Rory Gallagher for Ever - Blues Rock

Rory Gallagher FB Fan page is now over 10,000 fans. "Can't Believe is True"

2009-02-22T08:16:00.001-08:00

Hello Rory Fans,

Now we would be able to give Rory a special present on his coming 61st B-day, a pack of 10,000++ loyal FB fans. "Can't Believe It's True", we got it before the first year the page was opened!.

The new members here are Tom Stein(fan 10,002), Clément Olsem(fan 10,001), Kiko Mauriz Sanchís(fan 10,000), Katerina Papavasileiou(fan 9,009), IBràhim Oùbihi Lïîzàrd Kïng(fan 9,008), Gus O'Brolchain(fan 9,007), Ioanna Vogiatzi(fan 9,006), Eva Natural Born Blaster(fan 9,005), Natasha Tsirou(fan 9,004), Argyris Argyriadis(fan 9,003) and also appreciate the joining of all new fans between 9,000 to 10,000.

This is the progession:

0 - 1,000 fans (120 days, Mar 7 to Jul 6)

1,000 - 2,000 fans ( 58 days, Jul 6 to Sep 4)

2,000 - 3,000 fans ( 51 days, Sep 4 to Oct 25)

3,000 - 4,000 fans ( 36 days, Oct 25 to Dic 1)

4,000 - 5,000 fans ( 16 days, Dic 1 to Dic 16)

5,000 - 6,000 fans ( 16 days, Dic 16 to Jan 2)

6,000 - 7,000 fans ( 15 days, Jan 2 to Jan 17)

7,000 - 8,000 fans ( 11 days, Jan 17 to Jan 28)

8,000 - 9,000 fans ( 12 days, Jan 28 to Feb 09)

9,000 - 10,000 fans ( 13 days, Feb 09 to Feb 22)

The distribution is steady at:

female/male ratio: 21%/79%

fans younger than 35 years age: 77%

Hugo Angel

9000 fans at Facebook Rory Gallagher page

2009-02-09T10:21:00.003-08:00

Hello Rory Fans,

While I was wring this post we were 9040 fans thanks to Katerina Fotou(Fan 9040), Paraboschi Matteo(Fan 9039), Saša Malkić(Fan 9038), Pantelis Bekris(Fan 9037), Andreas Bereris(Fan 9036), Joe Sofia(Fan 9035), Lena Painesi(Fan 9034), Raffaele Cafagna(Fan 9033), Nikos Eleutheropoulos(Fan 9032), Panagioths Asvestopoulos(Fan 9031), Nikol Tsaousi(Fan 9030), Kiki Fragaki(Fan 9029), Jimmy Donders(Fan 9028), Thanasis Fisikopoulos(Fan 9027), Quique Montoliu Gispert(Fan 9026), Lef Nittis(Fan 9025), Giorgio Debiasi(Fan 9024), Vaggelis Fotinatos(Fan 9023), Katerina Kom(Fan 9022), Tanja Maes(Fan 9021), Warren Saterlay(Fan 9020), Ioanna Nousiou(Fan 9019), Matteo Manfredi(Fan 9018), Paul Caffrey(Fan 9017), Staš Mivšek(Fan 9016), Aris Motley Davidson(Fan 9015), Ana Garcia Fuentes(Fan 9014), Martín Campoy López(Fan 9013), Ioanna Patronidi(Fan 9012), Fotini Ioannidou(Fan 9011), Vasilis Pergamalis(Fan 9010), Elena Kontonikou(Fan 9009), Athina Spyrou(Fan 9008), Josip Špendić(Fan 9007), Étienne Lucas(Fan 9006), Alex Svarnas(Fan 9005), Ian Tolan(Fan 9004), George Dinoc(Fan 9003), Papatheodorou Natasha(Fan 9002), Jan Collauti(Fan 9001), Marika Tsakmaki(Fan 9000) and specially to all new fans between 8,000 to 9,000.

I hope we are going to be more than 10.000 fans for Rory 61st Birthday. Nice present from all of us to the G-Man and his memory.

These are the figures:

0 - 1,000 fans from Mar 7 to Jul 6 (120 days)

1,000 - 2,000 fans fron Jul 6 to Sep 4 ( 58 days)

2,000 - 3,000 fans from Sep 4 to Oct 25 ( 51 days)

3,000 - 4,000 fans from Oct 25 to Dic 1 ( 36 days)

4,000 - 5,000 fans from Dic 1 to Dic 16 ( 16 days)

5,000 - 6,000 fans from Dic 16 to Jan 2 ( 16 days)

6,000 - 7,000 fans from Jan 2 to Jan 17 ( 15 days)

7,000 - 8,000 fans from Jan 17 to Jan 28 ( 11 days)

8,000 - 9,000 fans from Jan 28 to Feb 09 ( 12 days)

The distribution is steady at:

female/male ratio : 20%/80%

fans younger than 33 years age: 77%

Hugo Angel

Rory Gallagher Facebook page reaches 8000 fans

2009-01-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

As announced in FB Rory Gallagher fan page:

"Hello Rory Fans,

Please find at this blog "EL BLOG DE ARCHI 2" a link to "rory gallagher-1989-follow me"(rarities,demos,outtak es) a really cool bootleg.

By the way, we have have crossed another next millenium fan mark (8000) thanks to

Stathis Miliotis(Fan 8010),
Argiris Koltsidas(Fan 8009),
Giorgos Batistatos(Fan 8008),
Vaso Moschopoulou(Fan 8007),
Theodore Kontaxis(Fan 8006),
Florian Lacassie(Fan 8005),
Arno Olivier Les Déboulonné(Fan 8004),
Zico El Mouddene(Fan 8003),
Ben Small(Fan 8002),
Dermot Mc Cann(Fan 8001),
Lalita Gavrili(Fan 8000),
Conor O'connor(Fan 7999),
Nikos Panikos(Fan 7998)

and specially to all new fans between 7,000 to 8,000.

I hope that with your continous promotion of Rory, well be more than 10.000 fans for Rory 61st Birthday.

This is the figures evolution:
0 - 1,000 fans from Mar 7 to Jul 6 (120 days)
1,000 - 2,000 fans fron Jul 6 to Sep 4 ( 58 days)
2,000 - 3,000 fans from Sep 4 to Oct 25 ( 51 days)
3,000 - 4,000 fans from Oct 25 to Dic 1 ( 36 days)
4,000 - 5,000 fans from Dic 1 to Dic 16 ( 16 days)
5,000 - 6,000 fans from Dic 16 to Jan 2 ( 16 days)
6,000 - 7,000 fans from Jan 2 to Jan 17 ( 15 days)
7,000 - 8,000 fans from Jan 17 to Jan 28 ( 11 days)

The distribution stabilized at
female/male ratio: 20%/80%
fans younger than 33 years age are 77%

Enjoy

Hugo Angel.

PS: There is there a nice rendition, totally Roryfied, of "Peter Gunn" TV Series theme in the bootleg. It bring some childhood memories for 10% of us."

Rory Gallagher FB page now has more than 7000 fans

2009-01-17T13:24:00.000-08:00

With the joining of Dimitris Polizoidis(Fan 7011), Sharon Anne Lilly(Fan 7010), Raul Hernandez(Fan 7009), Aaron O'Brien(Fan 7008), Melinacellist Kry(Fan 7007), Mj O'Shea(Fan 7006), Athina Maria Giannikou(Fan 7005), Ivanji Romero(Fan 7004), Donal Hackett(Fan 7003), Tom Oliver(Fan 7002), Nikos Gkikizas(Fan 7001), Riboni Filippo(Fan 7000), Sotiris Bonoras(Fan 6999) and specially to all new fans from 6,000 to 7,000 we are now more than 7K fans! The fan base keeps growing steadily. At this pace it could expected more than 10K fans for the first year after the opening of the page Page.

This is the figures evolution:

0 - 1,000 fans from Mar 7 to Jul 6 (120 days)

1,000 - 2,000 fans fron Jul 6 to Sep 4 ( 58 days)

2,000 - 3,000 fans from Sep 4 to Oct 25 ( 51 days)

3,000 - 4,000 fans from Oct 25 to Dic 1 ( 36 days)

4,000 - 5,000 fans from Dic 1 to Dic 16 ( 16 days)

5,000 - 6,000 fans from Dic 16 to Jan 2 ( 16 days)

6,000 - 7,000 fans from Jan 2 to Jan 17 ( 15 days)

The distribution is stable:

female/male ratio: 20%/80%

fans above 34 years age are now: 23%

(fans with more "youth experience" are starting to embrace FB)

Fender Introduces New Road Worn Series

2009-01-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

ORIGINAL: AmericanSongwriter.com

By Kris Harmon

January 7th, 2009

For many musicians there exist few bigger turn-ons than a beautiful shining new electric guitar straight off the rack with its unblemished plastic parts still wrapped carefully with that protective transparent covering. For others, the sight of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Rory Gallagher, and Jaco Pastorius using and abusing their Fenders night after night would change their lives-and spending habits-forever. With the lusts of the latter in mind, Fender has introduced the new Road Worn Series of electric guitars that pair the beautifully broken aesthetics of the Fender Relic guitars with recession-grade affordability.

For years since the introduction of the Relic guitars Fender fans without a spare three grand to drop have wanted and searched, even destroyed, many fine instruments in order to harness some of the raw appeal of a guitar that’s seen far too many long nights in honky tonks, juke joints, and dive bars. The Road Worn series offers a

50’s Telecaster,
50’s Stratocasters
60’s Stratocasters,
50’s Precision Bass, and
60’s Jazz Bass

models to satiate all manner of vintage Fender longing. All five models feature period-correct features including the nitrocellulose lacquer that gave those vintage Fenders their fantastic resonance and was later replaced in the name of aesthetic consistency.

The 50’s Tele features an Ash body with distressed maple neck, 3-saddle bridge, and one-ply pickguard reminiscent of the Teles of yore with the end result being a guitar that appears as though Luther Perkins forgot he stored it in a closet 25 years ago. The 50’s Strat also features the maple neck and fretboard of the era along with an Alder body, synchronized tremolo, and one-ply pickguard. The 50’s Strat in black (also available in Two-Tone Sunburst) essentially appears as Eric Clapton’s Blackie Strat did circa The Last Waltz. The 60’s Strat features the Alder body with a rosewood fretboard, synchronized tremolo, and three-ply mint green pickguard. All three models feature Fender’s slightly over-wound Tex-Mex pickups for vintage tone with a little extra muscle.

The 50’s P-Bass features a maple neck and fretboard, an alder body, reverse tuning machines and a super-cool gold anodized pickguard. The 60’s Jazz Bass is sure to satisfy any Jaco or John Paul Jones fan with its alder body, rosewood fretboard, vintage bridge, four-ply shell pickguard, and availability in Fiesta Red and classic Three-Tone Sunburst.

Instrument concepts such as this always bring their fair share of praise and criticism alike. After all, musicians are passionate people who generally feel pretty strongly about what we consider to be traditional, classic, new, or innovative and often formulas that involve several of those elements are subject to heated debate. If you are either a lover of beautiful, new, flawless guitars or a vintage collector, these instruments are obviously not for you. If you refuse to buy new jeans till your favorite pair disintegrates, like a little dirt on your truck, or believe whole-heartedly that chicks dig scars, check out the new Road Worn Series available this January. They are truly hip guitars that you won’t have to take a loan out to afford.

Rory Gallagher FB Fan Page reaches 6000+ fans in 2009

2009-01-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

Hello

It's nice to start a new Year win a new landmark in the Facebook Fan page Base.

We are happy for having Simon Breteau(fan 6012), Vassiliki Athanasakou(fan 6011), Yohann Viry(fan 6010), Reppas George(fan 6009), Haroula Stathi(fan 6008), Simon Breteau(fan 6007), Laura Mathsen(fan 6006), Gunter Knaepen(fan 6005), Vaggelis Mitsikas(fan 6004), Santermans Bruno(fan 6003), Daragh Owens(fan 6002), Yiannis Vryzakis(fan 6001), Elenh Milona(fan 6000), Stephane Bastin(fan 5999) and all new fans between 5,000 and 6,000 among us.

