A "paranoid" David Bowie feared being murdered by a sniper when he performed at Slane Castle in 1987, according to Aslan's Christy Dignam.

Aslan supported Bowie at the legendary gig, but they couldn't get near the man backstage because of the tight security.

"At the time Bowie didn’t want to meet us, because he was over here as an Englishman in Ireland during the Troubles, and (John) Lennon was after being shot a couple of years before that," Christy recalled yesterday.

“He was real paranoid, because when was going on stage, we were backstage and he went on in a military formation.

"There was about 12 or 16 of them in the band, and they were all in grey boiler-suits, so if there was a sniper there they could not have picked out which one was Bowie."

Christy made these comments about Bowie yesterday when appearing alongside bandmate Billy McGuinness on the Six O’Clock Show on Virgin Media.

CHRISTY AND BILLY ARE ON THE SIX O CLOCK SHOW TONIGHT ON VIRGIN MEDIA ONE,
TALKING ALL THINGS ASLAN pic.twitter.com/IG6WOMKCEo

— Aslan (@OfficialAslan) December 19, 2018

Christy, who has a rare type of incurable blood cancer, also revealed he recently underwent chemotherapy for a third time.

But the chemo had to be cut short. “My heart rate went mad, so they had to stop the chemo.But I feel great," Christy added.

It's 30 years since Aslan's debut album, Feel No Shame, was first released. The band will perform the album at their three sold-out Christmas shows at Vicar Street.

Please remember not everyone will have a Happy Christmas. Please support your local charity. Thanks The Boyz https://t.co/iCpF8ip3Z0 https://t.co/iCpF8ip3Z0

— Aslan (@OfficialAslan) December 18, 2018

★★ Aslan - @OlympiaTheatre ☆☆
- Fri March 15th :: Sat March 16th

>> Tickets at https://t.co/i7nnOwvh3O <<@OfficialAslan @TicketmasterIre pic.twitter.com/tGslfKWnRN

— MCD Productions (@mcd_productions) December 14, 2018

ASLAN ⁦@OfficialAslan⁩ second night added ⁦@olympiatheatre⁩ Friday March 15th ⁦@AMAMusicAgency⁩ pic.twitter.com/dnjQy7ZgNl

— John Foley (@ToxicJohn) December 15, 2018