Phelim and the Drew House Band to perform

Phelim and The Drew House Band will perform in Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, on Saturday, March 14, at 8 p.m.

‘Growing up I was always struck by the electricity generated by a concert given by The Dubliners,’ said the Greystones man whose dad was the late Ronnie Drew

‘Looking back I can see that the group as made up by the individual strength of each performer but together they were a force of nature. That energy and excitement coupled with the unbridled joy of the audience made for a nights entertainment that felt more like a party in full swing where the host and guests were in perfect harmony.

‘My ambitions as a singer have always been modest as a result. Large shoes to fill?’

In Phelim’s chosen path as an actor, musician has always played a part, either professionally in shows like The Abbey Theatre production of The Risen People or more recently the musical Once and also, over the years, playing with friends in bars.

‘In the years since my father passed away, 11 years, I’ve come to enjoy listening back over his musical legacy and the wealth of material has reawakened not only a sense of pride but also appreciation,’ he said.

‘With the upcoming show at Mermaid I’ll be singing some of the songs made famous by Ronnie, Luke, Barney, Ciaran and John as well as other personal favourites by other artists including The Pogues and Paul Brady that will hopefully go towards making up a night that the audience will enjoy as much as I will.’

Tickets are €18 or €16 concession and available from mermaidartscentre.ie or the box office on 01 2724030.