The fan base keeps growing steadily . This are the figures:

0 - 1,000 fans from Mar 7 to Jul 6 (120 days)

1,000 - 2,000 fans fron Jul 6 to Sep 4 ( 58 days)

2,000 - 3,000 fans from Sep 4 to Oct 25 ( 51 days)

3,000 - 4,000 fans from Oct 25 to Dic 1 ( 36 days)

4,000 - 5,000 fans from Dic 1 to Dic 16 ( 16 days)

5,000 - 6,000 fans from Dic 16 to Jan 2 ( 16 days)

If new fans keep adding at this pace, we probably could be 10,000 for Rory 61th Birthday.

The distribution is the usual:

female/male ratio: 20%/80%

fans below 34 years age: 81% (pretty stable)

Again,

Happy New Year 2009!

Happy New Year 2009, Rory Gallagher Fans. Hellcats in "The Lonesome Highway"

2009-01-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

Tangled up in Blues (A must read for a Rory Fan)

2008-12-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

ORIGINAL: The Rory Gallaghe Story
By "Hot Press” - The Rock `n' Roll Issue (Anniversary Special No. 3) 1992 at "Rory Gallagher Tribute Page"

"Tangled up in Blues"

The Rory Gallagher Story - a star-studded saga of music, magic, mayhem, merriment and the highs and lows of the long and winding road. Interview by Liam Fay.

He suffered a lot. His health was bad. He had a problem with drink. His relationships with women were all messed up because of his work. And he got a lot of hassle from the authorities and the establishment. But still, he stayed true to what he wanted to do and he laid down the definitive rules for what's become known as the hard-boiled school of writing.”

Rory Gallagher is talking about his great personal hero, Dashiell Hammett, but there is a strong sense in which he is also talking about himself. At forty-four, Gallagher is not a man without regrets. "I've toured more than any other artist in Europe” he says ruefully, "I've toured too much for my own good. It hasn't left time for very much else, unfortunately. You don't develop any family life or anything like that and it makes all your relationships very difficult. There's always a certain percentage missing from your life. As a human being, you only have so much to give, not just in terms of your physical body but in how you deal with people.”

It's Rory's physical body, however, which bears the most visible effects. No longer the lean-looking guitar-slinger of yore, he nowadays favours dark sunglasses, not as a fashion affectation, but because light, any kind of light, hurts his eyes. Over the years, he has also developed what he calls a "ragbag” of neuroses. For example, he has become an obsessive painting straightner and cannot stand to be in a room where there are pictures hanging at even the slightest slant.

"The blues is bad for your health,” he says with a shrug. "It's as simple as that. Look at the list, Jimmy Reed was epileptic, Howlin' Wolf ended up on a kidney machine, most of all the other big names were alcoholics. Muddy Waters was one of the few guys that got that under control. People like Skip James never could. And when Howlin' was on dialysis and he stopped drinking, it affected his performance, strangely enough. So drink and the blues are closely linked, one feed off the other. It goes with the territory.”

Rory is on a roll now. We're sitting in one of his favourite London haunts, a small Chelsea wine-bar where the waitresses buzz about their most famous regular customer with a maternal and protective air, relaying phone messages for him and playing his favourite tapes on the bar sound system. Rory is taking alternate sips of cappuccino and white wine, and literally rubbing his hands together with glee as he talks about people like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Jimmy Reed.

"It's a hoary old cliché but I still live and breathe the blues,” he admits. "I'm still fascinated with it and with the people who make it. It's my life. Even when I'm not touring or writing, I listen to it all the time. I don't watch television. I might watch the odd bit of tennis, or boxing or football but since the Tories won the last election, I've given up on television altogether. The only newspapers that I read are the Irish Sunday papers, just to keep up with what's happening on the mainland (laughs). I still like trillers, Hammett, Chandler, Patricia Highsmith. But apart from that, music is all I do. I listen to a lot but keep going back to the big guys, the all-time blues greats.

He's far too unassuming and modest to ever say it, or probably even think it, but Rory Gallagher himself is now one of the all-time blues greats. His popularity has ribboned the globe and the esteem, and indeed awe, in which he is held by most of his peers, is unquestioned. From Muddy Waters to The Rolling Stones to Jerry Lee Lewis, he has also received the personal imprimaturs of most of rock's truly great legends.

It's also worth noting for the record that, in Irish terms, Rory Gallagher's contribution is immense. Long before Thin Lizzy, U2, Sinead O'Connor et al were ever even heard of, Gallagher was making inroads into international markets and putting Ireland on the world's musical map. He was, quite simply, the first ever Irish rock star.

Born on March 2nd, 1948, Rory Gallagher was originally christened Liam Gallagher but, unforgivably, decided to jettison that excellent first name at an early stage and adopt the infinitely more banal `Rory'. "There was no saint Rory and I liked the idea of not having a saint's name. Anyway, I think my mother preferred `Rory' to `Liam', he says in a flimsy defense of his actions.

He grew up in West Cork and was enthralled by music from an early age, especially the traditional music which his parents and their friends would play in the Gallagher household at weekends. At the age of nine, he acquired his first acoustic guitar and it was around that time too that he developed what was to become a life-long love of twiddling radio knobs.

"We didn't have a record player when I was growing up,” he recalls. "So I spent a lot of time tuning into Radio Luxembourg, BBC and the AFN (Armed Forces Network) from Germany. The first electric blues I heard was Muddy Waters on AFN. It was very late one night and it came across real clear. He was playing a slide Telecaster and that really hit me. So the following weekend, I went into the library in Cork and I got books out on the origins of blues. Then I started getting into Lonnie Donnegan and Ledbelly and Big Bill Broonzy. And then Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran and all the rock `n' rollers. The more I heard the more I got addicted.

Having spent several years touring Ireland and England and playing Jim Reeves covers with The Fontana Showband (who were also known as Impact), Rory Gallagher formed his own band in 1966. They had numerous false starts and setbacks - the fact that they were a guitar-based blues trio initially made them very unattractive to most club owners who favoured four-piece `beat' combos at the time - but the group eventually established itself and after numerous name-changes finally settled on the moniker of Taste.

With Richard "Charlie” McCracken on Bass and John Wilson on drums, Taste gigged extensively throughout Europe and quickly earned a legendary reputation as the hardest working band on the blues circuit. Albums like "Taste” ('69), "On The Boards” ('70), "Live” ('70) and the posthumous classic "Live At The Isle Of Wight” ('71) won them huge acclaim, with Rory's incendiary axing already being described as one of the most distinctive sounds in rock.

Against the backdrop of the death of Jimi Hendrix in September 1970 and Eric Clapton's ongoing descent into parody Gallagher seemed perfectly poised to become the world's top international guitar hero. Unfortunately, severe managerial problems and the realisation that they had been mercilessly ripped off by a variety of parties brought about the premature demise of Taste in October 1970.

Rory Gallagher is reluctant to go back over what he describes as "ancient history” but his rage is still palpable when he recalls how ruthlessly he was exploited during The Taste days.

"Yeah, I feel very angry about all of that,” he says. "I don't like to think about it that often because it upsets me. I always believe that what I do should be outlaw music. My attitude in a funny kind of way was always a punk attitude. I think all the best artists are outside of the system so I was never into being all wise and clued-up on the financial side of things. But I obviously ignored it too much and allowed people to rip me off.

"I don't want to get wound up about this. I don't hold grudges and some of the people involved are actually dead since (pause). But, contrary to popular opinion, I never made a penny out of The Taste. There's been legal things going on until this year so it has actually cost me money. The whole thing has made me very wary of music business people. I don't give a damn about the money. It's people who let you down that bothers me most.”

Signs on it. For most of his solo career, Rory Gallagher has been managed by his
younger brother, Donal. "He's a superb character, a gift from God,” says Rory. "I don't think I'd have stuck with it so long if it wasn't for Donal. I'm so suspicious of people and I don't think a different manager would put up with my whims. It's not that I'm difficult - I find myself very easy to understand (laughs) - but the business side, you know, really bugs me. I'd love to move out of London. I'd like to go back to Ireland. It'd be great to live in Dublin and let all the business stuff just tick over in London.

As for the oft-suggested prospect of a Taste reunion?

"Well, I've recently re-established a friendly atmosphere with the guys,” says Rory. "They want to do a reunion but I don't know. I think Taste is not something that will ever happen again. I don't like going back. I just want to go forward and try to stretch myself.

During the early seventies, Rory Gallagher's numerous sorties into America, coupled with his fast-swelling reputation brought him into contact with the blues pioneers whom he had grown up listening to, people like Freddie King, Howlin' Wolf, Albert King and, of course, Muddy Waters.

In small, smoky acoustic clubs across the continent, he would sit and watch his heroes play and, on occasion, would even be called onstage for a jamming session. It was in this way that he made contacts which eventually led to his being asked to play on Muddy Waters' historic "London Sessions” alongside such notables as Stevie Winwood, Georgie Fame and Mitch Mitchell in 1972. The very mention of that period now is enough to light up Rory's face.

"It was a real honour,” he recalls with a smile. "The whole thing has stuck in my memory like a video. I can plug it in at any time and replay it in my head. I only wish I could do it again with my experience now because Muddy taught me an awful lot during those sessions and I came out a much better player than I went in.

"I used to have to play gigs in different parts of the country in the evenings and then, afterwards, I'd drive up to London for those recordings, and they'd hold up the sessions `till I arrived. So I'd finish in, say, Birmingham at 10.30 p.m. and then I'd jump in the car and drive like the devil to get there as soon as I could. Muddy'd give me a glass of red wine when I'd arrive and we'd start playing at midnight or 1 am which is my time of the day. Just watching him tuning his guitar or doing something like "Walkin' Blues” was wonderful for me. And the great thing about that album was that it wasn't just a token black `legend' with a load of Europeans. He had his own musicians as well. He had Carey Bell on harp and Sammie Lowe, lately deceased, God rest him, on guitar. They were magical nights.

"Muddy Waters had great strength of character,” continues Rory. "He was always very polite but he could also be very powerful if he didn't like something. He could do it with the click of his fingers, without causing an argument or ruining the vibe. He'd just quietly say to the drummer `pick it up a wee bit there' and it happened.

"He had a lovely Buddha-like countenance, great authority. You knew he was in charge of things but you could also make suggestions to him. Georgie Fame suggested a few things and so did I and he always listened. This was the early seventies and he still had a few years to live but it was after the crash and his back was bad. He was often in great pain but he never got nasty. That wasn't his nature at all.”

To this day, Rory has kept a special momento of those sessions.

"After the recordings, I drove him back to his hotel a few times,” he explains. "I've kept that car ever since as a sort of shrine because Muddy sat in it. It's an old Ford Executive, a real Hawaii 5-0 car with stars and stripes down the side, and it's sitting at home in front of our house in Cork. It's falling apart at the seams but I refuse to scrap it or anything. I can still see Muddy in the front seat, smoking these cigars with a big plastic tip on them.

"I only wish I'd had a Super 8 camera to capture all that stuff. I know one of the guys from Chicago took some shots and I'd love to get them for my grandchildren, if I ever have grandchildren. It's a beautiful memory for me.”

Throughout the seventies, Rory Gallagher's services as a guitar-slinger for hire were in premium demand. He played on a vast array of seminal seventies blues albums including Mike Vernon'' "Bring It Back Home”, Lonnie Donnegan's "Puttin' On The Style” and Mike Batt's "Tarot Suite”. In 1973 he also appeared alongside Peter Frampton, among others, on Jerry Lee Lewis' infamous "London Sessions”.

Rory does not recall those recordings with the fondness of the Muddy Waters sessions but he says he did find it intriguing to work in close proximity to such a volatile character as The Killer.

"There was a strange sense of violence and madness around whenever Jerry Lee was in the room,” he says. "Whenever anyone annoyed him, he'd immediately pull up his left trouser leg and go for his sock as if he had a gun in it. I never actually saw him with a gun in the studio but I'm sure if he'd had, he'd have shot somebody. There was always a borderline of danger about him which I think is necessary for real rock `n' roll.”

A year or so after the release of those "London Sessions”, Rory and a few friends were invited to a special Jerry Lee Lewis showcase gig at the Roxy club in Los Angles. The concert began equably enough and the audience was really starting to get into it when who should walk in but one John Lennon.

