I remember going to one of his last gigs on Southsea Common before he had the operation where he caught his infection. My mate had seen him before in concert and I'd always had a couple of albums. So when my mate told me that Rory was about 3/10ths on an album as to what he was live, I doubted him, because most bands I find a disappointment when they play live. They don't play that well, they are often under-rehearsed, and they generally play way too loud anyway. But my mate was right about Rory Gallagher. He was fantastic. The album music literally exploded onto the stage, and we were in that little Southsea marquee tent loving it all. This was where Rory was meant to be along with his music. I've seen a fair few, but he was the best live performer by miles, and it wasn't too loud either. No bullshit, just music. And he took requests, which made it even better.
Actually came on here to select some XTC, but what the hell do you pick.? Have we got all summer.? Right OK. Like a load of others I was first properly convinced into buying something from XTC by hearing Making Plans. So I bought the album [with free EP inside] and put it on. Drums & Wires is an album where they were still very much growing, but the track Complicated Game just explodes. It shows what they had lying under the surface. I hated it the first time I heard it. Loved it the second time. Album tracks - they grow to be your friends forever:
Rory was the man live. The only one I've seen who comes close to him is Bruce Springsteen. I was lucky to see Rory probably a dozen times through the 70s. He would play the Guildhall virtually every year and was just an amazing performer and a supreme musician (great guitarist, but played sax and mandolin too). Had the awesome experience of once talking to him after a show (probably 72 or 73) and what a decent, humble guy he was - happy to spend time with his fans and just chat. Live in Europe is an album worth listening to and his first solo self-named album is, in my opinion, his best. I've come to Ireland partly to pay tribute to him and his music (headed for Ballyshannon today to visit the Rory Gallagher pub, listen to some more of his music and see his statue), then later to Cork to pay my respects. If you haven't heard Rory and you like good old rock/blues with superb guitar, I recommend you do so - I prefer his earlier stuff, but you decide.
On this day in 1979 the influential landmark album ,Unknown Pleasures, was released by Joy Division and became a blueprint for the Post Punk genre...
Great vocals but I think I mentioned it once before the music bugs me which is why I went with fragile.
Trouble is, I know how good Fragile sounds now so that performance (second ever gig) is a bit 'meh' to me now.
So we need a more up to date performance with brilliant vocals and good music. That's not much to ask. If only we knew someone who could get us this......
I saw them in my youth but unfortunately that was such a long time ago I can't remember them or my youth.
I've been listening to this fella for a while - sacrilege I know but I prefer this version to the Kate Bush original
Been a favourite song of mine since a school friend of mine got killed by friendly fire in NI only about a year after he joined the army.