Episode 1 Wannabes

This programme contains some strong language

Some people go, "Singers - blah blah. They have it all. They have money and nothing to worry about."

I think that it's different whenever you are a singer

because you don't know how much hard work you put into it, like.

It is really nerve-wracking and one wee slightest off-tune

can ruin your whole career and everything,

know what I mean?

I like to change my hair with my mood, so I'm going back to pink.

I don't think the purple was me.

My hair's fucking blue.

-I have blue hair.

-She's got blue hair.

-It's green. It's a wee bit green and white.

-It's fucking green.

-Blue bleach on purple hair with the pink around that.

-Oh, sweet divine.

I know my bit. It goes...

# And it's me, I know I know my name

# Cos I say it proud. #

I don't know the song.

# Everything of what I always do

# Looking for the right track

# Always on the wrong track. #

Don't know the song.

That's really bad.

-# Looking for the

-right track

-# Always on the

-wrong track

# But are you catching All these tracks

-# That I'm

-laying down for you. #

-Done.

-How is it?

The band's called Voodoo, so that was the hardest part.

All we were doing was arguing over names, like.

We had some really groovy names.

What was the other name?

G-string! I loved G-string but I think it was a bit trashy.

How was your new job? Carly started a new job today.

I started a new job - it was awful.

'Katrina's the mummy of the band - she has to look after me and Vicky.'

Them two are really laid back where I would be more uptight

and get worried and stressed about things

but I think you maybe need that cos if them two were on their own

they'd be, "Oh, it'll be done tomorrow," where I'm like, "Get it done now."

-She made one change. All of us.

-Did she?

She's brilliant, she's amazing.

'I've always sang. Always, from when I was, like, no age.'

And then when I had my wee boy I had to put it all on the back burner

but it was sort of still alive in me and I just needed to do something

cos I'm starting to get on a bit in years. I need to sort it out.

Go, Kats - big grin.

She's a mute make-up artist.

I look like a tranny.

How do you? You look like a punk. You're going to look class in photos.

-Does my hair look like a tranny?

-Your hair's gorgeous.

You never look like a tranny, to be fair, like.

Put your back foot further back - it will elongate you. The other way.

Yeah, perfect.

Carly's amazing. She really knows what she's doing but I feel a bit daft.

It's all right saying we're not chasing the fame game and all

cos I suppose we are, like.

-Of course you are.

-Of course you are.

We're not going to say, "We're all about the music."

Obviously, the music's really central to it but we're really ambitious.

-We all want to succeed, don't we, like?

-Yeah, definitely.

# Setting my sights on a falling rock star, I ain't easy... #

We've been in the recording studio since about 9pm.

It's been going quite well.

The last time we were here, we didn't have the vocal coach with us,

so it's a lot easier this time cos it's hard trying to remember

all the harmonies and changes in the song.

What we're going for is the very last line in this wee bit

is going to be just an... # Oooh, with all the right moves. #

-No...

-It doesn't sound good, like.

-# With all the right moves. #

-That's it, yeah.

-(It's not.)

-Rock it out a wee bit.

-What?

-Rock it out a wee bit.

I'll be all, like, # I prefer... #

-That sounds a thousand... That is brilliant compared to that other one.

-That is much better.

# I prefer

# Oooooh... #

'At the minute, I'm actually trying to put a harmony down'

and make it sound rocky at the same time, which is becoming a hard task.

Harder than would be expected and I'm getting a wee bit annoyed.

It's not about what I want, it's for the good of the song.

That does not sound good. I'm sorry, it sounds awful.

-Why don't you sing it?

-It's not that, it's just the "oooh".

It just doesn't sound like there's a place for it.

I'm only saying what I think. I don't like it. It sounds like shit.

-Well, then don't ask me to sing it.

-I'm only telling the truth.

-Carly!

-I don't criticise you and say you don't sound...

You criticise Vicky every other day - "Sing it like this, like that."

I'm only telling the truth and Vicky's saying it too. We're trying to help you.

No, but I'm fed up. I'm 26. Do you know what I mean?

She's 19, I'm trying to help her.

Wee things like this are what ruin a band

so I'm a wee bit concerned, to be honest.

But that's the thing, you don't say this to the camera.

You wait till you're on your own with me.

I felt you were being very patronising, saying, "I'm 26 and she's only 18."

-You have eight years on me. Maybe I do need to grow up.

-I didn't say that, that's your words.

-No, you said I'm 26...

-I'm just saying have a wee bit of respect for what I have to say.

I'm saying it in front of the camera cos we're close friends

and I don't want the camera thinking we're not.