"Lennon was going through his LA phase at the time and his hair was really short but everyone still recognised him and they all turned around to look at him as he took his seat in the balcony,” recalls Rory. "Needless to say, the fact that he was being upstaged drove Jerry Lee wild. He started to do the "Jerry Lee Rag” but everybody was still looking up at Lennon and whispering about him. All of a sudden, Jerry Lee stopped and started on about how The Beatles were shit and The Stones were shit and there ain't nobody could play real rock `n' roll the way Jerry Lee could. Lennon loved this. He had his boot up on the balcony and he started egging Jerry Lee on, shouting (adopts convincing Lennon voice) `yeah, you're right there man, The Beatles are shit!' People started laughing but Jerry Lee thought that Lennon was shouting abuse at him so he freaked out altogether. He just pushed the piano across the stage and stormed off.”

The atmosphere in The Roxy was understandably tense. Most people left, fearing that Jerry Lee might go on the rampage with one of the firearms that everyone knew he always carried with him. Others stuck around hoping to witness just such an eventuality. As it happened, Rory Gallagher had a backstage pass and wanted to go in to Jerry Lee's dressing room to try and cheer him up and calm him down. Rory's brother and manager, Donal, warned against this and argued that he would be risking his life to enter such a fearsome lion's den at a time like this. Enter, at this delicate juncture, Tom O'Driscoll.

O'Driscoll is a brick-shithouse of a man from Scull, Co. Cork. A fisherman by trade, he has acted as Rory's unofficial bodyguard for almost two decades and still travels most places with him today. Donal Gallagher agreed that Rory could go backstage provided that O'Driscoll went with him. "I wasn't too afraid of Jerry Lee because I had worked on the sessions with him,” says Rory. "But everybody else was obviously very scared because there was nobody else in the dressing room when Tom and I went in.”

It took considerable diplomacy and tact on Gallagher's part but gradually he managed to coax Jerry Lee out of his sulk. "We actually got to the point where we were just chatting away, reminiscing about the sessions and that kind of thing.” Rory recalls. "Then, all of a sudden, the door opened and in walked Lennon. There was dead silence for a couple of seconds. I just stared at Jerry Lee to see how he was going to react. But Tom O'Driscoll couldn't resist this opportunity. He was a huge Beatles fan and he just went over to Lennon, dropped down on his knees, kissed his hand and said `I've been waiting twenty years to get the autograph of the king of rock `n' roll'!

"Of course, this drove Jerry Lee completely wild. He went for his sock, thinking that he had a gun in it and then he started looking around for something to throw or break. Lennon could see all this so he quickly signed Tom's piece of paper and then, to diffuse the situation, he took the pen and another piece of paper from Tom and went across the room to Jerry Lee. He did exactly what Tom had done to him. He went down on his knees, kissed Jerry Lee's hand and said `I've been waiting twenty years to get the autograph of the real king of rock `n' roll'. Jerry Lee was delighted. He signed the scrap of paper and they started talking then and everything was fine. It was a wonderful moment.”

Despite possessing an extensive canon of stories as eminently quotable as the foregoing, Rory Gallagher is not someone who drops names lightly. In fact you'd need something resembling a crow bar to prise some recollections from him. For example, he is particular reticent about recalling the time when he almost became a fully paid-up member of The Rolling Stones. When I ask about it, he just shrugs and gives me a sure-t'was-nothin' grin.

"Well it was before Ronnie Wood joined and they were auditioning lots of players,” he concedes. "I did a little stint with them and I think Mick Jagger liked me and wanted me to join. But Keith was in a pretty bad way at that time so I wasn't sure if they were going to get it together at all. There was a lot of uncertainty. Then, I'd been booked to do some gigs in Japan so I headed off and that was the last I heard. It just wasn't to be I guess.”

Rory is equally understated about another close encounter with yet another rock legend, which happened after a gig in The Shrine Auditorium in LA in late 1978. Gallagher had played a stormer of a show and the capacity crowd had loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, the jet lag and the general rigours of touring were catching up with him and he was too exhausted for any post-show meeting and greeting. Conscious of this, Donal positioned himself outside Rory's dressing room and proceeded to turn all visitors away.

Most of the well-wishers understood the situation and left without any hassle but there was one strange-looking guy with straggly hair and a scarf around his face who wanted to talk to Rory and just wouldn't take no for an answer. When he became too insistent, Donal started to get more forceful and told him in no uncertain terms that Rory wanted to be left alone.

Eventually, this over zealous fan relented and turned to leave but not before telling Donal that he was a musician himself and that he was impressed with Donal's reslove and dedication to `looking after the man'. It was several minutes later that somebody pointed out to Donal that the person he had just chased away was actually Bob Dylan.

"This threw poor old Donal into a panic `cause he knew I was a huge Dylan fan.” laughs Rory. "So he ran out after him and looked everywhere for this fella with the scarf. Eventually he found him and put out his hand to shake Dylan's hand. Then, he literally grabbed him and dragged him back to the dressing room. Dylan was very nice. He said he liked the show and all the rest and we talked a bit about the blues and that. I'm usually not starstruck by any of these people but it really was great to meet Dylan. He's one of my all-time heroes.

Given the number of collaborative ventures in which Rory Gallagher has been involved over the years, it would seem a little odd that he never got around to working with that other titan of Irish rock, Van Morrison. It appears, however, that the two were actually scheduled to record together on at least one occasion, during the making of Morrison's 1978 album "Wavelengths”.

A date was arranged, studio space was booked and Rory turned up at the appointed place and time, rarin' to go. Unfortunately, Van proved only too true to type and lived up to his reputation for being, shall we say, unpredictable. While Gallagher and the other session musicians waited around the studio and played pool to pass the time, Van flitted nervously about the premises for awhile and then disappeared altogether. As evening and then night arrived, he was still totally unlocatable and the session was eventually aborted in the early hours of the morning.

"We won't go into all that,” says Rory with characteristic tact. "Let's just say I was kept waiting so I left. We're still relatively good friends and we get on well when we meet. He's older than me, not that that matters, but if we do work together, it can't be under Van's conditions all the time. I've always been very proud that if someone books me and expects certain things, I turn up on time and give then what they want. It's a principle. I'd love to have done the "Wavelengths” tracks `cause Dr. John was producing and it could've been very good. But Van and me, it's like the meeting of the waters, we'll have to work together sometime. Maybe if he reads this we can get together soon. But it can't be just on Van's terms.”

Like Rory Gallagher says, playing the blues is probably hazardous for your health but if you talk to him about his three decades of globe-trotting and ask where is the most dangerous place he's ever been, he'll answer without hesitation. "On stage,” he says emphatically. "I've almost been killed on numerous occasions. I've had so many close shaves, especially in the early days, that it's made me quite nervous about the whole thing.”

There was a gig in Turin, Italy in the early seventies, for example, when Rory fell off the stage and the crowd actually applauded, thinking it was part of his act.

"On the left side of the stage, there was this big hollow pit which I didn't see,” he recalls with a shiver. "It was obviously for lifting gear up and so on but I never even noticed it. I was just running across the stage when all of a sudden I began to feel myself falling. I put my hands out to stop myself and I grabbed on to this metal bar and was swinging from it like Tarzan. Of course my guitar started to feedback and, all of a sudden, I realised that the crowd were clapping. They were going wild. They loved it. And there I was, in serious danger of death! Eventually, after several minutes, I closed my eyes and swung up on the stage again. Immediately, I got another round of applause. So I ran across the stage again and played another couple of notes (laughs). I got great reviews, great praise for my `acrobatic' performance.

Then there was the gig in Nottingham during the early seventies when the stage was invaded. Immediately, the bould Tom O'Driscoll leapt into action and start chuck the invaders back into the crowd. In the melee, however, he also wound up throwing the star of the show, guitar and all, off the stage and into the heaving masses.

"That was a stage-dive and a half, I'll tell ya,” says Rory. "It was one of Tom's first gigs with me and it was a real baptism of fire for him. The crowd was going bananas but I landed among them on my feet so I played a couple of bars and scrambled back onstage before anyone knew what happened. Strange to say, Tom O'Driscoll still works with me (laughs).

A rather more serious incident took place a little later at a football stadium gig in Athens, Greece when Rory and his band found themselves at centre of a mass riot.

"It was just after the Greek coup and they were having the first free elections they'd had for a while,” he explains, "A short while into the show, I started to see all these flames, way at the back of the stadium. They were burning down restaurants and shops on the streets outside the gig. I think they wouldn't let enough people into the stadium or else they let too many in but, anyway, the police arrived and started to fire CS gas at us. It was the most frightening gig I've ever done. That CS gas is dangerous stuff. It messes up your eyes and you can't see where you're going or anything.

When we eventually got backstage, there was so much confusion that we couldn't be sure who was going to protect us and who might attack us. There were those semi-militia guys walking around and they looked very threatening. So we just jumped into a car and tried to head back to the hotel. Then, on the way, we ran out of petrol so we had to walk. And there was so much going on, it was a nightmare. We were soaking wet and our eyes were watering and we were all literally trembling. The gig itself had been great by the way. But it was very frightening. I just didn't want to die in a football pitch in Greece, not even knowing what was happening.”

On a more mundane but equally dangerous level, the greatest constant threat to a musician's safety, especially during the sixties and seventies was the perennial problem of faulty onstage wiring.

"I knew Les Harvey, Alex Harvey's brother and he was electrocuted by bad wiring,” says Rory. "That left a terrible mark on me. It's such a stupid, futile way to go. Like, if you're going to go, go in a revolution or something. Get shot by a firing squad for doing something worthwhile but don't get killed by an electric shock. I'm very nervous about all that. I've been electrocuted several times myself. The worst time was in a studio in Cork with the showband in the early days and I nearly hit the roof. It takes a hell of a long time to get over something like that. I don't think you ever do.

Of course, what keeps people like Rory Gallagher going are the great gigs, the shows when everything clicks into place and the person onstage can literally do no wrong.

I've got so many favourite gigs,” he enthuses. One of the best has to be a show we did in Belfast in 1973. It was at the height of the troubles and we just didn't now how it was going to go. There was a lot of trouble out on the streets but the atmosphere inside was electric, it was a real we-shall-overcome kinda night. With all due respect to audiences we've had in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway, there was something really special about the crowd in Belfast that night. A gig we did in Cork where we recorded most of the "Irish Tour” album in 1974 was fantastic too. I also remember Hamburg… I probably sound like Marlene Dietrich but there have been some really great moments. Great memories.”

The last cup of cappuccino that Rory ordered an hour ago remains untouched on the table, cold and congealed. The white wine, however, is flowing in torrents. And Rory's starting to get a little sentimental, honing in on his twin obsessions, Ireland and the blues, and how much they both mean to him.

He admits to feeling particularly homesick at the moment. A recent brief stint recording in London with his old friends The Dubliners (adding guitar, harmonica and vocals to a couple of tracks on their soon-to-be-released anniversary album) has only heightened his sense of longing for the auld sod.

I loved meeting Ronnie and the lads again,” he says. I've always had a soft spot for The Dubliners since I first met them in the sixties. We were playing a show with Dickie Rock and The Miami Showband in the Savoy in Cork. And because we were way down the bill, we weren't even allowed to change in the dressing room. So we were out in the hall changing when Ronnie opened the door - The Dubliners were second on the bill so they had a room to themselves - and he said come on in and use our room with us. Luke was there and Ciaran Burke and all the rest and they were very nice. It was a small gesture but I'll never forget it. So I loved meeting them and playing with them again this week. And they're still nice lads. Ronnie gave me a present of a book of little short stories, "The Irish Bedside Book” it's called. And all of this has made me feel really homesick.

I'd love to go back and live there if I could get myself together,” he adds. If I can get organised enough to get out of here, I will be back. I'm constantly thinking mentally of Ireland. I listen to RTE radio most nights on my little gadget, a drum machine cum radio cassette that I take everywhere. In Europe you can pick up RTE as far south as Munich. I was in Paris one night during the last general election and it was great to be able to pick up John Bowman doing his broadcasting. Like I say, I get the Irish papers, especially the Sundays - tell Liam Mackey. I read his soccer column in the Sunday Press and I don't agree with him. (laughs).

"I also try to keep up with Irish albums. I just got Sharon Shannon's and Maire Ní Braonain's new albums and I'm looking forward to them. All that stuff is very important to me. I'd really love to go back. It could be good for me. I have one or two friends in Ireland and I'd like to get up to Donegal as well and get me old mind sorted out. It's probably what I really need right now.

