The Commitments door Roddy Doyle

The author

Roddy Doyle was born in 1958, Dublin. He was a book lover from a very young age. He worked 14 years as a Geography and English teacher. Since 1993 he’s a full- time writer.
His most important works are:
• The commitments (1987)
• The snapper (1990)
• The van (1991)
• Paddy Clark, Ha Ha Ha (1993, won the book prize)
• A star called Henry (1999)

Story

Outspan and Derek are two Irish young men who have a band called And And And. Because things aren’t going very well they ask Jimmy Rabbitte to help them. Jimmy, a music lover, wants to help them. Jimmy has one condition; Outspan and Derek have to throw Ray out of the group. Because they really want Jimmy, they throw Ray out. Ray doesn’t mind and leaves the group without questions.
Jimmy who is the manager starts looking for some new musicians. He finds some people but he also sends an advertisement into the Hot Press:
- Have you got Soul? If yes, the world’s hardest working band is looking for you. Contact J. Rabitte. Rednecks and Southsiders need not apply.
A new manager means a new name for the band. Because Jimmy doesn’t like And And And, he finds the name: The Commitments. Jimmy is into politics and that’s why he doesn’t want southsiders to be in the band. He thinks the Irish are the niggers of Europe and that’s why he doesn’t want people from England or Scotland.
It is Joey The Lips who reads the ad and contacts Jimmy. Joey is a very interesting man, because he played with all the great soul stars. He played with James Brown, Sam cooke, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles and many more. Jimmy can’t believe it but he likes Joey and he becomes a member of the band. In the beginning the other members don’t like Joey, because he’s the same age as their father. After a while Joey is accepted and they kind of like Joey. It is in the garage of Joey’s mother they always rehearse. The entire band is:
- Jimmy Rabbitte: manager
- Outspan Foster: guitar
- Deco Cuffe: vocals
- Derek Scully: bass
- James Clifford: piano
- Billy Mooney: drums
- Dean Faye: sax
- Joey The Lips: trumpet and management
Because some of the musicians can’t play their instrument, they start the first rehearsal with some easy songs. Jimmy and Joey help the other band members with their instruments and after a while the music comes without thinking. Joey and Jimmy are happy. They are proud of there band.
The band can play some numbers of James Brown and Marvin Gaye. Deco who is the singer of the band is always very nervous to rehearse. Everyone is shore Deco can sing, but it doesn’t work out. Joey learns Deco a few tricks and Deco’s self esteem gets a boost. The Commitments improve and Jimmy and Joey are almost satisfied. Jimmy and Joey want some girls to sing. They find 3 backing vocalists:
- Imelda Quirk
- Natalie Murphy
- Bernie McLoughlin
Because there are 3 backing vocalists the band names them: The Commitmentettes. Jimmy gets the band together regularly and in stead of talking, drinking and learning how to play an instrument they can really rehearse.
Jimmy and the girls don’t get along. That’s because the girls think he’s a sexist. He’s always talking about sex and the Commitmentetts are women with power. Although the girls are always swearing everyone likes them. All the guys are in love with them and they are trying real hard to impress them. The only one who isn’t trying is Joey. The girls have noticed that and they fall in love with him. When Dean sees Natalie kissing Joey the band is shocked. For a few minutes the Commitments break up. When Natalie explains everything, the group goes on.
Everything is going well. The group can play a lot of numbers and Jimmy starts thinking about a concert. The band agrees and they make a play list. There first gig is at Barry town Square Garden. Everyone knows the place from the Bingo nights. The week before the gig everyone is very nervous but they manage to rehearse every night. They also make a poster to announce their concert. Because Jimmy thinks there will be a lot of people he asks a friend of him to be a bouncer. Mickah is a very good bouncer but the rest of the band doesn’t like him in the beginning. When they learn to know Mickah he is fine. He does his work very well. Everything is great. The band really enjoyes the concert. The audience also was excited.
A few weeks later the band has another concert in a pub. This concert is even better. There is one problem. Billy, the drummer of the band, quits. He and Deco don’t get along. Billy thinks it is better to leave. Because the band has to do some other concerts Mickah is the new drummer of the band. Jimmy is also negotiating with a record company. While Jimmy has been negotiating, the commitments split up. Deco has seen Joey kissing Imelda. Because Deco is in love with Imelda he starts a fight and the group split up.
Jimmy hates his life now. The group was his life. He thinks of starting a new group. He asks Joey what he is doing without the band. Joey can’t be in the band because he has to do a concert with Joe Tex. Later, when Jimmy is thinking about Joey he remembered Joe Tex died in 1982.
Jimmy starts a new band: The Brassers, without Joey the Lips but with the girls.

Main characters

- Jimmy Rabbitte: jimmy is the manager of the band and he knows everything about music. He is a businessman with self confidence who always knows what to say. (He always talks with the press: ‘we’re bringing the soul back to the people’). He also thinks he has knowledge of men but later he learns that it isn’t so. At the end he knows that Joey isn’t playing with Joe Tex because he’s dead. Now he knows Joey wasn’t telling the truth. Jimmy is very bossy (‘Yis aren’t And And And anymore, yis are the commitments’). He also can impress the others with his knowledge of music. Jimmy knows all the important bands.
- Joey The Lips: Joey is an older man. He could be Jimmy’s father. He is always calm and believes in the band. He is very patient, because when the group is formed no one could play his instrument. Joey teaches them how to play. Because he is much older he has certain knowledge. The girls of the band like that knowledge. He is a lady killer. He acts like an innocent man but he twists the girls round his little finger, and not only the girls. He makes Jimmy believe he will be playing with Joe Tex in America. He is also a very catholic man. He believes God has sent him to play with this band. He also knows the bible and quotes it sometimes.