237. Gavin Friday: Art, Music, Bowie, U2 & Becoming Yourself
27 August 2026
About This Episode
Gavin Friday invites Fender Jackson to his home in Dublin for a wide-ranging conversation about music, art, performance and becoming yourself.
From growing up as an outsider in 1960s and 70s Dublin and discovering David Bowie, to the formation of the Virgin Prunes, his friendship and creative work with U2, and a solo career that has continually crossed the boundaries between music, theatre, cabaret and visual art, Gavin reflects on the experiences that shaped him.
The conversation explores creativity and instinct, the influence of Bowie, punk and cabaret, working with Gavin Bryars, the strange alchemy of live performance, the realities of taking a show on the road and the people behind the scenes who make it possible.
Gavin also speaks candidly about childhood, Catholic Ireland, his relationship with his father, his mother's Alzheimer's disease, ageing, loss and why he has never been particularly interested in following the expected path.
Recorded at Gavin Friday's home in Dublin at 11.26am on Tuesday 4th August 2026.
Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday is an Irish singer, songwriter, composer, actor and multidisciplinary artist from Dublin. A founding member of the Virgin Prunes, his career has moved between post-punk, solo music, theatre, film, cabaret and visual art. He has collaborated extensively with artists including U2 and composer Gavin Bryars, while pursuing a body of work defined by experimentation and a refusal to remain within a single artistic discipline.