-Yeah.

-And that's why I'm saying sort it out now.

So, come here. Carrying on like that.

We've only known each other three months and we're best friends,

always on the phone, going out, doing everything together.

I love the both of them. They're brilliant, both of them.

# I might be the way everybody likes to say

# I know what you're thinking about me

Imagine - mohawk, Curious Tails jacket. Very cool, very...

-I think he needs...

-Yeah, but I'm sorry, listen.

Again, did anybody here ever watch The First Wives Club?

-Yes.

-You know the bit whenever Monique's mother... Remember, Goldie Hawn doesn't get the part

and the girl's with her and she's getting into the character and she goes, "I'm thinking streaks."

That's what yous are doing to me - streaks.

Before you're thinking about what's real here.

What's real is an injection of your voices with each other, getting your dynamics.

Even for now, just go do-ba-do - put a little more street into it, a bit more funk into it.

To stand there like that, it's just making my bowels move, really.

# And it's me, I know, I know my name

# Cos I say it proud. #

No, that's ridiculous.

That's not even in tune, Carly, for some reason.

I don't know - is it not nice for you to sing?

You just have to pretend, like. It's like an act.

Just put your ego on and give it

and be yourself when you're not doing it. That's the plan.

-Yeah. He's a wee bit hard but he gets results.

-That's the main thing.

No, like, I was scared to bring yous up cos, you know,

my skin's this thick already because of him but I know a way to take him.

-He gets results so don't be taking it personally.

-I don't, I'm loving it.

It's brilliant, it's what we need.

I think they need an awful lot of harmony work in order to make it as a pop band.

Listening to Kat sing on her own,

you'd see that she's very much a soloist.

I could see her being very grungy and on her own.

I don't know how well she's going to mould into the whole group.

But I do think if they pull it together and try to get more movement out of her,

I just think... Cos she's got a great voice.

I just think they need to keep it tight.

# Looking for the right track Always on the wrong track

# But are you catching all these Tracks

# That I'm laying down for you. #

Do you want to know something?

That was actually beginning to sound like something, girls, honestly.

'Their potential's there. The voices are there, everything was there.'

It's just THEY are not there.

I'm just so skint. I don't have a job so...

-I'm going to be on the look for a job.

-Victoria wants to be a lady of leisure already.

-She's just left a job.

-She's living the dream, already.

I just can't be doing working. I just don't like working.

-She just wants a band.

-I just want money for nothing.

So, we're now going to Lavery's to try and get some money. Money!

So, we'll be saying to peeps, "Get the money out." Let's hope they're a wee bit drunk.

-SHE SCREAMS

-No, I can't. I'm not even joking.

I'm not even joking, please, I can't do this. I'm not going in.

-You have to.

-No, I swear I can't do it. I can't.

Please help Belfast band Voodoo.

-Hi, do you want to help Belfast band Voodoo?

-Ah, no.

-Stingy!

-Thank you.

-Oh, thanks very much, thank you.

-Our launch night will be here on 20th June.

-Yes, 20th June in here.

-Upstairs?

-Yeah, come and see us.

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks so much.

Nothing's changed, you got your loan in two weeks ago.

-Bollocks. Lying bastards.

-What sort of music do you play?

-Just really soft rock.

I fucking hate soft rock, to be honest.

-What's wrong with it?

-Like what, fucking like...

-Kind of Pink, like.

-Pink's not soft rock, she's fucking pop.

She's moved on.

I'm sorry, I can't look at myself in the mirror

if I'm supporting a Pink-style rock band.

Who got the most money? Me - you have to be nice.

-Yeah, cos you know the manager.

-You have to be nice.

# Voodoo I can do what you do, easy. #

Firstly, we have Emmanuel eating us alive for everything we're worth,

then we come out with all these people who really don't want to give us any money.

-They keep saying no and we're like, OK.

-Don't get what we're doing.

55 quid, and there's about another - I'd say 20, 40, 60 -

I'd say there's about 60 quid there.

Excuse me, can we have one more Coke, please?

Our launch is on the 20th of June in Lavery's,

and it's a 500-people capacity, so we're hoping to fill that out

and we're just going to do a very theatre-style show

and really theatrical and fire-breathers and that sort of thing going on.

Cos Carly has so many friend dancers eager to get on board,

it's going to put her in a very difficult position.

I might not even sit in the auditions, to be honest.

You know them best. You know more about dancing than us.

-We'll be sitting there...

-He has nice hair.

-OK.

-Can you get them to take off their tops?

-No!

Do you know what we'll have to do? We'll have to go home and learn every song individually ourselves,

-so we know them for whenever they get polished up.

