Comedy: Phill Jupitus

Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy, June 16

Phill Jupitus is no stranger to ‘supping wi’ Fifers’ – because now he is one!

The English stand-up comedian, actor and performance poet who was team captain on BBC Two’s popular music quiz Never Mind the Buzzcocks for 19 years, moved to the kingdom last September.

And as he prepares to make the short journey to James Yorkston’s latest Tae Sup Wi’ A Fifer at the Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy tomorrow, the 55-year-old reveals he loves living among the “amazing” people of Fife and the “sense of community” it brings.

“Once the kids had grown up, there was always a sense I wanted to go somewhere radically different from where I’ve been all my life,” explains Phill who grew up on the Isle of Wight and has lived in London and Essex.

“I think coming from an island you have a weird connection with the sea.

“It was always in my head that I wanted to live near the sea.

“I’d been spending more time gigging in Edinburgh and basically spent about a year on trains or driving to look around for a house.

“Fife was the closest rural place to Edinburgh. And while we were initially looking for somewhere closer to train lines and things, I actually quite like that where I live now it takes a bit of an effort to get there.”

Phill, who enjoys being “hooked up with a lot of people in the arts and entertainment business”, got to know Cellardyke-based musician James Yorkston through a “friend of a friend”.

He reveals they’ve now become pals and it’s not been unknown for James, who doesn’t live far away, to call him up and see if he wants to go “for a few scoops”.

“Yorkston is obviously absolutely brilliant, so I couldn’t say no really when I was asked if I wanted to join the bill,” laughs Phill, who will perform poetry between music by indie-pop/folk-noir performer Siobhan Wilson and a rare UK appearance by influential American alt-folk music legend Michael Hurley.

“I quite like the way James curates it. He either knows the acts or is a massive fan.

“The passion for what he’s doing there and the project really comes across. You just want to get involved with it. That’s a mad bill they’ve got that night!”

Phill, who worked with Billy Bragg and the Housemartins in the 1980s, describes himself as an “enthusiastic amateur” musician, and has been playing music on tour recently.

Comparing his efforts to those of a “drunk busker”, he believes he might pick up music more with so many musicians living around his corner of Fife.

On Saturday, however, he insists he will only be “doing poems”.

www.taesup.co.uk

Phill Jupitus, who has now relocated to Fife, will be performing poetry.