From Neighbours and Dr Karl Kennedy – Alan Fletcher on music and touring Scotland
It’s certainly true that everybody needs good neighbours – and many of the stars of the Australian soap, which gained a huge UK audience, have travelled far beyond the confines of Ramsay Street.
Alan Fletcher spent 31 years playing Dr Karl Kennedy, who was well known for his lack of musical talent.
However, the man behind the character is the very opposite, and is about to tour the UK with his band, with half a dozen gigs around Scotland – including a date in Hawick.
He’s been playing live for over 20 years, recorded albums and has a number of tours under his belt, building up a solid fan base for his alt country/folk sound.
Alan admitted: “When I started out, most of my fans came via the show and because they knew my character who was a crap musician!
“They came along thinking the show might be a laugh, but I have a great band and love what I do – they left entertained, and came back!”
He has toured the UK several time before, but his autumn schedule takes him to a host of Scottish venues for the first time. This month also sees him perform some dates down south with his wife, Jen Hansen, before returning with his band.
He kicks off at the Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh on Tuesday, October 20, before heading to Kinross, Inverness, Aberdeen, Motherwell, and The Heart Of Hawick in the Borders town on Wednesday, October 28.
“It’s always great to get to Scotland – Edinburgh is such a beautiful city.
“But this time round, I told my booking manager I really wanted to play regional gigs. I also had a passion to go to Inverness – I’ve done a stage show there before and the audiences were great, but never played music, and people kept asking me to come up.
“Hawick will be completely new to me – but these gigs mean people who live outside the cities can come and see the band without having to travel so far. I’m really looking forward to them.”
Alan’s stint in Neighbours began with a one-year contract in 1994. He was still there when the final episode aired in 2025.
Away from Ramsay Road, he has appeared in many other dramas, enjoyed stints in UK pantos, and even become a highly respected photographer in Melbourne.
He remains eternally grateful for the opportunities the show gave him.
“Some people come to see the gigs because of it,” he said. “And they chat about the character and get photographs, which I love. They also come back again…”
Music is is passion these days. His sets feature his own material – with one cover.
Alan revealed: “I always have a John Prine song – he was a huge influence on me and is my favourite singer songwriter – I still love to put on his songs.”
His own influences stem from the 1960s, but it was punk rock which made a big impact.
“Life changed in my early 20s when I came across Elvis Costello, The Clash and the Sex Pistols when punk was still really taking off,” he said.
“Coming here, I have an audience that has grown with me, but recently I’m also playing to more and more university aged audiences which is great.”
For tickets, go to alanfletcher.net/tour-dates.