Chris Kavanagh Interview

Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the passing of Luke Kelly, Chris Kavanagh is coming to Australia this July for The Legend Of Luke Kelly Tour. A passionate fan since he was a young boy, Kavanagh has been listening to The Dubliners for decades and was given the push 13 years ago to take up the longkneck banjo and perform in memory of his idol. With the support of Luke Kelly’s family and the whole of Ireland behind him, Kavanagh has been touring extensively, performing classic material including ‘The Night Visiting Song’. We caught up with him before his visit to find out how it feels to be remembering Ireland’s greatest folk singer of the 20th century, and what ticket-holders can expect from the poignant occasion.

Hi Chris, how are you?
Not too bad! How are you keepin’?

We’re very well thanks! How’s Ireland today?
Lovely weather!

You’re heading to Australia in July for the Legend Of Luke Kelly tour. Is it your first visit to Oz?
No we were out there six years ago now; we just went out for a weekend and did a few shows. I think the flights lasted longer than the time we spent there! We’re really looking forward to returning.

You’ll be marking the 30th anniversary of Luke Kelly’s passing; what is it about him that inspires you so much?
It’s really the music I grew up with. When I was about three, my grandmother used to play all The Dubliners music on the record player and the music gets into your blood. There was an old piano at home and I picked it up by ear and I was playing with different bands through the years, playing keyboards and piano. It was about 13 years ago, I saw a documentary on Luke Kelly and it was about his life. It brought back an awful lot of memories of the music and there were a lot of tribute bands starting, but nobody had picked Luke Kelly. I took up the longkneck banjo and started doing a tribute to his memory. We had his family along to the first show and they loved what we were doing. We were picked for three months in the Olympia Theatre in Dublin and it’s gone from strength to strength.

Did you take up the banjo to do the tribute?
I did, yeah. I played piano and guitar beforehand, but the longkneck banjo is very much a part of that sound. Funnily enough, in 2011 I was sitting at home and I got a phone call from John Sheahan of The Dubliners and he asked me to stand in with them over in Germany for two weeks! It was a bit of a surprise. It was great; for me it was like winning the musical lottery.

How does it feel when people compare you to Luke Kelly?
I suppose it’s really about remembering the music that was once there. Luke was a national treasure and a great folk icon all over the world. I suppose it’s nice to get people singing along in a live setting. Even at home, there might be a few children in the front row and they’re singing along; it’s great to see that it’s passed down generation to generation.

What’s your favourite song to perform?
I think my favourite song is probably ‘The Night Visiting Song’. It was one of the first songs that he learnt and the last song he ever sang on the live stage too. It’s a song of great significance.

For the Australian tour, you’ll be bringing The Patriots and Paddy Casey with you; what sort of show can ticket-holders expect?
It’s two different audiences that will be there because Paddy has his own audience and being a renowned Irish songwriter, it slots in with what we’re going to be doing ourselves. I imagine we might even have a finale, we might ask Paddy to come up and do a song or two with us. It will be a nice mix of decent music. Of course, we have a classical guitarist in the band, Michael Howard, but he’s also a good songwriter and that’s something we all do on the side, so there might be one or two original songs.

Well, it sounds like it will be a show to remember!
Hopefully! There’s an awful lot of Irish people in Australia as well so it will bring them back home for an hour or two! [Laughs]

As a Dublin man, what watering holes would you recommend in the city?
I suppose… O’Donoghue’s, which is one of the main pubs because that’s where The Dubliners formed in the first place. And Abbey Tavern in Howth is a great pub.

Thanks, Chris!

The Legend Of Luke Kelly Tour Dates

Friday 11th July – Riverside Theatre, Perth (ticketek.com.au)
Sunday 13th July – Forum Theatre, Melbourne (ticketmaster.com.au)
Friday 18th July – Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane (ticketmaster.com.au)
Saturday 19th July – Enmore Theatre, Sydney (ticketek.com.au)

By Charlotte Mellor