In the meantime, however, Rory Gallagher's profile as an artist is set to step up a gear or two over the coming months. This week, for example, sees the release of Edged in Blue”, an eleven track retrospective of some of Rory's own favourite songs from his back catalogue. A box set of bootleg material is also planned for later this year ("Next to Dylan and The Stones, I have the privilege of being the most bootlegged artist in Western Europe,” says Rory). At this moment, he is also toying with the idea of recruiting some new musicians to give himself a fresher sound for his next studio album which he fervently hopes will be recorded within the next couple of months. Offers of tours are also flooding in from everywhere from Moscow to New York - and don't be too surprised if there is a rare and welcome Dublin appearance before too long too.

But it's all in the future. Right now we're draining our glasses and, as a parting shot, I'm asking Rory why he isn't wearing his trademark lumberjack's shirt. Curiously, it's a throwaway question, which appears to disconcert him more than any other single subject.

"At the moment, I just can't wear them to be honest with you,” he says mournfully. "I know it's peculiar but it's just a psychological thing. That demin jacket and check shirt have become like a stigmata to me. I never treated it as a uniform but that's what it has become over the years, a uniform that I just don't want to wear anymore. Lately, I wear an ordinary black shirt and a black jacket when I'm on stage. Right now, I feel a lot happier in black."

Merry Christmas for all Rory Gallagher Fans (now 5000 in FB)

2008-12-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks to George Imwizzard(fan 5018), Chris Katsibas(fan 5017), Elena Mitsiou(fan5016), Panagiotis Drompouras(fan 5015), Andre Ginge Le Goupillot(fan 5014), Emanuele Pagin(fan 5013), Antoine Mérigeau(fan 5012), Simon Santrot(fan 5011), Paul McEvoy(fan 5010), Haclbery Finn(fan 5009), Nicolas Lebrun(fan 5008), Eleni Thomaidi(fan 5007), Denise Vousdoukoy(fan 5006), Maria Nika(fan 5005), Corina Findeisen(fan 5004), Elena Gribila(fan 5003), Kostas Loukopoulos(fan 5002), Rachel Mc Mullan(fan 5001), Michaela Trapezanlidou(fan 5000), Katerina Spyrakopoulou(fan 4999) and all new fans between 4000 and 5000 that made Rory Gallagher FB Fan Page cross the 5000 fans mark

The fan base keeps growing steadily and faster after page opening in March 7th. Look:

0 - 1000 fans from Mar 7 to Jul 6 (120 days)

1000 - 2000 fans fron Jul 6 to Sep 4 ( 58 days)

2000 - 3000 fans from Sep 4 to Oct 25 ( 51 days)

3000 - 4000 fans from Oct 25 to Dic 1 ( 36 days)

4000 - 5000 fans from Dic 1 to Dic 16 ( 16 days)

The distribution is the usual:

female/male ratio: 19%/81%

fans below 34 years age: 81%

Check out this jewel by Albert King with "guess who" from from 3:10 to 5:03 at Montreux 1975, "As The Years Go Passing By"

Thanks to "ripa171" YouTube Channel for this didactic "diaporama" on blues legends

Merry Christmas and Peace for all,

Rory for Ever

New Millenium Mark at Facebook Rory Gallagher Fan Page

2008-12-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

The Rory fans, welcome Lars Lönnberg(fan 4012), Dimitris Dounas(fan 4011), Giannis Goniotakis (fan 4010), Richard Gillespie (fan 4009), Giannis Argentinis (fan 4008), Patrick Klein (fan 4007), George Mitrofanis (fan 4006), Martin McCool (fan 4005), Martín Zapata (fan 4004), Christos SnowVasilitsa (fan 4003), Mekki Ghernati (fan 4002), Faty KatHy (fan 4001), Hrvoje Nevescanin(fan 4000), Morten Sivertsen (fan 3999) and all new fans between 3000 and 4000.

The fan base is growing steadily since the opening of the page in March 7th:

0 - 1000 fans from Mar 7 to Jul 6
1000 - 2000 fans fron Jul 6 to Sep 4
2000 - 3000 fans from Sep 4 to Oct 25
3000 - 4000 fans from Oct 25 to Dic 1 ( 1000 in just 36 days!)

The figures show 19%/81% female/male ratio and also fans below 34 years age are 81%

I clipped "Tore Down" 5/11/1972. Savoy Limerick. First gig with Rod de`Ath in High Quality (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STJXh3h480k). Special thanks to BrenWhyte for his posting of the complete RTE homage in Rory Gallagher's 60th anniversary. http://www.youtube.com/user/Brenwhyte

RoryLives

PS: I'm Happy x 2 times !, turning 54 (vintage 54), 36h for geeks or LIV &
Rory Fan Page is reaching 4K fans today!

Rory Gallagher "Tore Down" (1972) Savoy Limerick

Source: www.youtube.com

StratMasters The DVD

2008-11-27T16:34:00.000-08:00

ORIGINAL: StratMasters

Rory Gallagher featured in Fender promotional DVD StratMasters

Strat® Masters is the most ambitious film to date documenting the story of the world’s most iconic guitar - the Fender® Stratocaster®.
A Headstock production, this feature length documentary traces the history of the Strat® through the words of some of the world’s greatest musicians. Produced by director Michael Bayley Hughes and former Guitarist Magazine contributor Bob Hewitt, their passion for the Fender® guitar was the inspiration for this absorbing film.

Sonny Curtis - Buddy Holly’s friend and sideman in those early years of rock ‘n roll - tells how he saw Buddy evolve as a musician to become one of the most influencial Strat® players of all time. The cover of ‘The Chirping Crickets’ album inspired many of the great musicians interviewed for this film.

Buddy Merrill, one of Fender’s earliest endorsees, was just a teenager when he found fame with the Lawrence Welk orchestra. Today retired, Buddy tells how Leo Fender made personal modifications to his guitars – some just to make him look great under the television lights!

Leo Fender’s business partner, Don Randall explains how he christened the Stratocaster® and gives a glimpse of those early days in Fullerton when he and Leo produced the perfect instrument, just in time for the emerging rock n’ roll era.
Filmed in California, Japan and the UK - there is exclusive factory footage of the Fender® facilities in the USA and Japan. Legendary pickup guru Seymour Duncan and Vice President Evan Skopp give an unique tour of their Santa Barbara facility where the world’s greatest guitar pickups are made. The entire manufacturing process can be seen and, as he custom winds a pickup, Seymour tells of his association with Leo Fender….and his love for Strats® and Telecasters®.

Ry Cooder, the maestro himself, talks enthusiastically about his Stratocasters® and unique slide guitar technique, pickups and string gauges. Clive Brown of Guitar Art - one of the world’s most respected guitar builders and restoration experts, talks about the idiosyncrasies of the Stratocaster® - and all those ‘little secrets’ everyone wants to know about. Clive has worked on around 600 vintage Strats® and has an intimate knowledge of the instrument which he shares with us in this film.
Renowned Fender® historian and author Richard Smith is filmed at the Fullerton Museum and talks about the early days - if anyone knows about Fender®, it's Richard!

The story of the first Strat® to arrive in the UK is told in detail by Bruce and Hank of the Shadows. That very first instrument sits on Bruce’s lap as he vividly recalls the day it arrived.

Strat® Masters is a ‘who’s who’ of great Stratocaster®players and their thoughts on the instrument: Jeff Beck, Ry Cooder, Robert Cray, Mark Knopfler, Chris Rea, Rory Gallagher, Albert Lee (yes, he plays a ‘58 Strat® too!) The Shadows. The film includes a rare interview with the late Zimbabwean singer / guitarist Jonah Sithole, the first musician to transpose African mbira music to electric guitar; a testament not only of his own ingenuity but also the Strat’s versatility.

In contrast, Malina Moye an L.A. urban R&B singer/guitarist brings us bang up to date; she flips a Strat® over for her left handed unique style of playing - just like Hendrix !
Barry ‘Slim’ Martin of The Hamsters, the UK’s hardest working rock band, pays tribute to Hendrix and plays some great ‘homage’ riffs to the master.Headstock’s association with Strange Music, provided exclusive access to previously unseen interviews with the late great Rory Gallagher who plays and talks about his famous beat up Strat®.

Joe Bonamassa - Kansas EPK

2008-11-21T22:31:00.000-08:00

12 yr old Joe Bonamassa with Danny Gatton

2008-11-21T21:22:00.000-08:00

Joe Bonamassa - If Heartaches Were Nickels

2008-11-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

Rory Gallagher FB page reaches 3000 members

2008-10-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Facebook Rory Gallagher fan base reports:

We warmly welcome Fenia St. (fan 3000), Daniela Hächler (fan 3001), Jason Silverback (fan 3002), Cyril Gleiman (fan 3003), Jimmy Athanasoulias (fan 3004) and Emanuele Gulmini (fan 3005). Their joining made our fan base grow over 3000 members.

The fan base is growing steadily after opening the page in March 7th:
0 - 1000 fans from Mar 7 to Jul 6
1000 - 2000 fans fron Jul 6 to Sep 4
2000 - 3000 fans from Sep 4 to Oct 25

The figures show 19%/81% female/male ratio and also fans below 34 years age are 81%

Danny Clifford is sharing in his blog ( http://www.dannyclifford.com/blog/2008/10/rory-gallagher-photo-finish-era.html ) some pics of Rory Band from the "Photo Finish".

Famous Guitars of Bluesmen

2008-09-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

ORIGINAL: Play Blues Guitar
September 8th, 2008

When it comes to music, the instrument is often an extension of the player behind it. The blues definitely agrees. Some of the famous blues guitarists have unique and recognizable guitars. Some styles of guitars even bring to mind their respective players. Without further ado, here are a few of the famous guitars of famous bluesmen.

—

Lucille played by B.B. King

The famous story behind the famous name is that one night in 1949, B.B. was playing in a bar when two men got into a fight over a girl and knocked over a kerosene heater (basically a barrel full of lit kerosene). The place went up in flames and everyone ran out. However, B.B. realized that he left his guitar inside and ran to save it. He nearly lost his life, but named his guitar and subsequent guitars Lucille after the girl the two men fought over.

The modern and most famous iteration of Lucille is a custom black Gibson ES-355 with Lucille printed on the headstock. B.B. has been playing this version for nearly 25 years. It’s pictured here.

Blackie played by Eric Clapton

Arguably the most famous stratocaster ever, Blackie was the nickname for a Frankenstein of a guitar assembled by Eric from three different strats. Purchased from Sho-Bud guitar shop in Nashville, Tennessee, he combined the best components to create Blackie. Eric played it live and in the studio from its creation in 1970 to 1985, when he retired Blackie. Contrary to the many rumors that state otherwise, Blackie was reportedly 100% playable during her retired years.

Blackie was sold at auction for a record $959,500 to Guitar Center, who proudly displays the guitar.

Number One played by Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray’s Number One was a 1973 sunburst model traded for at Ray’s Music Exchange in Austin, Texas with Stevie’s old ‘63 strat. Beaten and bastardized, the guitar remained his main axe since that day. Although the original had a white pickguard and strangely hot ‘59 pickups, Stevie replaced the pickguard with a pickguard featuring the now famous SRV lettering. Remarkably, Stevie had the frets replaced with jumbo bass style frets while he played on a reportedly .013 (going as high as .018) guage strings.

Number One now resides with Stevie’s brother Jimmie. It’s been permanently retired in memory of Stevie.

Polka Dot Strat played by Buddy Guy

While not as famous as the other listed here, this guitar deserves recognition if only for its unique paint job. Comprised of white polka dots on a black finish, this strat has been serving as Buddy Guy’s main guitar for years now. Originally a custom artist series, made especially for Buddy, Fender has recently created a similar guitar with an inverted paint scheme and lace sensors.

The Polka Dot Strats remain road worthy and accompany Buddy to most of his live shows.

Ex-Sunburst played by Rory Gallagher

Called the Ex-Sunburst by fans for its lack of a finish (worn away by heavy use and sweating) as much as for Rory’s refusal to give it a name, this famous guitar happens to be one of the first strats in Ireland in 1961. Rory bought it for an estimated £100. Heavily modified, the guitar had one different tuner, all new pickups, and modified pickguard.

The Ex-Sunburst resides with Rory’s brother, Donal Gallagher. It isn’t played.

