There was a whole lot of screamin' going on in the basement of a record shop in Grafton Street last night, when members of the pop band Six signed copies of their debut single. Frank McNally joined in.
Vaulted to instant fame by the RTÉ series Popstars, the group dispensed signatures, hugs and kisses to fans, some of whom had queued for hours outside the HMV store. With the queue dominated by 14-year-old girls, the male members of the band were doing most of the dispensing. But they seemed to be coping well with the pressure.
A crowd gathered outside the shop in expectation of some kind of performance. In the event, the only music was provided by the cash registers inside, as copies of the single There's a Whole Lot of Lovin' Going On flew off the shelves. A HMV spokesman said the record was the fastest-selling ever, outdoing even Westlife. "Nothing has come close to this," he claimed.
The music business is a multi-faceted thing, however.
And taking advantage of the captive audience, one of Grafton Street's child singers leaned against a nearby lampost belting out a version of Cat Stevens's Father and Son.
"Look at me / I am old but I'm happy," sang Joe O'Donnell (8) from Blanchardstown, who explained he normally only sang in the street on Saturdays and Sundays, but had the day off school yesterday due to teacher meetings.
Joe appeared unimpressed by Six.