3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Saturday with Jerry Fish: 'Life is transient. It's about living in the moment'
10.00
I've possibly been gigging the night before so I'll take things easy. My biggest inspiration in life has been Baloo the bear - I just look for the bare necessities in life. Enda, the bass player with An Emotional Fish, who sadly passed away in 2022, always called me 'a lazy artist'.
I am a beach bum at heart. I enjoy having less - you're not going to take anything with you when you go.
I'll have a coffee and listen to The Business Show on RTE Radio 1 - it's so well put together and entertaining. People might be surprised that I'm into business, but once I set up a record label, 'business' stopped being a bad word and I wanted to learn more about it.
I'm a natural daydreamer and luckily I've found a job that facilitates it. As an artist, when it looks like you're least working is often when the real work happens.
11.00
I'll make some eggs on toast and I'll imagine I'm still on a Greek island. I'll eat outside if the weather allows. Myself and my family live on Mount Leinster in Co. Carlow so we've a stunning view of Mount Brandon and the Barrow river.
12.00
When I'm working on something like a festival there is no comparison to a normal Saturday. I'm up and at it. I don't even think about food - I just move.
If I'm gigging, I'll check Google Maps if I've been to the location a thousand times. I am surrounded by amazing musicians and incredible people who look after me really well. I'm usually racing in saying 'What's happening?!'.
Jerry Fish: "As an artist, when it looks like you're least working is often when the real work happens."
The less stuff I have when travelling the better. I really only need my voice and a tambourine. I have a bag of tambourines, maracas and sweets that I always take with me.
I will wear certain items of clothing - I think many performers have certain gig jackets or shoes - things that have a bit of a spell on them. Performers can be quite superstitious about certain items of clothing or jewellery.
18.00
I might have grabbed a wrap or something in a garage on the way to the gig. Food on the road is the bane of a musician's life, so, if I can, I will try to eat before I leave home. Sometimes I feel I have more energy when I haven't eaten before a show.
20.00
When I'm not doing festivals I do a lot of piano and theatre shows. When I first started this I thought I'd be doing jazz standards but I quickly realised that I am a rock performer at heart. I am full of neurotic energy.
When it comes to festivals, I'm gigging with a full band and I also love working with circus performers - I love how self-contained they are. I think I'm a bit of a circus performer at heart. I take a lot of inspiration from street performers too.
I often think that my job is about uniting people in a positive way. I always remind my audience that they're going to die - it could be their last night. It's an important aspect of living to remember that.
Jerry Fish: "When it comes to a festival like Kaleidoscope I don't have to make a lot of changes to my act because most of the time what I'm trying to do is to remind grown-up people that they never stop being children."
I lost my best friend when he was 20. Losing someone makes you realise that nothing is permanent. I've lost friends since then too. It's important to remember that life is transient and that it's about living in the moment and celebrating those moments.
When it comes to a festival like Kaleidoscope I don't have to make a lot of changes to my act because most of the time what I'm trying to do is to remind grown-up people that they never stop being children.
The kids are easy - they're open, they don't have preconceptions and if they don't like you they don't like you. Children are great teachers. They should be running the place.
23.00
If I'm doing a regular gig I'll jump back in the car and drive home. I love that I see a lot of animals at night on the drive home.
Many years ago I had depression and got into bird watching - it is great because you're very much in the moment when you're bird watching. One of the biggest problems we have is our separation from nature so I try to absorb as much of it as I can.
If I'm performing at a festival I'll go back to the 1970s caravan that I've restored. I love the solace of that caravan at festivals. I'll need a moment to reflect on the gig. If I'm working to keep everyone's energy up then I need to restore my own energy.
02.00
If I am at a festival I'm always the last to go to bed. I'm quite a night bird. I like to walk and talk - I'm usually keeping an eye on everyone I'm working with. A lot of people think I like to party but it's usually that everyone else is partying and I'm in the vicinity still awake.
If I'm not in bed by one or two I'll be awake till 5am. I never liked to go to bed - even as a child.
Jerry Fish Electric Sideshow performs at Ireland's largest family summer festival, Kaleidoscope presented by Glenveagh. Taking place at Wicklow's Russborough House from Friday July 4 to Sunday July 6. Tickets from
