Robert Arkins on The Commitments, Jimmy Rabbitte and Why He Disappeared

Robert Arkins joins Mark Millar on the XS Noize Podcast to discuss "The Commitments," Jimmy Rabbitte, life after the film, his musical roots, working with Alan Parker, and returning to the music for the 35th anniversary shows. Best known to millions as Jimmy Rabbitte in Alan Parker’s classic 1991 film "The Commitments," Robert Arkins came into the story as a musician first. Before the film changed his life, he was singing, writing, playing bass and fronting his own band, Housebroken. In this conversation, Robert looks back on how his sister first gave him Roddy Doyle’s book, why he initially saw the film as a distraction from his music, and how he ended up becoming the face and voice of one of the most loved music films of all time. Robert also talks about Alan Parker’s direction, the natural Dublin rhythm of Jimmy Rabbitte, the film’s unforgettable humour, and the moment he realised "The Commitments" had become much bigger than just a film. He shares brilliant behind-the-scenes stories from the shoot, including Van Morrison auditioning for Joey “The Lips,” the famous bath scene, Johnny Murphy’s motorbike mishap, and what fans still say to him more than three decades later. The conversation also goes deeper into what happened after "The Commitments" — the pressure of sudden fame, travelling to LA, signing to MCA, working on an unfinished Housebroken album, and the frustration of being seen as Jimmy Rabbitte when he wanted to be recognised as an artist in his own right. Now, in 2026, Robert is returning to the music with Robert Arkins’ Commitments for a run of UK and Ireland shows celebrating the 35th anniversary of the film. He talks about bringing those songs back to the stage, adding Detroit and Northern Soul into the set, and why the energy of the audience reminds him of seeing the film with a crowd. As Robert says in the episode: “It never ends. And there’s always another chance.” Chapters 00:00 Robert Arkins joins XS Noize 00:17 Being a musician before "The Commitments" 00:53 Discovering Roddy Doyle’s book 01:32 Was Robert originally considered for Deco? 03:34 What Alan Parker saw in him 04:35 Finding Jimmy Rabbitte’s rhythm 06:16 Van Morrison auditioning for Joey “The Lips” 07:16 Realising "The Commitments" was bigger than the film 09:43 Why the film still works 11:46 What fans say to Robert now 12:43 Memories from filming 13:43 The bath scene and the missing joke 16:20 Singing on the soundtrack 18:39 Life after "The Commitments" 22:19 The unfinished Housebroken album 26:49 Returning for the 35th anniversary shows 31:10 What comes back when the songs kick in 31:45 Bringing in Detroit and Northern Soul 33:17 What the band needs to get right 35:04 Robert’s changing relationship with the film 36:52 What he hopes audiences leave with 38:36 What he learned from "The Commitments" 39:38 Robert’s message to XS Noize Follow XS Noize Instagram → / xsnoizemusic Facebook → / xsnoizemusic X / Twitter → https://x.com/xsnoizemusic Listen & watch more episodes YouTube → @thexsnoizepodcast Website → https://www.xsnoize.com About XS Noize XS Noize is a music platform featuring interviews, reviews, and news with some of the most influential artists in the world. Hosted & produced by Mark Millar. Related topics Robert Arkins interview The Commitments interview Jimmy Rabbitte Alan Parker Roddy Doyle The Commitments film The Commitments soundtrack Housebroken Robert Arkins Commitments The Commitments 35th anniversary Andrew Strong Joey The Lips Van Morrison Dublin music Irish cinema Irish music films Soul music Detroit Soul Northern Soul Mustang Sally Try A Little Tenderness Treat Her Right Slip Away Life after The Commitments Working with Alan Parker XS Noize Podcast #RobertArkins #TheCommitments #JimmyRabbitte #AlanParker #XSNoizePodcast