STEVE Forbert freely admits that he has never been interested in changing the way he makes music to fit into any particular scene or trend.
You could say that Forbert, a talented folk singer who earned comparisons to Bob Dylan early on, arrived on the New York scene a decade too late in the late 70s, at a time when punk and new wave were all the rage.
Fair play to Forbert, though, because he stuck his ground and has made a name for himself with music and words that come straight from the heart. He even strayed momentarily into the world of pop in 1983 when he appeared in the video for Cyndi Lauper’s huge hit single Girls Just Want To Have Fun.
Now 60, the Mississippi-raised New Jersey-based singer-songwriter is still gigging regularly and plays Belfast on Monday as he tours to promote his upcoming new album Compromised.
Are you playing a lot of songs from Compromised at these gigs?
They slip in, so I’ll probably do three or four. People seem to like Rollin’ Home To Someone You Love. Every night is different. I really like spontaneity and I really like playing 'folk’ music, so if I make a mistake then I may sing the verse again. If I had to do a show that had sound cues and backing tracks and the same setlist, that would just bore me out of my mind.
Where do you stand on the 'digital revolution’ in music?
Given the choice, I would do without it, because of how it has affected my psyche. It’s made everything so much more readily available that it’s taken a lot of the personable quality out of things. I’m marking the album release next month with a show in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but the day that records come into stores is not that big of an event any more.
Do you enjoy playing the Real Music Club gigs in Belfast?
I do. They’re great because you’re always very close to the people and you can feel it. I played a venue in Malmo in Sweden last week and they put the lights on the stage and cut out the house lights and it took out all the intimacy in the room. You never have that problem at The Errigle.
Do you have any fond memories of your previous visits to Belfast?
I saw the most beautiful girl crossing the street in Belfast the last time I was there. She was about 20 years old. She didn’t turn up at the show but then she’s probably about 30 years too young, because most of the people at my shows are 50 and older.
Didn’t you play the legendary CBGB’s club in New York in your early days?
I did. I was the only person crazy enough to go in there and audition with an acoustic guitar. I would have played anywhere back then, because I was just scuffling and struggling to get started. I’m writing a book now. Everybody’s got one now – Chrissie Hynde and Rodney Crowell and everybody else. A lot of it is about that Greenwich Village time. The title will probably be Beyond the Chandelier from Romeo’s Tune.
Would you say that The Byrds were the biggest influence on you when you were starting out?
They were. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that The Beatles were an influence, but for some reason when I heard The Byrds I just had to do it [music] for a reason I can’t really explain. It’s something to do with folk music and how it was electrified and sounded so enchanting, especially Mr Tambourine Man. So I got on the carousel then and never got off.
Will you be doing any cover versions at these gigs?
Being from Meridian, Mississippi – the birthplace of Jimmie Rodgers – I always do a couple of his songs. I did a tribute record to him years ago. I’m quite fond of Carolina Sunshine Girl and Any Old Time.
Do you still get a buzz from playing live?
I’m quite serious about it. I don’t get stage fright very often. I’m working but I want it to be fun. It’s a little bit like jazz. I’m not just doing a pop show. It doesn’t sound like 'jazz-folk’ but it kinda feels like that.
Are you a fan of any Irish singers or bands?
Well I think that Irish Heartbeat, the collaboration that Van Morrison did with The Chieftains [in 1988], has Van hit so many highs on it that it’s just a milestone to me. You would have thought that it was going to be good but it was awesome.
Are you still a big fan of Van the Man?
Van is one of the few people I would still pay to go see. But then most of the others are dead.
One of your best-known songs is Romeo’s Tune, from your 1979 album Jackrabbit Slim. Do you tend to do that early on in the live shows or towards the end?
I absolutely always do that one at the end. You have to. I saw Don McLean play once and he did American Pie as like the fifth song and people left. When it was over, they just left. I guarantee you when he played Belfast recently he played it last. He learned.
:: Steve Forbert plays the Errigle Inn in Belfast on Monday at 8pm. For tickets (£22.50), visit TicketSource.co.uk/realmusicclub or SteveForbert.com.
