"Voice of Ireland" comes to WGAC

Described often as the "Voice of Ireland", incredible Irish musician, Tommy Fleming will perform at the West Gippsland Arts Centre on Sunday.
The "In Concert" tour is the first time Tommy has performed in Australia in recent years.
"This is the first tour I've done in Australia in almost four years, and it's been fantastic," Tommy said.
Halfway through his leg of Australian shows, Tommy says that although he is getting a bit homesick, he's comforted by the familiarity in the Irish and Australian culture.
"Aussies are very like the Irish, we're self-deprecating, we don't take ourselves too seriously," he said. "We're kind of all cut from the same cloth and we enjoy good fun. The Aussie audiences are fantastic, they really show what they're made of."
Stopping at a variety of locations during the tour, Tommy said stopping in regional towns brought back 1980s television nostalgia.
"I grew up watching Australian TV series like The Sullivans and A Country Practice," Tommy said. "When I go to these regional towns all those memories of 1980s television comes flooding back to me and there's just something very special about that. The tour is giving us the chance to come out of the capital cities and go into smaller venues and reach some more people."
Tommy described his musical style as something difficult to pigeonhole.
"It's contemporary, Irish and folky," he said. "I still dip my toe into musical theatre which is kind of a second love."
The nature of Tommy's show means he wasn't able to pinpoint one specific highlight.
"There's really no one highlight, the show really tells a story from beginning to middle to end," he said.
"I've kind of let down the barriers with this show, it's very personal. It incorporates family and my personal life and the sounds associated with that."
Tommy said his show would have something for everyone.
"You can expect some great old Irish sounds that probably haven't heard in a while, but also some new songs," he said. "It's really a mixed bag, I delve into a lot of different stuff."
Tommy Fleming will perform his "In Concert" tour at the West Gippsland Arts Centre on Sunday November 5. The show will begin at 3pm and run for two hours and 15 minutes including intermission.
Tickets can be purchased at https://sales.wgac.com.au/event/379:2261/379:3707.