-We'll have to get dancers in for rehearsals NOW.

-Before now.

-Do they have to have good physique?

Don't be writing that.

-The drag act or the dancers?

-The dancers.

-No, because...

No, the drag act, I mean.

-Not them ones.

-They're probably all like...

-Yeah, the dancers have to.

We just want the 25 minutes we're on stage to be really remembered.

Hit, and you're looking at us, down. Ripple up.

I'm looking for someone who's going to be in time with the music

and going to have a nice style of dancing.

Going to make us look good rather than outshine us.

We want backing dancers, we still want to be the front.

We'll chat about it but I'm going to leave it up to Dean and Carly.

We don't know who we're going with yet. I'm deciding, not fucking him.

-You mind tell him, Katrina.

-Right. You just tell him. You just say...

-We'll all tell him.

-I want to go with them all for the opening number.

For the big one, all of them.

Well, if it's in your budget

to have that many dancers.

-It is, it's fine.

-Cool. I'm happy enough with that.

We've got the dancers, so that's the main thing.

So, let's see how good they are at rehearsals. That's another story.

# Follow me, show me What you can do. #

-Yeah?

-Yeah, good.

Step. Yes, that's it. That's your counts.

Yeah, let me see you do that. That's your counts.

Let me see yous two do that.

It'll be grand, stop panicking.

I'm shit at this.

Kat and Vic are having a heart attack about dancing. He's only doing a bit of head-bopping.

Wait till he starts the routines, she'll take a heart attack.

-But we're not doing routines.

-We are. It's a flipping show.

Five, six, seven, eight.

-Oh, my God. Injury before you go on.

-Is my tooth chipped?

Is it not chipped? That's OK, keep going.

The girls are brilliant.

I feel sorry for them cos they have to remember harmonies,

the words of their songs, their movements, their positions,

their character, trying to perform it all. And the boys in the background -

the two of them have to work together.

# All eyes on me in the centre of The ring just like a circus

# When I crack that whip everybody Gonna trip just like a circus

# Don't stand there watching me Follow me, show me what you can do

# Everybody gonna make it to the Dance floor just like a circus. #

All I can hear is people breathing.

But you're going to get that anyway.

But you can't hear you singing, only breathing.

The only person I can hear is you.

THE GIRLS PRACTISE HARMONIES

Needs work until it's a bit more solid for that bit.

Sorry, I can't remember my harmony. I don't know what's going on.

This is Mark and he's offered to help us.

He really wants to help us.

We're so privileged to have him on our side and he'll be backing us at the launch.

# That's where it's true Hey there, Delilah,

# Don't you worry about the distance

# I'm right here if you get lonely Give a song... #

Just making tea or whatever, just sing every day

because honestly, your voice just gets better and better.

I love singing when you're on the toilet cos it sounds much better in the bathroom.

It sounds better in the bathroom. It echoes.

# Well, since I've come on home Well, my body's been a mess

# And I miss your ginger hair And the way you like to dress... #

It takes a while to get strange harmonies embedded in your head

but once you do you, just practise them and they're great.

# Some girls like trips really far

# I'd rather a guy who can play the guitar

# Ain't it easy. #

I'm flat.

It's nice when you're not yelled at.

See, you can do it in a nice, productive way without screaming and saying you're shit.

Our outgoings are, like... The dancers alone are costing us like £1,000.

-No, they're not.

-Yeah, they are.

-Fuck away off.

They're getting a better wage than us!

-Me and my fucking mates would have danced.

-You'll get sorted too.

No, what I'm saying - £1,000 for dancers, are yous nuts?

I just don't think all of us are being dedicated enough.

I'm sorry but I don't.

I was on the phone to Emmanuel, he's like,

"How's the band coming along? Are yous ready?"

I was, like, "You having a laugh? We haven't even went through one song."

He's like, "Your launch is in two weeks.

"Do you want to stand on stage and look like an eejit and not be prepared?"

No-one's talking to me about nothing.

Yous two are blabbing away and know everything and no-one's telling me fuck-all.

I just find it's probably more my fault

cos I'm maybe taking too much to do with everything.

At the minute, I'm just not happy about it.

We have a launch in two weeks and if we're not ready,

then I'm not going on stage.

# Oh oh, I am finding

# That's not the way I want my story to end. #

It's nice.

This is the new Voodoo means of transportation.

I don't know where it is. What? You're not allowed to go up there.

She's a completely amazing driver, which is why she's still alive,

cos did you see the way she drives? It's not even normal.

