Ronan Keating At State Theatre, Sydney, Australia

The State Theatre in the heart of Sydney presented Ronan Keating tonight - on this Australia Day.

We learn that Keating has quite a bit to say about the entertainment industry when he's not performing on stage or producing new records in a studio...

The music industry is entering a brave new world this year, says Irish performing artist Ronan Keating.

Subscription music websites, the shrinking of traditional media and the rise of social networking sites are just some of the challenges forcing change on the industry, the judge of The X Factor says.

"It looks like that's the way it's going to go and it's scary and it's tough but you have to embrace it," the former Boyzone singer tells news media.

"Record companies made a big mistake [in] not embracing the internet when it first happened," he says.

TV shows such as The X Factor and Australian Idol play and important role in the biz he says.

"I think it's great … when the record companies are struggling and there's not enough money out there to go and discover people," he says.

"If you're an up-and-coming star and you want to do well, then a show like The X Factor is really important."

Keating is now looking to expand his horizons into the movie industry.

"I've gone to a lot of auditions over the year and I've just never been ready and I have never been good enough," he says. "[But] I feel over the last two years, I've grown into my skin and feel comfortable … to prove to people that I can act."

Last year he scored his first acting gig in the musical Goddess, due to be released this year. Keating is ready for the hard yards ahead of him.

"It's harder for someone, like a singer, to prove they can be an actor because people immediately want to say, 'Oh, he's no good," Keating says. "Someone like Harry Connick jnr has totally established himself as an actor, probably more than a singer … Jon Bon Jovi has made some films along the way and he's done well."

Support Act: Sharon Corr

Sharon was brilliant tonight and was certainly the calibre of talent worthy of opening a show for Ronan Keating.

She performed 'So Young', 'Joy Of Live' and 'Radio'.

Bio of Sharon Corr

Grammy Nominee/Brit Award Winner, singer/songwriter and violinist – hugely successful both as a member of legendary Irish group The Corrs and now as a solo artist.

Much has been written about the incredible talent for melodies The Corrs exhibited throughout their 15 year long career. Their unique blend of Celtic/Pop/Rock sold over 40 million albums.

They toured arenas and stadiums across the globe. With a string of massively successful albums and singles played to this day like Runaway, So Young, Radio, Breathless - The Corrs have been a household name on every continent. “Music is what makes me tick“ says Sharon and true to that when The Corrs took time off to focus on their growing families, Sharon – while having her own 2 children - began to write and record her debut solo album ”Dream Of You“ released in 2010.

“Dream Of You“ is a collection of beautifully crafted, melodic pop gems, a remarkable debut that demands to be listened to in full – each story and melody flowing seamlessly into the next. Album features a stunning version of Mna na hEireann with legend Jeff Beck. If the hits Sharon wrote for The Corrs were her songs of innocence her solo album can be described as her songs of experience.

Sharon has relished her new role as a solo artist: playing festivals such as Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight and touring extensively. Music remains Sharon’s great passion and it is simply who she is and what she does.

Sharon continues to support the causes she believes in. The Corrs were ambassadors of Nelson Mandela’s 46664 Campaign, they took part in Live 8, Pavarotti and Friends for The Children of Liberia and The Prince’s Trust 2004. They also supported the families and victims of the Omagh bombing. In recognition of their work the band members were awarded MBEs.

Today Sharon is the face of OXFAM Ireland with their recently launched campaign Make Space for OXFAM, she is also a patron of Console – who help prevent suicide and council the suicide bereaved.

Bio of Ronan Keating

With those dazzling poster-boy looks, Ronan Keating became one of Europe's most endearing stars as the leader of the Irish boy band Boyzone. The five Irish lads in Boyzone, who made their debut in 1993, built their charismatic style into one of the biggest European pop/rock acts of the '90s. But before he was winning over the world, Keating was a middle-class kid living in Dublin. Born Ronan Patrick John Keating on March 3, 1977, he was the last of four children in the Keating household. His father, Gerry, was a pub owner and his mother, Marie, was a hairdresser, so financially the Keating family was trying to make ends meet.

The working trudge instilled the desire to work in the youngest Keating. While working in a local shoe store, he noticed a search advertisement for an Irish Take That. The 14-year-old beat out 300 hopefuls with his own rendition of the Cat Stevens song "Father and Son" and was headed toward becoming a celebrity. Boyzone released four albums, every one debuting at number one in the U.K. They released 16 singles, each one charting in the Top Three on the U.K. charts. Most notably, Americans will recognize this five-piece as the dashing young men singing behind U2's Bono in "The Sweetest Thing" video.

Six years into being part of one of the U.K.'s brightest and biggest-selling pop bands, Keating searched for an alternate creative outlet. He began managing another male pop group called Westlife. He married Irish model Yvonne Connelly in April 1998 and the following year they had a son, Jack. Musically, however, Keating's intentions stayed in tune with his internal spirit. He couldn't possibly steer clear of the media spotlight for long and something positive was bound to come of it. He recorded his debut solo effort in early 2000 under the craftsmanship of artists such as Bryan Adams and Barry Gibb. His sensual and childlike persona was full-fledged. He is a working songsmith with the utmost class, and counterparts like Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow might be considered a bit shy of such inborn grace. Ronan was issued overseas in mid-2000, and a U.S. version followed in October.

For 2002's Destination, Keating collaborated with songwriter and ex-New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander. This album was another smash overseas with hit singles such as "I Love It When We Do" and "I've Got My Heart on You," yet it failed to see a release in the States. Two years later, Keating issued Turn It On. His rendition of Terence Trent D'Arby's "Let Her Down Easy" and songs co-written with Deacon Blue's Ricky Ross were featured in another mature set from the former boy band singer. 10 Years of Hits followed in 2005, and a year later Keating released the studio album Bring You Home. In 2009 Keating released the heartfelt tribute album Songs for My Mother, which was dedicated to his late mother, Marie, who had passed away from breast cancer in 1998. Keating released a collection of duets, appropriately titled Duet, in 2010. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi

Websites

Ronan Keating official website www.ronankeating.com

Sharon Corr www.sharoncorr.com

State Theatre www.statetheatre.com.au

Michael Coppel Presents www.coppel.com.au

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr www.flickr.com/evarinaldiphotography

Eva Rinaldi Photography www.evarinaldi.com

Music News Australia