Troy Donockley
Troy Donockley is one of those rare people that have had the opportunity to fulfil all of there dreams and desires in the murky world of Music and can still smile at the other end.
West Cumbrian Workington lad Troy, has gone onto become one of the most sort after Professionals in his chosen field of music. Some will probably scratch there heads at his name and have no clue to who Troy Donockley is and what he has been doing for many decades. Well scratch no longer, as we will discover together who the man is.
Troy's love of music was nurtured by his Mam and Dad who where in Workington Band ‘Travelling Country' whom took country & western music across Cumbria playing in Theatres Halls and Pubs.
Tammy Wynette and Hank Williams where the order of the day and both Mam and Dad played and sang.
Troy joined the band in what he describes as ‘A baptism of fire' it was here where he mastered just one of many instruments which was Guitar and from there played with his parents for a year or two.
From there Troy went to Carlisle Arts College but decided after three months that his heart wasn't in it.
‘The only reason I went there was to be in a band, I'd read somewhere that rock-stars went to Art college so thought it was a good reason to go, from there I went to London and ended up in Tottenham but it was too depressing so I went busking around Europe and ended up in Leeds.'
‘I had always wanted to play the Pipes and me Dad lent me money to buy my first pipes as there where loads of Irish pubs in Leeds'
Not a bad investment with hindsight, as Troy went onto to become a World renowned....
Piper? Pipest, I don't know I will have to ask him when he plays in the Carnegie on the 4th June with The Bad Shepherds.
‘The pipes where a passion and I lived in Leeds for a while then York where I joined a band called ‘You Slosh' and spent five years with them. That is where it all started from then I ended up playing on other Albums and became a session musician and in 1993 found myself playing and touring with Barbara Dixon on guitar and pipes.'
He's just showing off now.
Funny though, because at this point Troy tries to send me to his website and have a look at his blog? Why I ask, ‘I have a few holes in my memory'
‘I played with Maddie Prior and also produced for Maddie.' and ‘I done lots of stuff with Midge Ure for quite a few years and done an Album called ‘Duet' with him.
It was his friendship with Midge that saw Troy - Midge Ure and Eddie Izzard take to the stage together at the Live 8 concert in 2008.
‘That was really good fun that gig'
Troy is a musician that jumps form one extreme to another and is a bit of a musical Jezebel as he plays the field quite a lot i.e.: he is currently in a couple of bands. He plays with the awesome band ‘The Bad Shepherds' which is fronted by Ade ( jean Christophe) Edmondson who has lately appeared on Hells Kitchen, much too everyone's delight, and Troy also plays with Finnish band Nighwish who are a heavy metal band with chilled out Troy in the background playing his pipes.
Troy describes them as ‘A symphonic metal band' they can't be too bad as they have sold over 5 million records. I also occasionally play with other folk like Roy Harper , Maddie Prior, The Beach Boys as mentioned Night wish, they all contrast in styles so it keeps things really interesting.'
If you want to get an idea of the fella, I would compare Troy as the Dustin Hoffman of the Uillean Pipes, I hope I have spelt that right but then again why spoil a habit of a lifetime.
He is like a character-actor who is never afraid to be put under the cosh, and therefore constantly creates a challenge for himself.
As opposed to those that for fear, let themselves become typecast and find it hard to shift in any other direction and therefore become a prisoner of a genre and in doing so lose all freedom that was there at the beginning and now look set to serve a sentence of dullness.
One month Troy could be playing with Lesley Garrett then Midge Ure or Maddie Prior - Barbara Dixon or melodic Nightwish. Or of course the brilliant- the awesome- the wonderful ‘The Bad Shepherds'. It is this diversity that keeps it interesting, not only for Troy, but also it is something which has obviously caught the ears of many different musicians who are looking for someone as adventurous to play alongside.
So what's the Craic with The Bad Shepherds then?
‘Well Ade rang me up to see if I was up for it, when I asked what he was proposing to do he said Sex Pistols- The Clash and I wanted to do Model Kraftwork which he thought was great so I called a few mates up and off we went.
We have 49 shows over the coming months where we will play loads of festivals as it is a great festival band and Solfest will be one of those festivals'
Troy who has recently been awarded Best Roots Musician, again, well he has won it six times to date, will definitely have his hands full this year as he due to release his latest solo Album on the 11th May The Madness of Crowds which is Troy's third solo album to date.
Troy describes it as an ‘Orchestral classical folk fusion which has everything in it, choir, strings and much more.'
Troy has been busy with his black-book making this album and has lots of class guests on The Madness of Crowds such as Joanne Hogg - Heather Finley- Barbara Dixon to name but a few.
Download it first at http://www.troydonockley.co.uk/
The Madness of Crowds was recently voted best Album ever recorded (by his Mum) so it must be good, but seriously check it out.
When you think of Workington what first pops into your head?
‘That's a toughie; I would say the sound of the steel works when I was in my pyjamas.
Although I left when I was seventeen I still have lots of affection for the Town, it has a lot to offer which makes me proud. In- fact I recently took my daughter around Town and took here to Millfields, The Yearl a song I wrote is about Millfields, I love the Park it's very romantic.'
Who are you listening to at the moment or don't you bother?
‘I do bother, I hate empty soulless pop music, but I do like some of the recent bands such as Elbow - Keane - Muse and Coldplay but generally listen to classical & Emily Lou Harris - Floyd and a whole back catalogue.
In West Cumbria when I was growing up there was lots of Prog Rock bands making it big at the time so Zeppelin and Pink Floyd have always been there never far away.'
Troy will be playing in his home town of Workington at The Carnegie Theatre on the 4th June with The Bad Shepherds.
Tickets are now available call 01900 602122