# All eyes on me in the centre of The ring just like a circus

# When I crack that whip Everybody's gonna trip

# Just like a circus

# Don't stand there watching me Follow me, show me what you can do

# Everybody let go we can make the Dance floor just like a circus

# Ah-ah-ah-ah. #

-I'm completely traumatised. We've got two weeks and that's it.

-I know. I'm ready to vomit.

I've asked yous to go over and over and over it.

-I really have been.

-Is it not good?

-No.

-What are you going to be like when there's... How many people coming to watch this launch?

-300-plus.

-I actually feel like a nervous wreck.

-How bad was I?

Collectively, I was sat going, I'm scundered.

-I want to talk to yous about a manager.

-I think we need a manager.

I think there's been a couple of wee things and we're mates

and it's hard to draw a line in the sand and say, "Look..."

I find it dead hard and I'm really uncomfortable with it.

Everyone needs to know exactly and a manager could do that for us.

-What do yous think?

-Yeah.

-Who do you think we should talk to about it? Mark?

-Catriona.

-Fuck, she'd sort you out.

-She'd be alright.

Catriona really wants to be our manager.

-Do you think she'd be a good manager? Think she would?

-I do.

She'd be scary. "Oh, get to rehearsal! Ah!"

What's her specific role?

Stylist/promoter/everything.

-Hello, Cat. You're on loudspeaker and the camera's on, right?

-'Why?'

-Because we want to ask you something.

-'What are you asking?'

Voodoo have come to the decision that they need a management team.

-'Right.'

-And we want you to be part of our management team.

-Are you happy with that?

-'I'm happy with that, yeah.'

-Are you sure?

-'Yes.'

-Good cos we love you.

'Right, this week, we need to get tickets distributed,'

we need to get the fire-breathers, we need to get the DJ,

we need to get the photos from JMX to get the PR material, get the press releases out,

get a dress rehearsal in the venue, we need to meet with Mark, our vocal coach,

we need to get ourselves up to scratch, get outfits.

You can have a 50-page list, if you please.

It's probably going to be easier than wondering what I have to do.

PIERCING ELECTRICAL SOUND

Oh, fuck!

Seriously, you have to stop. That's fucking wild. Jesus Christ, sorry.

# So what I am a rock star

# I got my rock moves and I don't need you... #

Launch at the end of the month in Lavery's

so, that'll be make or break, I think.

A lot of people are Voodoo - question mark. What are you all about?

Come to the launch and see. We're giving it everything.

We're sleeping and eating and breathing Voodoo.

# So what I am a rock star

# I got my rock moves and I don't want you tonight... #

What I says to Kat the other day, I said to her,

"I am sick of looking at your two faces."

She says, "Same here." Everybody's getting that bit fed up.

MUSIC DROWNS OUT SINGING

'I just hope that we go somewhere too

'cos I'm not going to settle for gigging round Belfast

'for the rest of my life. There's no way.'

Oh, my God! Two hours!

There's no silver ribbons on these.

Don't let dirty people put their dirty feet on that.

# Ba-ba-ba-ba-da-da-da Ba-ba-ba-ba-da-da-da

# Ba-ba-ba-da-da-da-da-da. #

# I'm starting with The man in the mirror

# I'm asking him to make a change

# No message could be any clearer

# If you wanna make the world A better place

# Take a look at yourself Make a change

# Gotta get it right While you got the time

# Ba-ba, ba-ba. #

There go the false eyelashes.

Dear God, here we are at Voodoo's first launch.

The girls have all their friends and team round them to support them

cos they're all lovely individual girls

and absolutely wonderful as a band. They're starting off with a great first set.

Lord, let this be the first of the many wonderful performances. They all deserve it.

THEY CHEER

Ladies and gentlemen, give a rapturous round of applause for Voodoo!

CHEERING

# Gonna crack that whip Everybody gonna trip

# Just like a circus

# Don't stand there watching me Follow me, show me what you can do

# Everybody let go, We can make the dance floor

# Just like a circus

# Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha

# Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. #

MUSIC: "So What" by Pink

# Na-na-na-na na-na na

# Na-na-na-na na-na

# Na-na-na-na na-na na Na-na-na-na na-na

# I guess I just lost my husband I don't know where he went

# So I'm gonna drink his money Not going to pay his rent

# I got a brand new attitude I'm gonna wear it tonight

# I'm gonna get in trouble I'm gonna start a fight... #

'You can't describe the feeling before you go on stage

'but you have so much adrenaline that if you go wrong, you don't even care.

'It's really weird and you know you'll pick it up.'

With the crowd singing along with you,

sometimes they don't even hear the mistakes.

As long as you perform to the highest...

