Thanks goes out to Vincent Vincent, the writer of B*witched - Unofficial and Unauthorised.
The story begins in the early eighties. Coming from a musical family, twin sisters Edele and Keavy were always surrounded by music. Their grandfather was often around playing his fiddle and the radio was always on, pumping out pop tunes by people like Duran Duran and Culture Club. The talented twosome didn't need much of an excuse to dance or sing and put on family shows from an early age. So, while they were waiting for some sort of sign, the energetic Lynch twins devoted their time to disco dancing competitions, gymnastics and kick boxing. Little did they know success was just round the corner…
The history of pop music is riddled with coincidences and it's thanks to coincidence that B*witched are here today. The four girls' paths had crossed long before they became the bubbly chart toppers of today but it took two chance meetings to bring them together.
Being a superstitious bunch, B*witched believe fate had a lot to do with their line-up and it's not too surprising when you hear how they met. Keavy was working as a part-time mechanic at her dad Brendan's garage in Dublin. One morning a blonde girl, called Sinead O' Carroll, wandered in off the street. As chance would have it, her car had broken down right outside and she was looking for someone to fix it. The two girls recognised each other from Digges Lane dance studios where they attended different classes. The girls had never spoken before because Sinead lived out of town and always went straight home after lessons. So, while Sinead's car was being mended, the two girls got chatting. Sinead was into Irish dancing, and, like the twins, had always loved music, playing piano from the age of seven. It wasn't long before they realised they had a lot in common. Keavy introduced her to Edele the very next day. So, thanks to a dodgy car engine, the first seeds of B*witched were sown!
The girls called themselves Desire and started searching for a fourth band member - another like-minded pop-wannabe, to help them hit the big time. And this is where the youngest B*witcher, Lindsay Armaou, comes into the scene. She was already an accomplished musician, having learned the piano at seven and the guitar at thirteen. And, like the others, Lindsay had spent a lot of her youth dreaming of being a pop star. Lindsay met Keavy at a kick boxing class where the girls hit it off instantly, chatting about the charts and their favourite pop groups. Lindsay soon joined the band and the really hard work started.
Taking inspiration from the twin's brother Shane (a member of Boyzone), the four girls started writing songs and looking for a new band name. Believe it or not, the B*witchers toyed with the idea of calling themselves Sister and Sassy before settling for the name B*witched.
The newly formed fab four knuckled down, practicing at the rehearsal studio in Digges Lane. The twins were familiar with it from hanging out there with their Boyzone brother, Shane. And the rest of the band soon felt at home there too, writing songs, making up dance routines and recording their early tunes into a cheap tape machine.
When they weren't at Digges Lane, the girls made a bee line for Sinead's flat to practise their singing. They must have been doing something right because Sinead's neighbours were soon banging on the walls - asking the girls to turn the music up! When the weather was fine they practiced in St Stephan Green park in the town centre.
Luckily, the girls had a lot of support from their parents, who were all behind them 100% And, of course, the twins got advice whenever they could from their big brother Shane. Their hard work and determination eventually paid off and the B*witchers quit their day jobs to tackle the world of pop full time. Linday knew she'd miss her job at the clothes store, Julien, where she enjoyed working as a shop assistant. But she'd had her fair share of embarrassing moments there too. She once was up a ladder stocktaking one day, when a customer at the store pointed out she'd ripped her trousers!
Leaving their day jobs behind them, the girls relocated to England and hit the recording studio. They settled to a house in Surrey, with Sinead and Edele sharing a bedroom and Lindsay and Keavy in the room next door. The new, improved B*witched soon had some fab songs under their collective belt. Their next move was to embark on a non stop promotional schedule. Loads of radio and club appearances followed. Then the girls hit the road on a hectic schools tour to introduce the band to younger fans.
Tours with Boyzone, 911, and Ultra followed, giving the girls a chance to prove they can cut it live. They played at top venues like Wembley Arena with excited audiences crying out for more. And you can bet B*witched were only too happy to deliver the goods.
The day finally came when B*witched's first singe was released. With it's lively sing-a-long chorus and brilliant technicolour video, C'est La Vie was a stunning debut in every sense. The video featured the girls doing a spot of snazzy Irish dancing, courtesy of Sinead. It's not an exaggeration to say C'est La Vie lept off the record shop shelves when it was released on May 25, 1998. To the girl's surprise, their single shot straight to the top of the charts the week it came out.
B*witched were with their producer and managers when they heard the good news. That evening they were on stage in Southampton and the DJ announced to the 60, 000 people in the audience that they were no. 1! In true sensible pop star fashion, the girls celebrated being #1 by buying a washing machine! The band were also taken out to celebrate their massive hit by their record company, Epic, at Planet Hollywood.
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