour manager Don Taylor coast and hear that music being their follow-up album, “To The Faithful commitments increasingly stressful. f laughing now because I’ve got in a wedding dress translucent enough played authentically.” Departed”. But a second world tour “I wasn’t sleeping, but my schedule was Minogue (1994) Winona Ryder (1995)jDannii John (1995) Shane MacGowan (1996).Elton f a baby. I just think now, ‘A gig’s to reveal decidedly risque underwear, Would you switch off the TV if The Corrs in three years proved too much. Amid just as tight as ever,” she shivers. “So you a gig, ha-ha, I’m doing what I love.’ cheekily inappropriate, you’d think, for muchalcohol-induced turmoil and get wound up. And there was one particular “I ended up walking out of the interview. “You’d come off the stage at 11pm,” she Everything’s in perspective now. a place of worship. Did you feel just a “Yeah, I have done on a number •a! distress, the solidity interview with a female - females are I can’t remember what we were talking emoTiomiiY,Dolores was a sighs, “and then you’d get on the bus by What happens if I forget the chords slight frisson of excitement that you might of occasions,” says Feargai, of the band began to crack. always more difficult because they’re about, but I was asking her to move on paranoid mess. But the relentless schedule about 12.30am and it got to the stage where to a song? Who gives a damn?” upset so many people, most notably the twinkling maliciously. more bitchy and catty - and there was to another subject and she wouldn’t. affected her physically, too, her weight automatically I had to drink a couple of Won’t having a child make it more Catholic establishment? “I’d rather watch ‘Barney The Dinosaur’,” a re a l‘ miaooow' atmosphere.” I don’t regret walking out In the interview, crashing dramatically to a skeletal six and glasses of wine just to make me sleepy. traumatic to tour? “I swear to God that I had no idea it would sniggers Mike. ‘Where’s Dolores? Oh she’s in there banging Her hand claws the air and she I thought there was mutual aggression, a half stone. It wasn’t an eating disorder, but But you’d be arriving at the hotel at six “Oh, he’s coming with me. I’d never have an impact,” she says. “I’ve always her head against the wall.’ It was scary that grins mischievously. a two-way head-butting situation. And a side-effect of the intense misery caused in the morning thinking, ‘Well if it’s six tour without him. No way. 1 can only ever been a small girl. I’ve never had the Pamela Corrs-baiting ^ because the article made me look like by her punishing itinerary. Did anyone ever now, what’s the point in going to sleep?”’ leave him for three nights at a time. Any more Lee boobs hanging out everywhere. My “I heard their single this morning while the bitch, I became really pissed off with conclude that you had anorexia? Did you ever find solace in drugs? than that and you feel like a part of you is dad saw the dress and he’s very religious, putting mv make-uo on... the idea of doing interviews. I was so tired “Yes, women would,” she replies. “They’d “No, I’ve never been interested in missing. Becoming a mother was such an but he still thought it was lovely.” that I decided, ‘No more press.’” look at me and ask if I was anorexic and drugs,” she says. “Just drink. I was amazing moment. You get worried towards And your husband? Ill- th6 What was it about your personality that I’d say no. I found it really funny to begin so depressed that the only time the end of the pregnancy that you might not “He loved it, too.” “Ha, almost! Well, it’s just played every she found so objectionable? with, but then it began to annoy me because I could laugh was when I was bond straightaway, but I was like, ‘Give him Some people saw it as a crass bloody two minutes, isn’t it?” “Erm... she just didn’t like me! Women it hit the media. I thought, ‘I’m notf***ing drinking. But it didn’t worry me to me, give him to me.’” publicity stunt... can be really vindictive. And for seven anorexic.’ But everywhere I looked there that I might become an alcoholic “I’ve never seen her happier,” discloses Mike, “Everybody in the congregation thought oblivion in the face just two and a haff years I had mostly been living with men, were people judging me.” because I’m too clever. 1 know arousing Dolores’ curiosity. “She’s more calm it was cool,” blasts Feargai. “It was only and after such a long time it’s hard to deal Are you shocked now when you see my limits. OK, there were some and relaxed. It even comes across in the writing the f***in g media who blew it out of all four members approach nervous with women again, because they’re more photographs of you from that period? days when I’d wake up and of the music. She openly enjoys it more.” all proportion.” direct and analytical.” “Yes, because 1 never noticed how bad immediately look forward to “The reason I’m more content now is “The priest was a bit shocked, though,” wicked laughter. Were you upset or amused that it 1 looked. My husband says now that I was lunch-time, thinking, ‘Wa-hey, because I have a life,” explains Dolores. chortles Mike. Dolores was right. There’ll be no problems led to you developing a reputation really skinny, but he didn’t notice it at the lunch-time, a good excuse “I didn’t have that before. I was just the this time. for being “difficult”? time, either. 1 thought if anybody would tell to have a beer!’ But I never singer, nothing else.” “A bit of both. It developed into me he would, but he didn’t.” had one at breakfast. It wasn’t | T S testimony to The a reputation because I didn’t do any Was it an open subject among the boys? total dependency, it was just Cranberries’ current state more press to correct it. And, as a result, Did you feel comfortable talking about a way to keep things rolling.” \ financial aftershock of abandoning of mind that they can giggle the next time a journalist walked into it with Dolores, or was it taboo? “Whenever we hada day the 1996 tour was cushioned by the their way through such a 10 TBDDV BERRS (HID SH1GLES the room, they would be nervous of me, “I remember telling her that she was off, we’d go out and drink,” J considerable wealth The Cranberries litany of personal, often which in turn made you nervous yourself, looking really skinny,” says Mike. “But continues Noel. “Fortunately, 1 had acquired over the three years since the agonising memories. As To win one, just answer the question below and so you became defensive straight away. I saw her eat all the time, so I knew it was we never got into any trouble. 1 release of their debut album, “Everybody the title of the new album send your name and address, along with this^* Jamie Theakston was nervous when just down to work and stress. She used to We’re not the fighting type and Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We”. A recent indicates, The Cranberries coupon, on a postcard to CRANBERRIES BLAG! Address on page 3. he interviewed me recently. The first eat as much as anybody else.” kept ourselves to ourselves. report lists Dolores as the one of richest have fully exorcised the tht^nberries - sauqj! thing he said was, ‘My friend told me to Exacerbating her condition, Dolores was And that was part of the women in the British Isles, calculating that demons of the past and Noel, D o h ff# UIHRT U1RS THEIR FIRST be careful because you might bite my finding it impossible to sleep without the problem. We never said to each she’s worth £30 million. learnt how to lead a fulfilling Mike and FearJfl SinGLB CALLED? head off.’” aid of alcohol. other, ‘I’ve had enough of this.’” CLOSING DATE: 2/4/99 2M melody maker UlRRCH 27 1999 mRRCH 27 1999 melody maker 25