As they prepare to release their final song recorded with the late Christy Dignam, Aslan guitarist Billy McGuinness has said the band are finding it "surreal and emotional" as they adjust to life without their front man.
The band will release their cover of The Fields of Athenry this Thursday to pay tribute to Dignam, who passed away in June after a long battle with cancer, and they have vowed to continue playing together.
Speaking to Declan Meehan on East Coast FM, McGuinness said, "It's like he’s there playing the songs with us."
"On a personal level, I thought Christy was invincible. He had been sick for 12-13 years and all throughout that illness he was still performing with Aslan."
This August marks the second anniversary of the band's final gig with Dignam and McGuinness, who co-founded the band in Finglas in 1982, says he never thought it would be their last show with the full line-up..
"When we finished that gig, even though we were told that he was sick again, I just expected him to recover again," he said. "As he always did. You know, he always did.
"But unfortunately, that was to be our final gig. So, it’s been a tough year on everyone - on the family, on the band, on the fans, on everyone.
"Christy was such an iconic legend in the Irish music industry and he’s sadly missed by us and by everyone."
In a tweet, the band have said they plan to keep performing and recently played together for the first time in two years.
"They’re great songs. It was like therapy, just playing the music. I expected Christy to walk through the rehearsal room doors," McGuiness said.
"Christy had a habit of being late for rehearsals so we were in there and I was saying I was expecting the phone to go and Christy to say 'look, I have a puncture’, da da da da da. He always had a great excuse for being late."
"It’s kind of like therapy for us because when we’re playing the music it’s like he’s there, in spirit. I know that sounds weird, but it was just like therapy for us."
