Fans could have been shouting out a very different name to the legendary Irish quintet
For millions of adoring fans, Westlife’s name stokes memories of the late 90s and early 00s, with some banging ballads and heartfelt harmonies. But, following a recent revelation, many fans have been shocked to discover the story behind the band’s original moniker, which could have left fans screaming an entirely different name.
Before their hits My Love and If I Let You Go echoed out across radios around the world, the Irish five-piece went by the name ‘Westside’ – a nod to the area of Dublin west of the city centre, which seemed fitting at the time. However the group ran into trouble, hitting a snag when it emerged there was already a band with the same name.
The band were forced into a last-minute scramble to think of a new identity – enter manager and X-Factor icon Louis Walsh, who is reported to have thought quick on his feet and changed the name to the now legendary moniker. The simple alteration managed to keep the nod to Dublin while avoiding any costly legal fees while the band was still rising up on the Irish music scene.
Luckily for Louis, the name and their tunes were an almost-instant hit becoming a global band that sold millions of records and is still raking up hundreds of millions of listens on Spotify. But before Westside the Irish five’s journey into music goes back even further.
When performing before Walsh brought in Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden, Kian Egan, Shane Filan and Mark Feehily called themselves IOYOU. Going back even further, the initial three were in a local pop band with three other Irish singers under the name Six Of One.
