“I MIGHT even wear my slippers,” laughs West Belfast troubadour Joby Fox ahead of his ‘An Evening With..’ musical retrospect at the Cultúrlann, and a guest appearance as part of the line-up of West Belfast’s Greatest Hits in the Devenish.
Back on home turf following a tour of Germany, the former bassist with Energy Orchard and Bankrobbers told the Andersonstown News how he has always felt a strong connection with the home crowd.
“One of my biggest thrills ever, in a musical context, was to play the big tent as part of Féile around four years ago supporting Damien Dempsey, it was a real standout for me. To play in West Belfast, the atmosphere was really incredible, it was emotional.”
Joby said that he is “looking forward” to sharing a stage with all who are on the ‘Greatest Hits’ bill come August 31.
“They are good friends of mine and have all influenced me one way or another over the years, West Belfast is overflowing with talent.”
A roadie “lifting gear at the back of the Ulster Hall for U2 and the Horselips”, Joby was heavily influenced by his brother Martin and his mother Mary. “The house always had music in it,” he says.
“The night at the Cultúrlann will be informal, I’ll be telling a few stories of some of the songs that I’ve written, telling of my musical adventures from when I was kid. The first song I ever wrote was Belfast when I was 17. Ten years later we were in the British charts, that song has really resonated with people,” he said.
He continued: “I was doing a gig with Iain Archer in the Oh Yeah Centre recently and he told me that Belfast was the song that made him believe that he could have a career in music, it really took me back to hear that from him as he is credited with writing Run with Snow Patrol. He said that Energy Orchard inspired him to get into music. You never know what a song can do for a person.”
Joby spoke of how much he is looking forward to getting “those characters” his musical compadres in the one room come the end of the month at the Devenish event.
“Rab McCullough’s guitar playing, the energy of Baraka really rubbed off on us. On the sleeve of the first Energy Orchard album we thanked Rab and Malachy McCambridge, the keyboard player, for giving us the blues. Those days up in the Club-house on the Glen Road, they were days we’ll never forget, it was electrifying. The angst of the Troubles, that pent up anger everything was exorcised on a weekly basis through Baraka’s performances.
“This month is going to be a memorable one, I’m looking forward to seeing Brian (Kennedy) on the night at the Devenish who’d be a good friend of mine. It will be a real celebration.”
An Evening with Joby Fox takes place on Friday August 9 in Cultúrlann. Tickets are available from Bia Restaurant and www.jobyfox.com.
Joby will perform as part of West Belfast’s Greatest Hits in the Devenish Complex on Saturday August 31.
Tickets are priced at £35 and are available at the Andersonstown News offices or the Devenish.