Rory Gallagher FB Page reaches 2000 members

2008-09-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Carolina Rodriguez Hoyos (Fan 2000) and Tim Steyaert (Fan 2001), Rory Gallagher Facebook Fan Page crossed the 2000 fans mark today.

Rory message it's spreading well, it took roughly three months (From March 7 to July 6) to cross the first 1000 fans mark. From then until today it was just two months for the next 1000. A slight rise in the female/male ratio (21% / 79%) and also in fans below 34 yrs (82%)

All continents are represented at some extent, but Europe leads thanks to the strong Greek presence (30%-40% aprox) by far. I think they can manage an extra place in the Olympus, I mean Όλυμπος, for our admired and respected Guitar God, if he isn't already there.

Keep Rocking Rory Fans

Rory Gallagher FB Page reaches 1000 members

2008-07-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to George Dafnas ( fan 1000), Panos Magalios (fan 1001), Andy Sudlow(fan 1002), Andrea Ariza (fan 1003) and Guillaume Manuelli(fan 1004) Facebook Rory Gallagher Page crossed the 1000 fans mark today in 4 months, since March 7th when was opened. 83% of them are below 34 years old. Young spirits have definitely a really good Taste!

Here, http://slikstricks.blogspot.com/search/label/Rory%20Gallagher ("silk's tricks" blog) you can find three Rory bootlegs.

Enjoy!

Back Door Slam's Davy gets a call from a hero

2008-06-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

ORIGINAL: IoMToday.co.im
By JOHN GREGORY
03 June 2008

BACK Door Slam's Davy Knowles received the surprise of his life when he received a phone call from one of his all-time heroes.
The guitarist, 21, who enjoyed a short break in the Island recently before returning back to America for another tour, returned home from the Albert in Port St Mary to find a message from Gerry McAvoy on his answerphone. Gerry was Irish guitar legend Rory Gallagher's bass player for 20 years and is currently the bass player in legendary R&B band Nine Below Zero who will be performing at Paramount City, Douglas, tonight (Tuesday) and tomorrow Wednesday. Davy – who is a huge Rory Gallagher and Gerry McAvoy fan – said: 'I went to the pub with my mum and dad and when I came back there was an answer machine message from Gerry McAvoy – I was thinking "oh my God!"'I rang him back and he was soundchecking at a gig but he said he would love to have a chat and he is going to call me in the States. I'm buzzing!' The call happened as promoter Kevin Madigan, of West Hill, Castletown, is a friend of Gerry's and recommended he should check Back Door Slam out on the internet. Gerry did and was highly impressed by what he saw and volunteered to give Davy a call. He has also offered Davy a chance to jam with the band and play some Rory Gallagher numbers. Davy, who has read Gerry's book, Riding Shotgun: 35 Years on the Road with Rory Gallagher and Nine Below Zero, is now back in America.

He should be getting used to meeting – and playing on the same bill as – his heroes. In New Orleans Back Door Slam supported legendary Chicago bluesman Buddy Guy and Davy had a Fender Stratocaster guitar signed by him. The very next day in Memphis he met the great blues piano player Pinetop Perkins. Davy also has emails from The Who guitarist Pete Townshend – BDS supported The Who in Peel last year – and the band will also be on the same bill as another of Davy's favourites, John Hiatt, later in the year and will be supporting Joe Bonamassa, who the band are also a fan of. They have played on the same bill at festivals as some of the biggest names in popular music, gaining many new fans along the way. And, with US nationwide TV appearances under their belt, sold out shows in their own right and their debut album Roll Away reaching the top five of the Billboard blues chart, their success shows no sign of slowing down. http://www.backdoorslam.com/http://www.ninebelowzero.com/
The full article contains 452 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
Page 1 of 1
Last Updated: 02 June 2008 3:04 PM
Source: n/a
Location: Isle of Man

Rory Gallagher: A Previously Unpublished Interview (Well, by 2005)

2008-05-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

ORIGINAL: ModernGuitars.com
by Ray Minhinnett
Introduction (July, 2005)

Tragically, guitarist and singer Rory Gallagher (March 2, 1948 - June 14, 1995), was taken from us far too early, and although he left an incredible legacy and body of work, his wonderful and unique presence is sorely missed on the performance circuit everywhere and by countless faithful fans throughout the world.
Rory was a shy, simple soul, a man of few words but of amazing depth and integrity. He was a man who would never compromise his musical beliefs, direction, or what he believed to be right. A man who was a far better guitarist and who had a hell of a lot more talent than most of the people that have enjoyed more commercial success.
The interview that follows was conducted a year or so before Rory's passing, and its introduction written shortly after my meeting with Rory at a hotel in Chelsea. At the time, I had written a movie about the Fender Stratocaster that would become Curves, Contours and Bodyhorns, and my interview with Rory was to further the research that went into the making of the film. Sadly, a few short years later, in 1996, I would screen the film during my presentation of the Rory Gallagher Memorial Lecture at the University of Cork at the behest of Rory's brother, Dónal.
It's now been a full decade since Rory left us. Over these ten years, interest in and love for the man and his music has grown tremendously, which has prompted me to share this interview with the many who miss him and will take his words to heart.

Interview with Rory Gallagher (circa 1994)
In a cab on my way down to the Chelsea Embankment to meet with Rory Gallagher, my mind drifts back to the first time I saw Rory play live. I had just started to play guitar myself, an old battered single pickup Broadway electric bought for eight Pounds for me by my Gran. The gig was at the weekly Sunday night Jazz n' Blues Club at the Argus Butterfly Pub in Peterlee County, Durham.
By this time, I had bought the now infamous albums by John Mayall, Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, and A Hard Road with Peter Greene, so I had been a blues fanatic (or so I thought at the time) for a few years. Even so, I was just starting to hear songs by Howlin' Wolf, Freddy, Albert, and B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Otis Rush, and Muddy Waters. These recordings were very thin on the ground - not easily available in local record shops of Northeast England mining towns.
Jimi Hendrix had pushed the Stratocaster sound to the forefront, but apart from Hendrix, all my mentors were using Gibsons and I was hooked on the sound of the Gibson Les Paul. However, I was hungry to learn, and was always on the lookout for new exciting guitar players. I had heard of Rory and his group, Taste, through the grapevine and was really looking forward to seeing him, despite the fact, as went my thinking at the time, he played a Strat.
Taste walked onto the stage at around nine that night. Ritchie (Charlie) McCracken looked lanky, disheveled, and like his white Fender Precision Bass was too small for him. John Wilson ambled on and took a seat behind his kit without any fuss, and then a diminutive figure in jeans and a brown tartan wrangler shirt shuffled onstage carrying the most battered Strat I had ever seen. Even back then, it looked like it had spent its life on the streets of a war zone. Rory plugged into the AC30 amp and away they went.
I couldn't believe it. Taste was fantastic, coaxing incredible sound from the bare essentials: McCracken's Triumph bass amp and Rory's Vox AC30, his Strat and one effect, a Range Master Treble Boost. Brian May has since told me that not only was Rory his main inspiration and favourite guitarist, it was from Rory that he got the idea to use Vox AC 30s and the Range Master Treble Boost.
Taste sounded enormous, and what a guitar player. Rory was obviously something very special.
I have never forgotten that night. Rory left a hell of an impression on me - as he did with every audience and person he met. We bumped into one another from time to time on the road when I was playing with Frankie Miller's Full House - mostly in Europe - and though I didn't get to know him really well, I loved the soft sincerity of the man and the depth of his musical knowledge, not only of the blues, but folk music, guitar tunings, and Celtic music. He was incredible, and in the mid-Eighties, when "Big" Charlie McCracken played with me in both The Diesel Band and my own band, we often talked about that first night.
And now, here I am, twenty-five years later, on my way to a Hotel in Chelsea Harbour to interview Rory for a film I had written and was producing on the history of The Fender Stratocaster.
Ray Minhinnett: How did you start, Rory? What motivated you? Talk about your early influences.
Rory Gallagher: I was actually more interested in acoustic music before electric. I loved Leadbelly, Josh White, and I had a great admiration for Woody Guthrie and people like that via Lonnie Donnigon. Later on, I started to like the old blues men like Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed, but also I loved the rockers like Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly.
The blues then became the kind of source point for me, a feeling thing, you know, emotionally.
I'm still a rock 'n' roll fan, and a folk fan. I try to combine all these things in my playing. Also, where I come from in Cork, we have different ideas about lyrics and chord structure. Ideally, I'd really like to put my own stamp on things, but it takes years, you know, and you're constantly learning and studying and falling in and out with your instrument, learning different approaches and different attacks.
Basically, I try to treat the electric guitar like an acoustic guitar. What you have to do is attack the instrument and know that your feelings aren't controlled by the controls of your guitar. I fought that idea by using hand techniques and little 'slap country type things', but it still will never be as pure as an acoustic instrument.
Ray: With such a great love of the blues and acoustic instruments I would imagine you also have a great love for Robert Johnson and his work.
Rory: Oh yeah! I can't even play his stuff anymore. I took it all on tour with me once and, er, they just drove me up the walls. I mean, there's a kind of demonology thing there. Whether I just read it into the music or not, I don't know, but anyway, I just can't listen to him now. I really like him that much it scares me to listen to him, you know.
I did one of his things once, "Walkin' Blues", but I mean, nobody could match that thing he had. Django does the same thing to me, you know, Django Reinhardt I mean. He's also one of my real heroes, I mean really on a par with Johnson and the other blues guys. If I had even 1% of his talent, I'd be made up.
Ry Cooder has a theory about those Robert Johnson recordings, that they sounded so great because they were cut direct to the disc, and it was just the engineer and Johnson together in a very narrow room, bare walls, you know. Not miles of leads, and amps and microphones everywhere, you know. Just him the engineer and some great songs and great playing.
You know, I don't think there was anybody at that time who could come anywhere near him.
Ray: How do you think Robert Johnson would have reacted to the gear you use? How would he deal with it?
Rory: I don't think he would have been hung up about it at all. I think he must have been a very farsighted person, you know, he was so talented and aware of how he sounded and he was very confident and comfortable with it. No, it would have been no problem to him at all, he'd have no problem with a Stratocaster or a Telecaster, or the kind of amps around now. We'll never know of course but he was a great player, a genius. I just can't play his records anymore, you know, he scares me. The man's just brilliant.
Ray: What about the electric blues? Who were your mentors?
Rory: That would have to be Buddy Guy. I had to collect his records penny by penny, you know, save for them day by day. I suppose Hendrix as well, he was actually as big an influence cause they were similar in a way. I suppose Buddy Guy was more of a purist player, he has all that great, you know, almost playing out of pitch, that sharp kind of thing, and they were both Strat players, except I guess when Buddy Guy used the Goldtop Les Paul with P90 pickups for a while.
But Buddy Guy was real special. In the studio when he was recording they used to sometimes DI (direct input) his Stratocaster as well as miking up his amp through a big valve amp underneath the mixing desk, and that got him a really amazing sound. He's a great player, still alive and kicking, a great player.
Ray: And Hendrix?
Rory: [Smiles that Rory smile and nods] I saw Jimi in Belfast twice and in London one night I was in the same room as him and shook his hand, but we didn't really meet. He was frightening, superb. I think that he's the supreme showman of the guitar after Guitar Slim who was real wild, and of course, Buddy Guy who was also pretty wild in his day too. I've never had an act myself, but there again, I've had my moments, you know. I'm not adverse to throwing it and going a bit wild, but I wouldn't burn or batter my guitar.
I think in the end, it got Jimi down a bit cause, er, he thought people were going to see him smash things up rather than listen to his music. It's sad, you know. I mean Eric [Clapton] just stands there and plays, and that's his way. Jeff Beck is an incredible showman when he wants to be, you know. But me, I don't want to really be like anybody else, I just try and do my own thing my own way and that's it.
Also, with Jimi, he used to tune his guitar down half a tone to E flat - as did Stevie Ray Vaughan - but I've got to tell you, I can't do that. I have a real phobia about that. I sometimes tune my bottom E string down a full tone to D, and I've got various tunings that I borrow from great blues players like Muddy Waters, Leadbelly, and Earl Hooker, or folk players like Davy Graham, Martin Carthy or Bert Jansch.
I also use some of my own tunings that I made up, or got ideas for from these great players, but, er, I have a real phobia about E flat. I won't play in B flat either, though when I was playing in show bands we used to play in B flat because it suits the brass section. Those times are...it's far too cabaret for me.
Ray: So what tunings do you favour Rory, what are your most common ones?
Rory: Well, I use the standard tunings mostly, like Earl Hooker or Muddy Waters - open D, open G and A. The G tuning is probably the most usable you know. Keith Richards has always done a lot of work with this open G tuning. There's a song of mine that I do called "Ghost Blues" where I use it. I like it a lot that one, the G.
Keith takes his bottom string off and uses the fifth string as his root note, but I like to have the fifth string there, cause you almost get an African type 'over-tone', John Hammond uses it, and there's a great John Lee Hooker one you can get, and like you get those great suspended-type things. The thing is, it's so simple, and I think that's what Keith likes about it so much - it's real simple, but like, nobody else thought of it but him you see, not back then. He's developed it into a real style of playing, not just for slide guitar.
What I think I've done is developed this kind of tuning which is mine. It's bluesy, it's folkish, and Celtic as well, and sometimes on stage I'll take this tuning and go into an Irish tune called "She Moves to the Fair", which you can play great in that particular tuning.
Ray: What's important to you?
Rory: Well, this guitar is part of my psychic makeup. It's my best friend. I love playing it, I play it every day. It's not like B.B. King, who's had like a hundred Lucilles. I've only got one Strat, and it hasn't got a name or whatever. I mean, where I came from at the time, to own a Stratocaster was like, it was monumental, it was just impossible, you know, and it's what it is. I love playing it, I love singing, like when I get lonesome, I play my guitar. Aach, I'm getting a bit too corny, but that's it, for me, it's just playing and singing.
___
Enjoy the work of Rory Gallagher (July, 2005)
If you haven't already seen it, I strongly recommend the Tony Palmer film of Rory's 1974 Irish Tour. Remastered and reissued in DVD/video formats, it is a fantastic piece of work - understated presentation, great music, and Rory in full flight, playing as only he could.
The entire Rory Gallagher catalogue, which has been lovingly remastered by his brother, Donal, and released on Buddha/BMG records, is worthy of consideration by anyone with an interest in the guitar, the blues, or life. Be sure to visit the official Rory Gallager website: http://www.rorygallagher.com/.
With streets named after him in Paris, Dublin, and Cork and the Fender guitar company having created the Rory Gallagher Limited Edition Stratocaster, while Rory is no longer with us, he will never be forgotten.
God bless you, Rory!___
About Ray Minhinnett
Ray is a veteran of The Blues Busters / Frankie Miller's Full House, Cream'd and The Diesel Band, but is also known for writing and producing Curves, Contours and Bodyhorns - The History of the Fender Stratocaster - a seminal TV documentary that included Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eric Clapton.
In 2004, Ray produced another Stratocaster documentary, The Strat Pack, dedicated to the Strat's 50th anniversary, which included a concert at London's Wembley Arena on September 24, 2004, which was filmed in high definition for DVD release.
Ray himself won the best British Blues Album of the Year award with the Blues Busters, while bass playing partner / vocalist Ian Ellis is renowned for his work in Savoy Brown and Cream'd.
For more information about Ray Minhinnett, please visit http://www.rayminhinnett.net/.

