It has been a landmark year for Belfast singer-songwriter Brian Kennedy. Not only did he celebrate his 50th birthday last week, but also the 20th anniversary of the original release of his number one selling album, A Better Man. Brian is also regaining full health following his recent battle with cancer. In September, he celebrated the release of his new double compilation album, The Essential Collection.
Here, he talks to Sheena Madden about how mental and physical fitness were essential as he underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatment. He also reflects on growing up in west Belfast during the worst of times and how the Troubles affected the mental health of a lot of the people around him.
1. Tell us about a typical working day for you, if you have such a thing as a typical day.
Well, I'm like a night shift fella. I sing, write and perform songs for my job so my typical day involves traveling a fair amount to get to a venue in the afternoon to soundcheck, rehearse, eat something a few hours before the show. its all about managing my energy to make sure i give the best that i can. Unless the weather is spectacularly bad i would normally drive home late at night and sleep in my own bed.
2. What do you do in your down time?
I cook, read, work out at Bodybyrne Gym and enjoy being in the house.
3. How important is down time to you?
You have to have balance in order to function as healthily as possible. Especially when I’m on tour, I have to take care of my voice at all times and that means not speaking if i can avoid it during the day to conserve my instrument for the evening shows. Thats what I love about texting, you don't have to talk so much!
4. How much down time do you get & do you prioritise it?
Honestly, the only downside of having a successful album is that downtime is sometimes really compromised because, as a solo artist, it's up to me to do everything at the end of the day. Every interview, every TV performance, every meet and greet and every gig. I’m more aware now than ever before that the audience has really gone to a lot of effort to come to a gig, so I want them to feel that I've really made an effort to be the best I can be. I honestly don't get enough down time and sometimes that's on purpose because my passion is also my job and its hard not to want to sing all the time.
5. What do you do to unwind before bed?
I’m addicted to Netflix and I’m not sure that's unwinding. I’m a real night bird most of the time and, to be honest, I've never been a good sleeper. If I get desperate I might have a half a sleeping tablet.
6. What do you like to treat yourself with that’s ‘just for you’?
I love a good Dingle Gin and tonic. Lots of ice in a big tumbler glass with wedges of lemon and lime; if I can sip it in the garden beside my Magnolia tree then even better.
7. What are the signs that let you know it's time to slow down a bit or take a holiday?
I usually get a whopping cold sore that demands I take better care of myself. I occasionally get a B vitamin injection from my doctor if i have no choice but to plow on through a busy period. My skin gets very dry and my energy is hard to manage if I’m flying a lot around Australia, for example.
8. Do you pay as much attention to your mental health as you do your physical health?
I’m more and more aware of my mental health as I’ve gotten older and I think physical health is often directly connected to overall well being; that's why I love going to the gym so much. Even if I accomplish nothing else that day, I know I’ve worked up a sweat and I've often arrived at a gym session feeling a little low, only to leave feeling like I could achieve anything. Oxygen in the blood is the best medicine sometimes so a good walk is also something that works. I’m a huge fan of psychotherapy too; I was a client for seven years in London, and then almost three years in Dublin, when life got a bit overwhelming. It's the best thing in the world to do.
9. How important are diet and exercise to you when it comes to maintaining good mental health?
I think they’re essential and certainly, after my recent cancer diagnosis, my doctors all agreed my fitness would really stand to me during radiation and chemotherapy treatment - and they were right. I was able to keep gigging and travelling and that really made me feel mentally better too. In the past I have been guilty of so-called comfort eating and, of course, that's a slippery slope so I try to eat as well as I can. As they say, moderation in everything, including moderation.
10. Do you have a 'calm down quick' tip?
I don't think I do. Especially where performing is concerned because being nervous and not calm is a completely natural part of the petrol in any performer. It's important, though, that it doesn't get out of control. Deep breaths and all that, but I prefer to work through a crisis.
11. Do you have personal experience living with mental ill health, be it your own or a loved one’s?
Well, I grew up around a lot of physical and mental abuse myself as a child, growing up in west Belfast in the worst of times. I can see now that a lot of it was un-diagnosed mental ill health in others and just extreme frustration. I think the Catholic Church are only beginning to whisper answers and apologies about the awful abuse and guilt they troweled onto ordinary people's lives.
