HELLO Philip, are you looking forward to bringing Other Voices to Belfast?
It's a real delight to be invited to Belfast, which I consider to be one of the great musical cities in the world.
There's a hugely engaging musical lingua franca in Belfast, so to be able to go there is fantastic. I think there's an inherent musicality in the place, it's in people's DNA – even the accent itself and the way people speak is so musical.
It goes all the way back to The Belfast Harp Festival and all of that magnificent music that was collected by [Edward] Bunting, the amazing song tradition – the flute playing, the piping, the blues, the rock and roll, the punk – all of it.
You recorded the very first Other Voices for RTE in December 2002. Today, its evolved into a festival and touring event. How did you get started?
I moved to west Kerry over 20 years ago now. I'd always been drawn there ever since I was a kid – there was something about the place, the language, the music, the people, and the sheer physical beauty of the place was also alluring.
When I was invited to do a radio programme for RTE called Southwind Blows, people like Glen Hansard, Damien Rice, Damien Dempsey and Mundy would be sending me their music to play. It just seemed like there was something afoot.
When Glen was down with The Frames to do some recording, he came in and did the radio programme. We had a chat about all the music that was out there now and wouldn't it be great to gather up some folks and find a place to play a few tunes.
The Church of St James on the Main Street in Dingle had a strong musical tradition, so we got on to the people who ran it to see if it would be OK to use it – and they agreed.
Around November 2002, I had a conversation with RTE. They said they had no money, but then I got a phone call from Kevin Linehan who was running music at RTE at the time to say that they'd found some money down the back of the sofa.
And that was the beginning of the thing – an 'old style' television show – but in the 15 years that have elapsed since, it has mutated and grown into a platform for new, interesting, vibrant and emerging talent.
That really is its raison d'etre and what motivates us to do the thing.
The people who run Other Voices are of music and we come from it.
My own life one way of another has been the life of a travelling musician [in the band Scullion] or documenting and filming music. [Philip helmed the landmark Emmy-winning 1991 Irish music series Bringing It All Back Home].
There must be huge demand to appear on the show. Is it difficult to choose the bands? You've assembled quite a diverse live bill for Belfast, from Beoga's trad to the punk rock of Touts.
It is difficult and, unlike when we went up to Derry in 2013 for three days, Belfast is only a one-day outing – but I would just like to emphasise that it's the beginning of something for Other Voices.
The bands playing at The Duncairn definitely offer a range of sounds. I think Touts have a real shot, I hear that [indie label] Domino are very interested in Jealous of The Birds and Picture This are playing to 10,000 people the night before [at the SSE], so to then be able to take them into a small room is sort of exciting.
What can people expect from The Belfast Edge element of Other Voices in Belfast tomorrow?
Belfast is now looking to differentiate itself as a creative city; what we are hoping to do is to begin to make a contribution to Belfast making itself audible and visible. If it can become audible and visible, it can become considerable – a place that people will consider "I would like to go there, I would like to work there", or even more fundamentally "I would like to stay here and make a contribution – I do not have to go away".
We're living in interesting times. Artists are the creators of empathy, and empathy is going to become so important in the future. Also, it appears that anything that cannot be automated is going to become very valuable.
It's imagination that informs the making of new intellectual properties like songs, films, books, or poems, but you also cannot design the new chip for the new computer without it.
The Belfast Edge will allow young people to air some of their thoughts and feelings in relation to some of those issues in a creative context.
There's no point hoping for a better past – really what we're looking at here is the people who will inhabit and own the future.
Can you pick a particular Other Voices performance which stands out as a favourite from the past 14 years?
There have been so many that I almost don't like to pick them out, because everything in there has a little 'something' about it.
Of course, there's the sad, tragic and poignant story of Amy Winehouse. I'll never forget the day that she played for us [at St James' Church in Dingle in 2006]. It was just so beautiful.
There was something very compelling, very vulnerable and very strong in her – she was entirely 'intact' and present when she was there.
One remarkable thing about that show was that she had no drummer, so there was nothing to keep the sound 'square', so she could just sing free. And, at that time, she could sing anything, so it was just fantastic, very very special.
Elbow had been around for a while before they came to us, with great music but not much success – so to have them come back and sing One Day Like This after their triumph at Glastonbury [in 2008] was fantastic.
To have Fergus O'Farrell of Interference play Gold with Glen Hansard was really a moment, and Ray Davies [2009] – I mean, what can you say really?
Are there any particular artists on the current Other Voices wish-list?
It would have to be Van Morrison, I suppose. With the year that is to come being the 50th anniversary of Astral Weeks, to work with him in Belfast or anywhere else would just be a dream come true.
Other Voices is taking part in the Digital DNA Creative Quarter in Belfast today at various venues. The Belfast Edge and Other Voices Stage will be at The Duncairn in Belfast tomorrow. Full event line-ups and ticket information at Othervoices.ie