Local guitar prodigy ready to rock Oprah

2008-05-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

ORIGINAL: southcoasttoday.com

By SARAH GONET

May 12, 2008

NEW BEDFORD — He's a seasoned guitarist who already has performed on national television and alongside blues legend Buddy Guy.
Now Quinn Sullivan is ready for his next stop: the Oprah Winfrey Show.
Not too shabby for someone who won't even be old enough to vote for nearly a decade.
"I don't really get stage fright. I just get up there and do it," said 9-year-old Quinn, a New Bedford resident who will perform today on Oprah.
This isn't the talented third-grader's first brush with daytime television.
At the age of 6, he brought down the house on the Ellen DeGeneres Show with his powerful rendition of the Beatles classic "Twist and Shout."
"His guitar is almost part of him," said his father, Terry Sullivan, noting that his son's love for music began when he was just a toddler.
"We would go watch the Toe Jam Puppet band perform at Buttonwood Park every single Monday."
That Toe Jam fan has since evolved into an accomplished guitarist, singer, songwriter and recording artist.
"It was just something that he naturally gravitated towards," Mr. Sullivan, who is a drummer with the Pearly Baker Band, a local favorite.
"Quinn lets me play backup for him," Mr. Sullivan said, laughing.
"I like playing with adults," said Quinn, who lists Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix among his inspirations. "I can see myself doing this for a long time."
Having recently recorded his first single, "Sing, Dance and Clap Your Hands!" with his band "A Day in the Life," Quinn also will be featured on Buddy Guy's new CD set to be released this summer.
The Oprah Winfrey Show will air today at 4 p.m. on ABC.
At a glance
Guitarist Quinn Sullivan, 9, of New Bedford, will appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show. The episode airs today at 4 on ABC.

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Google News & Blogs Alerts for: Rory Gallagher

2008-05-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

Google News Alert for: "Rory Gallagher"

Calls made for Rory Gallagher statue to be erected in Ballyshannon
Ocean fm - Donegal,Ireland
A Donegal County Councillor is calling on the county council to ensure a statue of the world famous blues guitarist Rory Gallagher is erected in ...
See all stories on this topic

Google Blogs Alert for: "Rory Gallagher"

Taste Profile
Profile of Irish blues-rock band Taste, featuring guitarist Rory Gallagher, called back for seven encores at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.
About.com Blues: Most Popular Articles - http://blues.about.com/

Music
By -- Don(-- Don)
Rory Gallagher was great. The Rolling Stones are the best ever and my favorite. Ry Cooder is the best individual artist and writer. Great stuff. If you've never seen Don Giovanni, you don't know what you're missing. ...
Don, Version 2.0 - http://donv2.blogspot.com/

MAY BLITZ – MAY BLITZ (1970 UK Heavy Rock Progressive)
By LUIZ CARLOS MENEGON(LUIZ CARLOS MENEGON)
1) May Blitz (alongside Rory Gallagher's Taste) were among the first of the newly formed hard rock power trios to take up the challenge of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience; that is, making the biggest possible noise with the ...
VENENOS DO ROCK - http://venenosdorock.blogspot.com/

Rory on Google News

2008-03-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

History of Newport Music Hall

OSU - The Lantern, OH - Apr 8, 2008

The night Kiss opened for Rory Gallagher, the Newport experienced another power outage, this time because of heavy storms. Kiss had a candelabra on stage ...

The joy of six

Falkirk Herald, UK - Apr 3, 2008

... market which are designed to look "beat-up", like the signature Stratocasters of players such as blues legends Stevie Ray Vaughan and Rory Gallagher. ...

Downtown music shops merge into larger store

The Daily Collegian Online, PA - Apr 2, 2008

... Fender Stratocaster, to the Gibson SG Pete Townshend smashed onstage, to the battered, road-worn Strats played by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Rory Gallagher. ...

Sound Menu

Creative Loafing Atlanta, GA - Mar 26, 2008

... duo tour behind a solid new outing that takes the often frenzied, blitzkrieg approach of Johnny Winter and Rory Gallagher and ups the volume and energy. ...

Pure Raw Gallagher

Market Rasen Today, UK - Mar 25, 2008

THE COUNTRY'S finest Rory Gallagher tribute band, Raw Gallagher, plays Gainsborough's Trinity Arts Centre on Saturday, March 29. A blistering, electric set ...

Tuned In to Back Door Slam

6abc.com, PA - Mar 22, 2008

... "and, from there, I got into Eric Clapton and Peter Green in the early Fleetwood Mac, and [late Irish axe-man] Rory Gallagher, who I just love. ...

Back Door Slam is on a roll

Allentown Morning Call, PA - Mar 22, 2008

Knowles sounds most like his heroes, Clapton and the late Irish blues-rock guitarist Rory Gallagher, on ''Come Home,'' arguably ''Roll Away's'' strongest ...

Back Door Slam: Brits & blues, sans booze

Philadelphia Daily News, PA - Mar 21, 2008...

John Mayall and the late, "sadly underrated" Irish talent Rory Gallagher, plus classic American soulmen like Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and Ray Charles, ...

A treat for music fans

Wicklow People, Ireland - Mar 14, 2008

... some of the greatest artists to come out of Ireland and the UK, such as Rory Gallagher, Van Morrisson, Sharon Shannon, Graham Parker, and Nick Lowe. ...

Ed Deane in Avoca

Wicklow People, Ireland - Mar 14, 2008...

individually, have played with the likes of Rory Gallagher, Van Morrisson, Sharon Shannon, Graham Parker, Nick Lowe and Frankie Miller. ...

Pay tribute to Irish guitar god Rory Gallagher

2008-03-08T17:35:00.000-08:00

ORIGINAL: Goldmine Magazine

By Todd Whitesel

An Irish guitarist/singer/songwriter who was one of Ireland’s greatest gifts to music, Rory Gallagher connected across the globe with fans who were irresistibly drawn to his everyman persona and ability to turn a guitar into a lethal weapon.

Often clad simply in a flannel shirt and jeans and playing his trademark battered Fender Stratocaster, Gallagher was the workingman’s musician.

Eschewing ego and pomp for the opportunity to polish his craft and play his heart out for an audience, he lived for music and the guitar. Be it blues, rock or folk — acoustic, electric or slide — Gallagher delivered the goods. Just put a guitar in his hands and step aside. No, really.

Off-stage, Gallagher was a soft-spoken, polite individual known for his willingness to talk music and teach a budding guitarist how to play a riff. In an industry fueled almost entirely by self-promotion and decadence, Gallagher’s humility was a proverbial breath of fresh air.

But get him on stage and watch out! His live shows were legendary — rousing affairs — combining the rock ’n’ roll heart of Chuck Berry and the blues soul of Muddy Waters with the near maniacal energy of Bruce Springsteen. Gallagher was at his best playing live, and he perfected his craft by touring, always touring.

Longtime Gallagher bassist Gerry McAvoy estimated touring America alone 28 times (!) during his stint with Rory. And Gallagher always seemed genuinely eager to please the crowd, often saying something like, “Here’s a song you might like.”

Rory was beloved everywhere, but he was practically royalty in his home country of Ireland, where he became the Emerald Isle’s de facto ambassador of the blues.

A prolific writer and recorder, Gallagher released more than a dozen albums between 1971 and 1991, at times releasing a new album every year. His energetic blend of the blues with rock ’n’ roll attracted the attention of some of the most talented of his contemporaries: Count Bob Dylan, Brian May and Van Morrison among Rory’s admirers.

Unfortunately, Gallagher’s life was cut short. On June 14, 1995, he died following complications from a liver transplant. He was 47. His brother Donal Gallagher knew him best and has special insight on the man who would be the king of British Isle blues.

The Early Years

Rory Gallagher was born in Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland, March 2, 1948. He was exposed to music early on.

His father was a musician and his mother was a very good singer. Beyond his family’s musical influences, Gallagher was a keen radio listener and very adept at surfing the radio and picking up stations including Voice of America and Radio Luxembourg. Through the airwaves, Gallagher received a well-rounded music education, locking on to a collage of artists including Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Big Bill Broonzy, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Lonnie Donegan, Eric Dolphy and Ornette Coleman.

Particularly, the music of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters would greatly influence the rock and blues sides of his guitar playing. In addition, traditional Irish music always loomed in the background.

When the Gallaghers moved south to Cork, Ireland, Rory picked up his first guitar at the age of 9 — a wooden acoustic model that, according to his brother Donal, dwarfed the youngster. Rory taught himself to play and was soon performing local events in Cork.

Rory and Donal formed their own skiffle band as youngsters, after falling under the spell of the genre’s star Lonnie Donegan. The skiffle master was largely responsible for popularizing the guitar in Britain at the time. In fact, the two acoustic guitars that filled music shops at the time were the Donnegan and Elvis Presley models.

In 1961, Gallagher formed his first band. Two years later, he purchased the used 1961 Fender Stratocaster that would rarely leave his side until his death nearly 35 years later.

Gallagher was entranced by Buddy Holly — the lanky Texan also played a Stratocaster — and Rory wanted to play the same instrument as the American star.

