Interview by Nick Kennedy

Flamboyance is second nature to wild-eyed rock crooner/songwriter Jack Lukeman. From Athy, County Kildare, to Dublin, Lukeman's cut a swath as this generation's "in your face" showman fluctuating from sneer to erotic gaze as he toys with audiences. Witness his recent displays of hip swaggering antics at New York's Mercury Lounge.

On stage, his lip curls up into a snarl and Lukeman launches into such cheeky tongue waggers as "Boys & Girls" (his tribute to outrC film director Ed Wood). Clad in "yo man" styled shades, the raven haired singer has his bardic baritones (with a touch of Brecht Mreill and a dose of Jacques Brel) but such vocalizations are wholly encased in black leathers and feather boas. His eclectic anthems are as much of the global village as of his own bucolic background. Yet Lukeman is as much the cartographer of the Irish heart as it's libido. This young man has sexualized Irish songwriting just as Riverdance has made Hibemian hips... hip. Lukeman articulates the voice of a New Ireland; confident, coy and coquettish with a range that encapsulates everyone from Bowie to Nick Cave to even... Bone. With fingers wrapped around the mike, heart and g-strings of his compatriots, he was voted "most sexy man under 25" for two years In Dublin Magazine. But hearing is believing, so if one wants to hear a Celtic Tiger purr, pounce and roar, listen to his latest and American debut, Metropolis Blue (Razor & Tie). Having done several New York dates, Lukeman has outlined where he's been and how he's going to establish the velvet goldmine of his Midlands lad's silvery chords.--Nick Kennedy/Brad Balfour

Who is in your pantheon of influences?

Any artist is more than the sum of his/her inspiration, and I would hate to be pigeon-holed as not being such.'I~o people I would consider to be highly talented individuals that come to mind would be Tom Waits and Nina Simone. I have very eclectic tastes though which include both radio friendly Pop and the music of a more underground artistry.

You cite the legendary Belgian singer/songwriter Jacques Brel as an influence.

I've done a couple of shows of Jacques Brel covers which became the CD, Wax I value him with Tom Waits; they both write great words and paint great pictures. Leonard Cohen would fall into that category; they all delve into the tragicomic underbelly of life that I'm attracted to.

On the "Rooftop Lullaby" single is a version of Cohen's "Hallelujah."

I started doing the Cohen song years ago, actually it was around the same time I was doing the Brel show. The version I was familiar with was by J.J. Gale but Jeff Buckley popularized it. My version has been knocking about in concerts for years and people had been requesting it so I decided to include a version from a live show we recorded recently in Dublin's Gaiety theater.

Your influences exude a mellow vibe, yet after witnessing your show's almost decadent pageantry, one wonders, how does the thinking person 's troubadour morph into a Vegas Elvis?

That takes people by surprise, if your only exposure to me is by album. When it's live, it's more of a party than anything else; a forum for where Elvis might meet Tom Jones. But it's true that Jacques Brel was quite the showman too. Couldyou explain the name changefrom Jack L (as it is in Ireland) to Jack Lukeman When I was with the Black Romantics we were promoted as Jack L and the Black Romantics. This was before my Jacques Brel days but when I went solo I didn't want people thinking I was imitating his name. I wanted to use my full name which has appeared on every solo album. But Jack L has kinda stuck back home, and it fits better on posters. Lukeman isn't a stage name; I spell it Loughman, but is pronounced Lukeman where I come from.

If you were in a seance, who would you conjure up and what song would you duet on?

It would probably be a duet with Elvis. The song would be Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here." With lots of explosions a la the traditional Elvis big ending in Vegas!

On your final song live, you got the crowd chanting the chorus 'I like girls and I like boys' Have you gigged with the song in Ireland? What has the reaction been?

No. It's a misprint on the album! The song was originally titled "Girls and Boys" The song is dedicated to Ed Wood and is basically a poke of the finger in the eye of tabooism and an anthem against the societal constraints against sexuality. It states that people are what they are.

Is such a stance unconsciously inspired by the fall of the Catholic Church in Ireland in your generation?

Yes. It's sticking your tongue out at one of the many unspeakable 'sinful' things that we were brought up with. People get the joke. The song is supposed to be funny, and we want to laugh at what is essentially a very funny but natural thing, about accepting people for who they are .

Would you regard yourself as political in the context ofthe Troubles?

I see the world as one big place with no borders. I believe in the peace process basically; the world is a big place and we should all get along.

Tell me about your songwriting process?

Basically, I make it up as I go along in any way, shape or form it happens! Dave (guitarist) and I co-write most of the material and then some are written independently. Some songs are written in a day, others take a year. And a lot of them grow up on stage. We test audience reaction to see if they are worthy of album inclusion.

Was the album's title Metropolis Blue inspired by touring larger cities?

I come from Co. Kildare, but grew up in the countryside in the middle of nowhere. When the album was completed I looked at the theme of many of the songs; I felt there was a certain city feel to it, not glamorous and cosmopolitan but the desperation which exudes from lonely bedsits. The latter part of the title also serves to include those songs on the album, which might be classed as dirty porn songs!

What about the multi-media Jack L?

Our site is doing really well and just keeps expanding with links. It's a facility for merchandise, and tour info but it has a very personal feel too. The guest book is very popular. People have almost their own language on it. I was thinking of setting up a dating agency, there are so many people getting together on it and I can't get one!