Who's Eddie?

SUPERSTARS OF THE chicken in a basket circuit, Who's Eddie are the ultimate disco cabaret act, pulling in the punters nationwide with their Top Ten covers and happy handbag originals. Now the Molloy family from Dundalk are setting their sights towards mainstream pop success and have been taken under the wing of Boyzone manager Louis Walsh in their bid for the Euro charts. Unfortunately, as last Friday night's gig at the Olympia amply proved, Who's Eddie are so set in their cheesy cabaret act persona that they may not be able to adapt to the airbrushed world of international pop stardom quite as well as that other Dundalk family, the Corrs.

The band is led by Daragh Molloy, whose heavy set frame and earthy banter make her a Bette Midler for the b.p.m. era. She's flanked by her two sisters, Jackie and Orla, each of whom takes a turn to cover a popular song of the day. The three piece backing band is led by the girls' brother, Keith, who works the synth and drum while the bass and guitar follow facelessly along. The group performs accurate facsimiles of songs by the likes of Celine Dion and Ace Of Base, but despite the care and attention given to recreating these contemporary hits the whole thing still sounds fake and contrived.

The sense of falsity is heightened by the band's showbizzy chat between each song, during which the Molloys play up their friendly sibling rivalry, "slagging" each other like an acerbic version of The Partridge Family. The good natured ribbing always ends with "Here's a song recorded by ..." and then we're into yet another pop by numbers rendition. The punters at the Olympia ("Are there any Scots in the audience?") soon warmed to the comfort and familiarity of these songs, and when the band threw in the odd original, like Destiny, the crowd welcomed it like a dance floor classic.

If Who's Eddie were a parody band, then we could all laugh with them as they poke fun at the disco culture which spawned them. Unfortunately, the Molloys seem all too serious, and their desire to be right up there in Euro heaven with the Capellas and 2 Unlimited appears all too earnest. Unless Louis Walsh can help them follow Boyzone into the charts, they may well be condemned to see out their days in cabaret limbo.