Chapter 1: How did Jesse Sludds feel about winning the Opening Act competition?
Now, all last week on this programme, we heard from the Five Acts competing to win the Late Late Show's opening act competition. And on Friday night, Wexford's Jesse Sluds was crowned Ireland's next country music star. He'll now be the opening act for country music legend Shania Twain when she performs at Thomond Park in Limerick this summer.
Jesse wowed both the juries and the public with his performance of Tracy Chapman's Fast Car. And he joins me now to tell me all about the experience. Good morning, Jesse.
Good morning, David. How are we doing?
Very well, thanks. Not as good as you, though. Congratulations. You won the big prize. You'll be opening for Shania Twain. How did it feel?
It was absolutely surreal. It still hasn't hit me yet. It doesn't feel like anything has changed, really. It's just like people have just seen more of my videos.
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Chapter 2: What song did Jesse perform to impress the judges?
That's what it really feels like. But I don't think I realised how big the show actually was. because I was explaining that at a gig yesterday. I was like, oh yeah, for those who don't know, and the whole place just erupted. I was like, oh my God.
So they'd all been tuning in. Now tell me about the song. So Tracy Chapman's Fast Car, an absolute classic. The judges said they were really impressed with how you made it your own. Was it a bit of a risk?
I feel like it was a very big risk, especially with the fact that it's not originally a country song because there's a lot of controversy about it.
across social media but it turned to a country song when luke comes had his rendition of it and then i kind of took a rendition of it myself so yeah it was a big big big risk like i mentioned that i didn't feel like it was country enough yeah so that's why i left it behind but it seemed to work the judges loved us and Yeah, it's wow.
Well, it certainly seemed to pay off for you. You were talking to us last week. You spoke about your country music roots, starting with your grandparents and your granddad in particular had a big influence on you. You told us he passed away a few years ago, but it was important for you to have him with you in some way on Friday night.
Yeah, like it was explained to a few people before and they were like, oh, so like, why did you bring him with you? It's... When I was in the middle of packing up, it kind of fell out of one of the drawers and just landed on the floor. And I was like, oh, there he is, because I haven't seen it in months. So I took it as a sign to bring him with me and that he was watching.
So it was the show and telling me that he was there with me.
Wow, that's lovely. Now, Una Healy said you reminded her of Damien Rice. I presume you're happy with that?
I was over the moon. I've actually been compared to him a few times. So I actually got to learn one of his songs like three weeks ago. So with timing of everything, it's absolutely like spot on. Like it's weird.
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