Jerry Fish to play free gig in Kilkenny

Irish indie legend and musical ringmaster Jerry Fish is releasing his latest single ‘Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Grievances’ (download Wav) a joyous cover of a Daniel Johnston song in collaboration with singer MayKay (Fight Like Apes) on November 1.

It’s followed by an album featuring Jerry Fish and May Kay of Johnston covers, Dreaming of Daniel, on November 15 with a special launch event taking place in Kilkenny on November 16.

A long-time fan of Daniel, Jerry has been performing ‘The Story Of An Artist’ for years. When Daniel died in 2019, Fish released ‘True Love Will Find You In The End’. His version caught the attention of Daniel’s manager Tom Gimbel, who asked if

Jerry could run ‘Hi, How Are You Day’ in Dublin on January 22, 2020 (Daniel’s birthday). Jan 22 is ‘Hi, How Are You Day’ all over the world, a day to celebrate Daniel’s life and legacy and to have open conversations about mental health and wellbeing.
Since 2020, Jerry has co-hosted ‘Hi, How Are You Day’ in Dublin with MayKay and pianist/arranger Cian Boylan.

Jerry says, ‘This is my first vinyl record in 34 years and my first LP in fifteen years. A labour of love, five years in the making. I am very proud of it. It’s a record full of amazingly talented musicians, a 14-piece orchestra, a three-piece brass section, backing vocals from some of the best vocal talent in Ireland, praising one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

“Not alone is his lyrical wit and honesty an inspiration to me and a multitude of artists the world over, we also have so much fun performing his songs live. The album Dreaming of Daniel captures the joy we experience on stage performing Daniel’s songs.’

‘Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Grievances’ certainly conveys that sense of joy. With poignant lyrics instructing the listener to ‘do yourself a favour, become your own saviour’, Jerry and Maykay share the vocals backed by a full band and a bright brass accompaniment. The song was originally contained on the fifth self-released music cassette album by Daniel Johnston, recorded over the summer 1983.

A free gig and record album launch with Rollercoaster Records will take place at Billy Byrne’s on John Street on November 16 at 6pm to the delight of fans of Jerry Fish and Daniel Johnston alike.
All are welcome to come along.