Ahead of an intimate gig at Ulster Hall, Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody opened up to Belfast Live about the band's success - and giving back
Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody has been through the dizzying highs and crippling lows of life as a rock star but says quitting has never been up for discussion.
But Gary, from Bangor, Co Down, always struggled with depression and anxiety - and later drink and drugs - while seemingly living his dream life. However, the singer - now sober - insists the idea of hanging up the mic has never come up. “And for Johnny and for Nathan , we’re just thinking about little else other than music. So it’s always been that way. Of course, it’s great to have money and success, but the most important thing for me is the music, and with the money it just means that I’m able to do things, especially in Northern Ireland, like set up a record label, set up a music centre, actually try and help create an environment where the next generation of musicians in Northern Ireland can spring off from.
Gary said: “I’m very happy in life right now… just because I’m not in a relationship right this minute… I have a lot of love in my life and my heart is open as well to whatever happens in life. It’s not closed. It’s not like I’m never going to be in a relationship again. That’s not the mindset that I’m in.
“Obviously when you’re writing, you’re writing about mostly inward processes, even if it is about the wider world. You’re sitting on your own, usually, writing lyrics. Music is a collaborative thing. Lyrics are, for me, more solitary. So you tend to think in a more solitary mindset. But that’s not the mindset that I’m in every minute of every day.”
Gary Lightbody Ulster Hall Oh Yeah Scottish And Southern Energy Bangor Co Down
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