WATCH: Queen fan Toby (9) is a Waterford star on the rise

In some ways Toby McDonald, from Tramore, is very much like any other child his age.

The 9-year-old 3rd Class pupil likes going to Holy Cross Primary School, meeting up with friends and by his own admission is “fascinated by facts”.

However, in every generation there are truly exceptional people; those who have a certain spark within their inherent nature that makes them stand out from the crowd and marks them out as being just that little bit special and someone to watch out for.

Toby is just such a person. When Waterford News & Star sat down to have a chat with him at his home, in the company of his mam and dad, it was immediately apparent that here was someone who, even at such a young age, knows exactly who he is and what he wants to be when he grows up.

Music is Toby’s life; everything revolves around it and, in his three years to-date as a member of Klub Musik, he has learned guitar, keyboard and drums, and is quite a formidable singer.

When asked who his favourite bands are he refers to the classics.

“I like Queen and AC/DC, and I like the Beatles,” he said. 

He visited Liverpool recently with his parents with the sole purpose of taking the Beatles tour and when speaking with us he was looking forward to a trip to Poland during which a gig by a Queen tribute band was on the agenda.

“We’re going to see a Queen tribute band called ‘God Save The Queen’,” he said. “We saw them in Spain and we’re going to Poland soon and they’re actually playing in Poland so we got tickets and we’re also going to see another Queen tribute band in the Theatre Royal.” 

Toby’s love of music has been with him as long as he can remember: “It makes me feel really excited and it makes me feel happy that I’m out there.” 

The latter point was reference to the fact that he loves performing live.

For the Buskaid fundraiser in Waterford, to raise money for the homeless at Christmas, he played for two hours and in the process raised a massive amount of money.

While he loves getting out in front of people to perform he also practices at home more-or-less every day but he really loves attending Klub Musik.

“They’re really brilliant down there,” he said. “They teach me guitar and different songs, keyboard, drums, singing”.

When asked if he had a favourite type of guitar, his answer was instant and the choice of icons.

“I like my SG Epiphone and also I have a semi-acoustic, Sigma,” he said, also noting that Angus Young of AC/DC also plays an SG.

“Angus Young, he plays the Gibson version,” he said.

The Epiphone SG Toby plays is a left-handed model that his parents bought for him in John Palmer’s music store in Waterford City.

“Well someone brought it into John Palmer’s and it was left-handed so they held it in there for me,” he said.

“I have a right-handed guitar teacher but I find it easier learning from a right-handed teacher – he knows what he’s doing. My teacher’s name is Mark Nugent.” 

While obviously music is something he likes talking about with his friends, especially Ruan who also plays guitar, he also has a passionate interest in history and art. Physical creative art is also something that he is quite talented at.

“I like drawing anything really,” he said. “I like drawing stuff out of books, like animals and also people.” 

However, the interest in music trumps everything else and when asked what he wants to be when he grows up his immediate response was, “I want to be a musician.” 

While he hasn’t written any of his own songs yet he has begun poems in school and it’s really only a matter of time before he’s working on his own compositions; that’s something that was very apparent.

For Toby’s First Communion celebration last year in keeping with his engaging personality he didn’t want a traditional party but instead wanted a band to perform.

He got his wish and with family and friends present he got to play with the Shellakybookies band at his home.

“It was very good, all my friends and family were there and I got to play a couple of songs with them, and they’re very good as well,” said Toby.

He performed ‘Stand By Me’, ‘Wonderwall’, ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain’ and ‘Yellow’ with the band and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

His love of music also extends to a burgeoning record collection and he saves up his pocket money to buy records. He has combined a love of Lego with his music interest to create a little Lego jazz band, which takes pride of place in the family kitchen.

While Toby likes performing solo he also loves the camaraderie of a band: “I like them both; with busking you do it solo and it’s really nice but then I like playing with other people as well because it’s a better buzz.” 

While Toby himself didn't get to attend this year's Oasis gigs in Croke Park, despite his parents’ best efforts to secure tickets for all the family, he has already seen Liam Gallagher live.

“He was really good,” he commented, recalling the gig.

“I’ve seen Ed Sheeran and Moncrieff and the Wailers – they’re brilliant and I’ve seen the Mary Wallopers,” he said.

Toby constantly seeks out new songs to learn: “I like ‘Wonderwall’ and last week I learned ‘Half The World Away’. This week I’m learning ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ by Johnny Nash.” 

However, while he works away on new songs his favourite track is ‘You’re My Best Friend’, by Queen.

“I like the chords and it just really gets you into a good mood; it’s a real head-bopper,” he said.

Describing the type of band Toby would like to be in if he had access to a crystal ball or magic wand, he said: “A rock band, but not heavy. Something like the Chili Peppers or Queen, but probably not something like AC/DC – not too shouty.” 

With a long life of music ahead of him there are a lot of bands and artists that Toby is looking forward to exploring and one of them is Irish guitar legend, Rory Gallagher.

However, that particular recommendation came from a very special person. Last Christmas none other than Santa Claus visited Toby’s house while doing his pre-Christmas Eve rounds and having been bowled over by Toby’s music knowledge and talent it was the man in red himself who advised him to check out Rory Gallagher’s music.

Speaking of Christmas, when asked if Santa could bring him any particular type of guitar, Toby said: “In Palmer’s there is a left-handed Gibson and I also like Gretsch guitars, they’re really nice, but mostly Gibson guitars and also Fender Stratocasters – because I have the Telecaster but I don’t have a Stratocaster.” 

Before leaving, Waterford News & Star was treated to an in-house performance from Toby in his music room with the Credence Clearwater Revival classic, ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain’ being a particular highlight.

Music is the world’s universal language and with an inherent talent that only a select few people are born with Toby McDonald is fluent and in him the future of Waterford music is in very good hands.

Watch the video clip below of Toby performing at the recent Katie Barry's, Rising Stars event