You're not always going to have notes and harmonies perfect,

not on a first launch night.

# I think life

# Is what you make it

# What's the point

# Trying to fake it? #

Thank you so much for all your support, we really appreciate it.

Look out for Voodoo. Trudy, we haven't forgotten you.

I know, tonight, I just felt like I came into my own or something.

I just really went for it, like, and that's all...

My mummy was in tears - she was, like, "You shone so brightly," like.

She couldn't believe it. She was like...

I mean, I've been singing for years and she's heard me.

She's like, "How many times have I heard you sing?

"Tonight, that was yours. That's what you were born to do and meant to do.

"We're behind you and we'll keep going.

"If you're 50 or 60 or 70, till you get there, like, keep going

"and we'll support you." I was all filled up and choked up.

We did it!

-Let's go get drunk.

-Yeah.

If people in our own area know us, then that's some support.

Home-grown support - isn't that how you start, like?

-First west Belfast, then the world.

-West Belfast, then the gays. We've already got the gays.

-Love the gays.

-We've got the gays.

We need the boys now and we'll get the industry.

Voodoo, Voodoo, Voodoo!

You're very welcome to the County Down final of the U Factor.

-I can't get in this.

-Get in!

-I can't.

-She's claustrophobic.

Give me two seconds, I'll get you upstairs.

-Vicky.

-I can't, I can't. Seriously.

Vicky, it's only one wee floor.

Up next, three young ladies - together they are Voodoo!

# Then it drops Catches like fire

# It's a sound of... #

BOOING AND SHUSHING

If you can't harmonise, you shouldn't be where you are.

-Because I do it for a living.

-Come up and do it then!

-I'm a professional. No!

Carly, don't stoop to their level.

Love it! Love it!

-Let go of me, Geraldine. Let go of me!

-Carly, stop.

-Come on outside.

-I'm going to get her.

-No!

-I am.

One girl said "sluts", so Carly's annoyed, obviously, so am I,

but I don't want to let myself down. We're only down to sing.

It's really bitchy. I wish we had went to the Belfast heat, I think.

I am only announcing the name of the winner.

£2,000 for...

..Una McMullen!

-We're gutted, to be honest.

-Absolutely gutted.

It was an audience vote so what can we do?

-Fair play to yous - you've got a great attitude.

-Thank you.

Put the song over well. Unfortunate they were beaten by a couple of votes.

We had three cousins that couldn't make it cos of flu.

And they come from Belfast, so nobody else can get a word in. Aarrgghh!

Three votes.

-Is that hurting?

-You should torture people with this.

That's only for a set of eyelashes - wait till you're getting Botox.

You can be an amazing wee singing group

but you can be in a working man's club singing

Friday, Saturday, Sunday night.

To me, that's not - no disrespect to anybody that's doing that -

but that's not being a success at your craft, like, so hopefully...

We like to think we're good enough but you just don't know.

Some days you're so, "What are we doing, where are we going?

"What's next?" You're banging doors and no-one's answering them

but we'll keep going, like.

You know us three, we'll not stop till somebody lets us in.

Carly, I can't breathe.

-She's beautiful.

-I'm not, I'm obese.

The manager's blocked. Is she steaming? Why are you so drunk?

Have an iced water and then come and meet us.

Don't forget the CD. I'm going to go and put my shoes on.

-The clothes, your CD - do you have it?

-Yeah.

Where's Vicky?

I forgot about her.

Manager's blocked and Vicky's went AWOL. We're good.

-Do you have the CD?

-No. I forgot the CD.

-Oh, for fuck's sake!

-I forgot.

-I told you twice.

-I'm sorry.

I knew she'd forget that. She'd forget her head.

Why do you put me as responsible for stuff? Hello...

Goes to the shops for accessories and leaves her keys on the accessories stand,

leaves her handbag in places. Leaves everything, you know?

She wasn't great with remembering, now she's forgot the CD I asked her to lift twice.

By the time we get there it'll be 1am. Do you know I've to go to work tomorrow?

Vicky's not answering to me.

DJ PLAYS VOODOO SONG

THEY SCREAM

We're in the number one hotspot in Belfast at the minute and for them to play our song,

it's an achievement and we're so proud.

# Someday you're going to find me

# Holding on to something That might have been

# I'm telling you that it's over I need closure. #

Fed up of being told I'm flat and I'm off.

I said, "You're never being told whenever you're flat and off."

I think Kat should be out on her own.

I don't care. In this industry, you don't need to be the best singer.

We've said that every time. You don't.

You know, after the anger and hurt and all that's died down,

we're back to the beginning again.

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