He told fellow Irishman and guitar slinger Vivian Campbell about his earliest influences and first instruments: “As an absolute youngster, I liked the guitar-cowboy pictures: Roy Rogers, Gene Autry. But then I heard Elvis Presley, Lonnie Donegan and Chuck Berry — almost all at the same time on the radio — and was I keen to get an acoustic. The songs Lonnie Donegan was singing were Woody Guthrie songs and Leadbelly songs, so it was like a backdoor into blues stuff. At the same time, I liked what Eddie Cochran played on the guitar. I didn’t even have a record player then. I just listened to Radio Luxembourg, AFN and BBC jazz programs, because in those days they wouldn’t play a blues record on a pop program. But, you can imagine in Ireland at the time, just any American guitarist freaked me out, regardless of who it was. There was no guitar player in Cork, where I came from. I had seen a friend of my father’s who was a guitar player, and he left the guitar in the house one night, and I just sat there looking at it. I was afraid to touch it. I was just fascinated by it. I started playing electric guitar when I was around 12.”

Donal recalled the Strat.

“Seeing that guitar in the window [of the music store] — I remember Rory coming back one night — it suddenly appeared in the window. It would have probably been one of the first Stratocaster’s imported into Ireland. It had been acquired by one of the guitarists in the Showband. The guy didn’t like the color — he wanted a red one like Hank Marvin [had], and it took three months to ship from the States at that time… It came back to the store as a second-hand instrument. And I remember Rory telling me, “You’ve got to come down to the store. Buddy Holly’s guitar is in the window!... Buddy Holly was a massive, massive influence on Rory’s guitar style.”

The Stratocaster had seen some use but nothing like the workout it would get under Gallagher’s hands in the years to come.

In a 1990 Q magazine interview, Gallagher recalled purchasing the axe: “It’s a 1961 model. I got it secondhand. It was 100 pounds, which was an absolute fortune at the time. It was in good condition then, but it’s got so battered now it’s got a kind of tattoo quality about it. There’s now a theory that the less paint or varnish on a guitar — acoustic or electric — the better. The wood breathes more. But, it’s all psychological. I just like the sound of it. It’s also a good-luck thing. It was stolen one time, and it came back. It’s kind of a lucky charm.”

Gallagher played in several bands in Cork before forming the Fontana Showband, an outfit that, like so many of the “Show Bands” of the day, would serve as entertainment for the many rural Irish dance halls. Rory and his Fontana mates would often play for five to six hours per gig to satisfy the music-hungry patrons, many who would travel for miles from their rural homes.

Playing such extended hours and covering a wide variety of music — country, traditional Irish music, current pop hits — was akin to athletic training for the musicians. Those rigorous Showband gigs honed Gallagher’s playing and stage skills, and turned him into a performing machine.

Donal says, “Rory didn’t want to go down that route, and at the age of 15, he got his first electric [guitar]. He had got a small amp and was progressing so quickly that it [playing in a showband] didn’t satisfy him. He wanted to upgrade his guitar and patch through an amp to really get some volume… He tried to find some like-minded souls to play with.

“Skiffle had kind of gone full circle. Rock music — the likes of Chuck Berry had emerged, as had guitar bands like The Shadows and The Ventures. There was a lot more guitar-oriented music. It had started to filter through with films like ‘Jailhouse Rock.’ Rory decided he would take a position with the Showband very much to turn his amp up, and play and entertain.”

Although Gallagher was playing regularly, he was frustrated by the constraints of the showband — playing the hits of the day for the crowds — and wanted to concentrate more on blues and rock ‘n’ roll. Rory was just a babe at 15, playing with musicians in their 20s and even 30s.

“He made himself look older,” said Donal, “to get the audition, and he had to become a member of the union.”

The Showband did allow Rory to play some of the Buddy Holly numbers he loved so much, along with Elvis Presley songs and a smattering of other rock tunes, but his musical talent was becoming more and more apparent.

“He had an aptitude for music, so he was also teaching the other members of the band,” said Donal.

The Fontana eventually got a residency at a U.S. Air Force Base in Spain, just outside Madrid. Rory was 17 at the time and anxious to play in front of an American audience to see how he measured up. By all accounts, he was up to the task.

The Showband evolved into Impact, which found Gallagher and bandmates playing regular gigs in Hamburg, Germany. The Impact even opened for The Byrds, who were touring in support of Mr. Tambourine Man.

Taste

In 1967, Gallagher formed Taste, along with bassist Eric Kitteringham and drummer Norman Damery. The blues power trio developed a strong following in Ireland and Germany and enjoyed a regular venue at Belfast’s Maritime Club.

A year later, Kitteringham and Damery were replaced with bassist Charlie McCracken and ex-Them drummer John Wilson. With McCracken and Wilson, Gallagher and Taste recorded two albums, the self-titled debut and On The Boards, which made it into the U.K. Top 20 Album charts. The band amassed a steady following with their blues-rock approach, gathering enough steam to support the power trio of the day, Cream, on its 1968 farewell show.

After Eric Clapton left Cream, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker searched for a new guitarist and wanted Rory to try out with them to possibly form a new power trio.

“But Rory didn’t want to go down the route of replacing somebody in the band,” according to Donal. “There was, though, the possibility of Cream with Rory at that time.”

Taste later toured with Clapton’s newest band, Blind Faith, as well, for six weeks, at which time stresses within the trio started to show. It would be soon after Taste’s 1970 Isle of Wight performance that the band decided to call it a day. Management problems and lack of a unifying musical direction splintered the group, and after a New Year’s Eve gig in Belfast, Taste was no more.

“At that point, Taste had become a huge band, particularly in Europe,” Donal said. “But they were still playing through the P.A. system Rory had inherited from the Showband and still living in one-bedroom bedsits. I think he was on salary of $20 a week… There was a whole tour booked out to support the On The Boards album, and Rory was walking away from it.”

Gallagher told Goldmine’s Richard Skelly in 1991, “Taste split up in 1971. The band split for all kinds of reasons. The drummer wanted to play jazz, the manager had difficulties with us, or I had difficulties with him, so it was six months of legal hassles with all kinds of strings attached to be able to get out and work again. Anyway, I went off with my own band in 1971, and recorded the first album under my own name and started touring through Europe. Luckily, I still had some of the old Taste fans and some new fans, and it developed.”

Gallagher Solo

Gallagher wasted little time after Taste disbanded, recruiting ex-Deep Joy bassist Gerry McAvoy and ex-Method drummer Wilgar Campbell to support his solo efforts. McAvoy’s hard-driving bass work proved a perfect match for Gallagher’s high-energy efforts and he would remain Rory’s bassist for more than 20 years, while. Campbell was an accomplished drummer.

In May 1971, Gallagher released his self-titled debut album. The record is an excellent chronicle of the 22-year-old musician’s ability to weave rock, blues and jazz into his own vision. Tracks such as “Laundromat” and “Sinner Boy” are full of the fiery rock energy that typify his live shows. Others, such as “Hand’s Up,” reveal Gallagher’s love of jazz.

The debut also features Rory playing saxophone on a couple of numbers, an instrument that he seemed to take to naturally.

“Rory had a huge fondness for jazz,” said Donal, “and was well versed in it, but with the excitement of rock ‘n’ roll, he had kind of drifted away from it. But, he was very much into people like Ornette Coleman... and certainly Eric Dolphy. "

“On one of the first Taste gigs, they supported Captain Beefheart up in a club in London… I remember he was so impressed with Captain Beefheart. He spent hours talking to Captain Beefheart, who encouraged him to be more experimental and stretch the thing and play as many bum notes as you can [laughs]. Also, a lot of the [music] festivals were still jazz festivals… He really liked listening to the instrument, and then suddenly, we’re riding back one day… and [he] produced an alto sax. And he started practicing, and I think it took him two weeks to get on top of the instrument. He would rehearse in a closet where our clothes were in, and he’d play into that to sort of dampen the sound [laughs]. And the next thing, he was recording with it. He really had an incredible ability.”

Late in 1971, Gallagher released his second solo album, Deuce. This sophomore set of blues-rock numbers features the clean, wiry production of the debut and another strong set of jagged blues-rock numbers. It didn’t necessarily break new ground (it was in fact his second album in the same year), but it chronicles Rory coming into his own as a songwriter and his guitar playing was only getting better. It also hints at what was yet to come. The kid from Donegal wasn’t ready to lay down for anyone. Just wait ‘til next year!

1972 was a watershed year for Gallagher. He released his first live recording, Live In Europe, an album that went Gold and captured the magic and intensity of Gallagher’s live shows. For those who hadn’t seen Rory play live, listening to him tear through songs such as “Bullfrog Blues” must have been revelatory.

“You also had at that point in time, the start of the whole glam and glitter brigade,” said Donal, “and the whole pop star thing… record companies were looking at ways to commercialize the elements — the face paint, the glam and the glitter, what Rory would have seen as the whole show band element, crept in. But Rory was kicking ass against all that. It was straight, no-nonsense blues-rock ’n’ roll. And that album [Live In Europe] still stands up well; in fact, it’s been re-produced on vinyl again by Sony BMG… Just going back in to remaster that — the vibrancy of it — “I Could’ve Had Religion:” [Bob] Dylan was quite a fan of that track.”

The success of Live In Europe was just a piece of the popularity that Gallagher was enjoying. He was also being regularly featured on BBC Radio shows and was broadcast to distant locales including Hong Kong and Canada. That same year, he was selected to record with his idol Muddy Waters on the bluesman’s The London Muddy Waters Sessions and was named Melody Maker’s Top Guitar Player.

His sound would also undergo a transformation as drummer Campbell left and two new members entered the Gallagher camp: ex-Killing Floor’s Rod De’Ath (drums) and keyboardist Lou Martin. The outfit of McAvoy, Martin and De’Ath would figure heavily on some of Rory’s strongest work and greatest live performances during the early and mid-’70s.

It was this lineup that anchored keystone albums such as Blueprint and Tattoo, a pair that are arguably the best of the guitar slinger‘s catalog. It’s here that Gallagher’s guitar playing and songwriting meet head on, reaching new heights on tunes such as “Daughter Of The Everglades,” the charging “Cradle Rock,” the jazz-flavored “They Don’t Make Them Like You Anymore” and “A Million Miles Away,” a melancholic reflection of life on the road that became Rory’s signature tune.

Tattoo is a highly personal and reflective album buoyed by incredible guitar playing and interplay between Gallagher and bandmates and is probably the place to start for those wanting an introduction to his music.

“The keyboards certainly added a new dimension,” said Donal of the lineup at the time. “Initially, Rory’s desire was really trying to experiment with having a rhythm guitarist, who could double up. In fact, when he took Lou on — I remember the first couple of gigs in Italy — Rory strapped a guitar on him to have a bit of rhythm. But Lou really wasn’t competent enough; he could play rhythm, but to back Rory would be difficult. So, he stuck mainly with the keyboards, and it opened up quite well. And Rod’s drumming was quite different than Wilgar’s. Wilgar had left the band — he found it very hard to cope with flying and had a lot of issues going on, so he stood down. Rod came straight in and really was a straight, no-nonsense rock drummer. Basically, he was ambidextrous and had that kind of flair to cover the kit… Rod used such heavy sticks as well, and for such a thin, wiry guy, he got more volume than anybody I know… It allowed Rory, probably, to be a bit more experimental in his songwriting. The jazz flavors in the rhythms just came out and flourished quite well on Blueprint and Tattoo — tracks like ‘They Don’t Make Them Like You Anymore,’ for instance — the jazz phrasings and piano and guitar complementing one another.”

Although the quartet was laying down some incredible studio tracks, the band would truly cement its status in live performances. By the mid-70s, Gallagher’s band was a live juggernaut. The constant touring had honed the quartet into an outfit of staggering stamina and power.

“The energy was difficult to keep up with. The pace Rory was setting was quite extreme. Blind faith and self confidence were certainly attributes. But, though the pace was a normal and even comfortable one to Rory, to the new members of the band it was a challenge.

Mentally, all was in synch. But physical endurance was constantly being challenged” — pianist Lou Martin, on playing live with Rory Gallagher (from the book “Gallagher, Derringer & Tower”).

The time was right was to get it all on tape. And get it all they did with Irish Tour.

1974’s live Irish Tour is simply one of the greatest live albums of all time, an incredible document capturing a band that few (if any) others could match once the lights went down. Recorded at Belfast’s Ulster Hall at a time when few artists dared play in Northern Ireland, Gallagher instead was a unifier of fans during this violent and inauspicious time in the country‘s history. Not only recorded for audio, the tour was also filmed by Tony Palmer and released in the U.K. as a full-scale film, a precursor of sorts to the music-video craze that would follow years later.

