MARTI Pellow is looking forward to celebrate his 30-year singing career in Belfast next week, followed by a drive to the Mournes and an ice-cream in Newcastle.
"I like the simple things in life," says the 53-year-old Scottish performer, best known for his years fronting Wet Wet Wet. "My memories of Belfast are eclectic, whether playing the arena with the band or being in the Belfast Opera House with Chicago and Evita.
"When I come to Belfast I always love to jump in a car and driving to Newcastle, have an ice-cream and fish and chips and watch the world go by. Then going up into the Silent Valley – it's a breathtaking part of the world."
His Private Collection Tour is a more intimate show, where he will be singing "old songs, new songs and borrowed songs," as well as chatting about the inspiration behind his music.
A self-confessed music fan of all genres, Pellow has shared the stage and duetted with many of his musical heroes and admits his music was mainly inspired by American musicians.
"I've an eclectic record collection. Growing up and being introduced to singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Jackson Brown and Crosby Stills and Nash was amazing. Other inspirations include Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, and right back to Al Green and Bobby Womack."
Misquoted in the past as saying he never wanted to sing it again, Pellow can guarantee local fans that he will be singing Love is All Around, Wet Wet Wet's 1994 hit which stayed at number one for 15 weeks and was the soundtrack to the film Four Weddings And A Funeral.
"Twenty five years later you can look at it subjectively for the wonderful pop song it is. It's important that you be a catalyst for that and continue to sing those songs. Playing live is about sharing a connection with your audience and it's important you give audiences what they want.
"My music is a little bit of escapism and a little bit of a backdrop for when real life unfolds. People come up to me and tell me that was the song we danced to at our wedding, or we played that song at our mum's wedding, or my daughter was born to that song. As a songwriter it makes me feel I've done my job."
Pellow has dozens of gold and platinum-selling records from all over the world, but rather than adorn his walls with his own achievements, he has his own private art collection.
"I'm no art critic, I couldn't tell you a Dilli from a Dalí, but I am touched by certain artists and have collected a few bits and bobs throughout my years of travelling. I am a big fan of Jack Vettriano and I also like the darker side, like Peter Howson."
Wet Wet Wet enjoyed incredible commercial success between 1988 and 1996, but fame took its toll on the band. In 1997 Tommy Cunningham left over a dispute about royalties and two years later Pellow's struggles with alcohol and heroin addiction proved the fatal blow for the band.
"As life unfolds it and brings many different things to different people. How you deal with it and how you grow from it and once you get knowledge – hopefully you become a stronger person," reflects Pellow, who checked into The Priory in 1999 and has been clean since.
He returned to the public eye in 2001 with his debut solo album Smile and his rejuvenation led to a move to musical theatre, with leading roles in The Witches of Eastwick, Blood Brothers, Chicago and Evita.
Although he returned to the band for their reunion in 2004, combining appearances with various independent projects, in July 2017 Pellow made a final split with Wet Wet Wet to focus entirely on his solo career.
Last month, Wet Wet Wet announced that former Liberty X singer and The Voice winner Kevin Simm has replaced him and will front the band when they play two gigs later this year, singing all the band’s original hits.
"I wish Kevin all the best and hope he enjoys my melodies and singing my songs. They are great songs to sing. Most importantly, the fans who are passionate about the band and the music get to enjoy a different take on the songs perhaps. But as another chapter unfolds for the guys, another chapter unfolds for me," adds Pellow, ever-hungry for a new challenge.
As well as combining his solo music, he is currently collaborating with playwright Jack Bradley and Shaun McKenna (who wrote the stage adaptation of JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings) in penning a new musical. And no it's not Wet, Wet, Wet – The Musical.
"It's a musical inspired by Celtic music and looking at the traditional music I grew up with. It has a working title of The Celtic Warrior and it's about using traditional Scottish instruments and dance and putting a contemporary take on that.
"My grandfather was a big Robbie Burns fan and would recite his work. I've just looked at Parcel O' Rogues, a powerful piece about the reunification of Scotland and it's so powerful."
Once pop's pin-up boy, a more mature Pellow has maintained his youthful looks and physique – something he admits is a combination of luck and hard work.
"I've got my mum and dad to thank for my genes, but I like to keep fit and watch what I eat. I love ice cream, but I just don't eat it every day. I enjoy keep fit and factor that into my life. I love going for walks, cooking and the mundane; I'm never happier than watching a movie in a darkened room," he laughs.
So will we be seeing him on Celebrity MasterChef in the near future?
"I do get asked to go on reality shows, but you know what? I'd rather cook and sit around the table chatting to my friends than being flung in a room of strangers."
:: Marti Pellow: The Private Collection Tour comes to Belfast's Waterfront Hall on October 10. Tickets from Waterfront.co.uk. He also plays Dublin's Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on October 13.
