Aslan and Lee Tomkins: How Dublin rockers got fit to enter a new chapter
Joe Jewell, Alan Downey and Billy McGuinness with their new frontman Lee Tomkins. Picture: David Creedon
Aslan return to Cork this December, playing at Cyprus Avenue, the venue where they took the first steps in the band’s new chapter following Christy Dignam’s death last year.
Singer and musician Lee Tomkins, from Dublin, has joined Billy McGuinness, Joe Jewell and Alan Downey as the frontman of the legendary band, keeping their music alive.
The group seems to be navigating this new territory well — and even joined Coldplay on stage in Dublin in September.
Tomkins described the experience as “a dream come true,” while giving a nod to the English rockers’ climate-friendly shows.
“It’s inspiring to see artists like Coldplay taking a stand and powering their concerts sustainably. They had people on the bikes charging batteries or dancing on a platform that generated energy. Chris is a serious guy,” he says.
Aslan is working with Specsavers to highlight the importance of looking after your hearing, especially after years of being on the road.
Downey says he’s noticed he’s struggling to keep up with conversations and now has a hearing device to help. “50 years of drumming will do that to you,” he says.
McGuinness is also working to regain his hearing, which he lost in his left ear after a dose of mumps as an adult.
Jewell says: “Your hearing is one of your main senses, just like sight, smell, taste, and touch. It’s something that’s often overlooked.”
McGuinness: I’ve been hitting the gym for 20 years now. I love spinning classes — 45 minutes of pure energy. I cover about 10 miles on my bike most mornings. I’m not trying to be Arnold Schwarzenegger, but we are getting older, and I want to improve my performance onstage.
Downey: I’m all about that fresh air first thing. I head outdoors as soon as I wake up, stretch for a good 20 minutes, and down a pint of water. Walking is my go-to — about 40 minutes daily keeps me feeling good [and], of course, a cup of tea.
Jewell: Give me a fishing rod and I’m a happy man. Lake or canal fishing, especially in Leitrim or on Carrick-on-Shannon. Myself and the wife love a bit of pike fishing or catching some maceral. Now I’m hungry [at the thought of it].
Tomkins: Anything Brazilian.
McGuinness: The Dublin football team, no question. Those lads are legends. We’re very proud of them, especially during their six-in-a-row win.
Jewell: Someone putting butter on my sandwich without telling me. I hate the stuff.
Tomkins: Is there anything better than the smell of freshly cut grass on a summer’s day?
Jewell: A turf fire in a proper pub.
Downey: Freshly baked bread is just divine.
McGuinness: An Indian curry, the aroma of those spices.
McGuinness: When my dear friend Christy passed away. I went up to see him in the house. I put my hands over his and shed a tear.
McGuinness: I had broken my leg, and the lads told me to go out on stage and get myself settled and ready as I was on crutches. I hobbled out and settled on the seat with my guitar. The lads left me out there [waiting]. I was begging, “Please, lads, will [you] come on?” The audience was just confused as they were cracking up, laughing at the side of the stage.
Tomkins: Protect your hearing, people. It’s something you don’t think about until it’s too late.
Downey: I believe in a higher power, for sure. I find a lot of peace in visiting my local church in Finglas. It’s a place for reflection. I don’t know a lot of prayers but I find comfort in the church and the memories it holds — from christenings, communions, right up to funerals.
McGuinness: Nothing beats playing and performing music with my band. It’s my happy place.
Tomkins: Will Ferrell, no doubt. He’d be great craic.
McGuinness: Muhammad Ali.
Jewell: The entire Celtic football team.
Downey: John Bonham, the legendary drummer for Led Zeppelin. Between him and Muhammad Ali, it would be some night.
Tomkins: Copacabana Beach in Brazil.
McGuinness: The Cayman Islands, especially when we gigged there once for St Patrick’s weekend.
Jewell: No better place than home.
Downey: Benalmádena in Spain holds a special place in my heart.