What made the album so special?

“I think before that, Rory recognized that that lineup had clicked, particularly after the Tattoo album,” said Donal. “They were touring, and [the band] was a well-oiled machine. And they were playing night after night, so the band was firing on all cylinders. So, at that point, they were doing an Irish tour, and I remember saying to Rory that taking a crew to Northern Ireland wasn’t the safest thing to do right now. I remember him saying that he didn’t know if he would ever reach a point like this again with a band — there would obviously be different peaks with different musicians — but he thought this lineup was peaking right then.”

Peaking it was. Irish Tour is a selection of tunes cherry-picked from numerous dates within the country. The album is one highlight after another. We‘re treated to a blistering version of “Cradle Rock” and the slow burn of “A Million Miles Away,” with some of Martin’s finest keys work. The entire set moves with the energy of a herd of wildebeests crossing the Serengeti.

“Rory was flat out… I used to marvel at him. He was like an athlete. ‘How can you play guitar and remember all those lyrics?’ Plus, the hidden talent of being a great bandleader. He wouldn’t even tell musicians what the next number was. They’d get a clue by the little riff, and they’d just have to get in once he started — particularly the drummers, I think it took its toll. You just didn’t know how long any number might be. The sweat on those guys [the band members from playing]. I remember spending all night in the bars just to recover [laughs]. And some nights there’d be three or four encores.

“I remember a promoter in California… he said, ‘There’s one thing about your brother. He never threatens you with not going on stage. He threatens you with not coming off! [laughs].’”

In a 1988 interview by Marcus Gygax, keyboardist Martin said, “Over the years, there had been so many marvelous live shows. It is impossible for me to pick out particular concerts because most concerts with Rory were marvelous. The very best memories are those of the gigs at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1976 or ’77 — even Bob Dylan got so enthusiastic over these shows that he came to see Rory in the dressing room after the concert — and all the shows we did during ’72 and ’76 in Belfast and Cork in Ireland.”

If band members didn’t know what song was coming up, certainly no one else did. Promoters didn’t know when Rory never used a setlist. Donal remembers the trouble it caused.

“This also gave problems, particularly when we’d do television shows. For example, the Rockpalast DVDs (“Rory Gallagher: Live at Rockpalast 1976-1990” 3 DVD Box Set, from Eagle Rock Entertainment). German television wanted everything measured — timelines — they wanted to have the song, the lyrics. They’d be screaming at me, ‘You’re the manager. You should know,’ and I’d say, I don’t know. [laughs] All I could do was provide them with a probable list of songs, which invariably would change.

“I think it was his interaction with the audience. He’d get on stage and hit you straight between the eyes, and then take a read of the audience as to what kind of audience he had — how he’d have to work them, if they were more laid back. He was very much sort of that master entertainer.

“Another hidden talent of Rory’s that doesn’t get mentioned a lot was that he had a great sense of theatre, and stage, and drama. And that’s why Rory’s really found his niche with these DVDs. Not a lot of music from that era stands up — stuff was very fashionable — but his music stands up because of the massive performance; there’s a drama. You can see that in people like Bruce Springsteen, where there’s a sense of stage drama.”

Gallagher’s talents, hidden or otherwise, were not going unnoticed among his peers. He would be courted by The Rolling Stones as a possible replacement for Mick Taylor — playing to an enthusiastic Mick Jagger while Keith Richards snoozed in a slumber, naturally induced or otherwise — and Deep Purple was interested in Rory to fill the shoes of a departed Ritchie Blackmore. But, he chose to stay on his own path and play his own music. One can only wonder, however, what the Stones or Purple would have sounded like under the mark of Gallagher’s guitar.

Following the success of Irish Tour, Gallagher inked a new deal with burgeoning Chrysalis Records. His first Chrysalis album, Against The Grain, was released in October 1975. It features the trademark driving blues Gallagher sound on cuts such as “Let Me In” and “Souped-Up Ford,” as well as the sensitive side on “Ain’t Too Good.”

The mid-’70s period was a high time for Gallagher, who established an ongoing presence at venues such as The Montreux Jazz Festival (click here for Eagle Rock's "Live at Montreux" DVD) and Germany’s Rockpalast.

On Oct. 6, 1976, Gallagher headlined a Rockpalast bill that included Little Feat and Roger McGuinn. The show, which kicked off at midnight, was beamed across the airwaves and, via Eurovision, reached somewhere between 50 and 75 million people, including some of the Communist Bloc countries. It was history in the making.

Calling Card, the follow-up to Against The Grain, saw Deep Purple’s Roger Glover assume part of the production helm. Gallagher and Glover were friends from way back, having met when Taste was sharing bills with the pre-Deep Purple Episode Six. Though Glover had become a busy bassist for Purple, he was also spending more and more time in the studio, producing records for Nazareth, The Spencer Davis Group and Elf.

“Moonchild” and “Edged In Blue” are two of the album’s standout tracks, displaying the incredible range that Gallagher covered. Good as it is, Calling Card is also something of a bittersweet disc, being the final album with De’Ath and Martin, who would leave after the album’s supporting tour.

Unreleased

In 1977, Gallagher went to the West Coast of the United States and recorded the follow-up to Calling Card. Unfortunately, it was never released.

“Rory always had an ambition to do an album in America,” said Donal. “After Against The Grain and Calling Card, it [America] seemed the prime location to do one. We were spending so much time in America… Chrysalis Records said to Rory, ‘Who would you consider working with in the studio?’

“Elliot Mazer’s name came up. He had his own studio up in San Francisco… but when the album was finished, he [Rory] just didn’t like it. I never understood why… I think, technically, he didn’t like the sound; he wasn’t happy with the production values… With hindsight, looking back, what he really should have done was go into the studio with American musicians. He had great admiration for Kenneth Buttrey and various other musicians — I think he thought Elliot Mazer would bring in other musicians. It’s still an excellent piece of work. I recall when the album was actually cut and lacquered, and I was taking it down to play it for 53 executives that had been flown in from all parts of the states — this was a big push Chrysalis were planning to do, the album to break Rory wide open in America. The night before Rory held the album and said to me, ‘You can’t play it to anybody because it’s going in the [trash] bin.’

“And he dropped it into a bin. I was horrified. [I said to Rory] Let me play a couple cuts and say we’re going to re-mix it. Let me play something. But he was adamant. I just really couldn’t get my head around it. He was sticking to his guns. Oddly enough, the following day Rory fractured his thumb so any schedule we had at that time was dashed. His thumb needed three weeks to heal.

“It’s my intention to get the album out, because I know a lot of fans are curious about it. And it’s a studio recording — it is what it is. It needs a good dusting down and good mixes. It will be good for people to hear it.”

By his own admission, Gallagher lived and breathed music. A day without playing the guitar was virtually unknown.

In a 1976 interview with International Musician, Gallagher noted: “A day [without touching a guitar] is my limit. If I’m stuck in a city somewhere, and the gear has to fly on and I can’t get my hands on a guitar, I go nuts. It happened to me once or twice, and I really felt like the guy [Linus] in ‘Peanuts’ without the blanket. I have to go down to a music store and play for half an hour. It’s like a real hunger. I used to bring a Martin around with me, but now I’ve got a tune-up amp called a Dwarf. It’s like the Pignose, but you know the way the Pignose is very fuzzy. This one’s dead clean, but you can fuzz it up if you want. It’s good because it’s one thing rehearsing with an acoustic, but the electric is such a different character. You have to work on both of them. Sometimes, you can’t write on an acoustic and vice versa. But, I have ended up with some crazy situations whereby I wrote an acoustic number and it ended up as an electric number. ‘Sinner Boy’ was one like that.”

Gallagher’s uncompromising ways were great for his music, but it also put limits on who might actually hear it. Although he sold some 20 million albums during his lifetime, it was without the support of radio hits and singles. In fact, he was anti-single, not wanting to be pigeonholed into the “hits cycle” that so many others perilously rode before being tossed.

After rebounding from the unreleased album, Gallagher brought in new drummer Ted McKenna and with McAvoy, laid down the tracks for 1978’s Photo Finish. Back squarely within the trio setting, Gallagher found his feet and turned out the most highly charged set of his career. The opener track “Shin Kicker” is one of Rory’s best rockers, a warped-up, Chuck Berry-style stomper that he would pummel ecstatic audiences with in the tours to come.

Top Priority was the 1979 follow-up, again recorded with the two “Macs” (McKenna and McAvoy) providing rhythm. The trio are at top form on cuts such as “Wayward Child,” “Keychain” and “Bad Penny.” Fans of Rory’s acoustic and quieter side would have to wait a couple more years, though, as the album is largely a full-throttle electric assault. But fans of rockin’ Rory got it in spades, particularly on cuts such as the fiery “Just Hit Town.”

A third live album, Stage Struck, was released in 1980 and features songs from Top Priority, Calling Card and Photo Finish. Fans of Rory’s rock side were in heaven with this as he pounds out one stomper after another.

1980s And Beyond

The 1980s was a period of adjustment as Gallagher’s record label, Chrysalis, ran into financial troubles and the music industry, always changing, seemed to be evolving at a rapid rate.

Always the professional, Rory kept writing and recording, though the days of putting out an album every year were past him. His music was leaning toward his bluesy and folk roots, even featuring harmonica.

Several fine albums followed. Defender, Jinx and Fresh Evidence (released on his own Capo label) hinted at a maturing musician, comfortable in his blues skin and, as always, uncompromising in his vision. Gallagher continued touring, and with each gig would capture the heart and soul of new listeners. His last tour of the United States was in 1991.

However, Gallagher continued touring with a new band throughout Europe in the early ’90s. He appeared at a jazz festival in 1993 at Cork, and the following year played to some 50,000 folks at the Temple Bar Blues Festival in Dublin. But, his touring would be cut short after being diagnosed with liver problems.

A necessary transplant was performed, but an infection developed, and Gallagher died at King College Hospital in London.

In 2003, the posthumous release Wheels Within Wheels serves to satisfy Rory’s wish to record an acoustic album.

Far from being an odds-and-sods collection of throwaways or songs “for completists only,” the album is a delightful collection of tunes featuring 14 previously unreleased tracks of Rory playing along with Martin Carthy (on the appropriately Irish-tinged “Bratacha Dubha“), Bert Jansch (who accompanies on the folky “She Moved Thro‘ The Fair/Ann Crann Ull“), Lonnie Donegan (on the skiffle-tinged “Goin’ To My Hometown”) and Bela Fleck (who thumbs the banjo through a set of Southern standards, including Bill Monroe‘s “Blue Moon Of Kentucky”). We even revisit Rory circa 1975 with backing band De’Ath, Martin and McAvoy on the plaintive “Lonesome Highway.

Legacy

Rory Gallagher’s musical legacy is difficult to assess, but it is formidable. No artist conquered the divide between “rock star” and “average Joe” better than Rory. He touched many lives and many ears and inspired numerous guitarists to follow in his footsteps.

Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton told Guitar One, “Without a shadow of a doubt, the person who inspired me to become a musician, and who I thought was unbelievable and magical was Rory Gallagher…”
Had he lived, it’s likely he would have enjoyed the current wave of popularity that many of his “classic-rock” peers such as Led Zeppelin, Queen and Genesis do. It’s not a stretch to think that Rory could have (would have!) been still been tearing the roofs off venues from Belfast to Baltimore. Gallagher’s longest-tenured band member Gerry McAvoy shared the stage with the guitarist for some 20 years.

He offered this during a 2001 interview: “I must admit I’m biased towards the Belfast gigs, because it’s my hometown, and I used to love it. The first one was an amazing reaction. I remember ... in fact it was the last time I played the Ulster Hall with Rory in the ’80s, I remember going onstage, and the standing ovation he got lasted for about five minutes. It was unbelievable! Even though he had been going there for all those years, that one sticks out in my mind. It was an amazing reaction.”

In a 1997 Fuzz Magazine interview, Ace Frehley of Kiss remarked, “Rory Gallagher was a great player. I’ve seen him perform several times — he just used to use a little Fender amp and that beat-up Strat; but boy, he could make that guitar talk… He was another guitar player who never got the credit he deserved. It’s incredible.’

It’s time Rory Gallagher got that credit.