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“It’s been a dreadful year and more for artists of all shapes and colours,” he says, “so, to have anything going on that doesn’t involve performing
Here comes yer man…
ith two nights at The Whale launching March in style and a return to 
the Pavilion Theatre on the 10th, Phelim Drew is blissfully busy right now.
Which after the year pretty much all artists have had to endure has the Greystones lad counting his blessings.
“It’s been a dreadful year and more for artists of all shapes and colours,” he says, “so, to have anything going on that doesn’t involve performing 
in front of a computer feels like heaven. And these music gigs are particularly welcome, as they’re all about celebrating, and just having a good time…”
Being the son of Ireland’s answer to Johnny Cash and June Carter, it was inevitable that Phelim Drew would get the music bug. Even as his acting career took hold, the influence of Ronnie and Deirdre, and their love of having live music sessions in their Killincarrick Road home, meant both the young Phelim and big sis Cliodhna had front row seats for some of the finest gigs available to man or beast.
And it wasn’t all just diddley-aye potatoes when it came to that live music either, the Drew household quaking to music from all over the world, as Phelim explains…
My first memory of how music impacted me was not quite what you’d think considering the background of traditional music that I grew up with.
When we lived with my grandmother, we had a record player on the floor in the sitting room with a stack of LPs beside it and among these was a record by George Formby, a British music hall star of the 1930s – a ‘cheeky chappie’ who played a banjo ukelele.
I was obsessed with this record and once told a visitor who I made listen to a song from the album, “That was me when I was young”.
Growing up I was increasingly aware of the popularity of The Dubliners and for me a trip to see them perform was electrifying. Each of the band members had huge charisma but as a band they were second to none. In terms of Irish music I’ve loved traditional music since I was a child, from groups like Planxty, De Dannan and The Chieftans to virtuoso musicians too numerous to mention.
