REWRITING RORY

Rewriting Rory

Shining a positive light on the later years of Rory Gallagher’s career

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A day late thanks to yesterday’s Jinx celebrations, but I still didn’t want to miss marking the anniversary of Rory’s 1987 performance at the City Festival in Vienna. This is easily one of my favourite Rory gigs. It really deserves an official release, especially given how many high-quality multi-angle recordings are out there. Here’s a little clip from the encore – a ferocious take on Loanshark Blues. On this day in 1982, Jinx was released – one of my favourite Rory records yet one I think has never quite received the recognition it deserves. As with Fresh Evidence, posthumous discussions often lean too heavily on Rory’s personal struggles at the time, as if his life “jinx” somehow defines the music itself. That framing, though, doesn’t do the album justice at all. As I noted in the chapter on Jinx in Rory Gallagher: The Later Years: Hope you are having a good week. The latest Rewriting Rory blog has just gone live. It's the third installment in my 'One Song, Many Lives' series, this time looking at at a personal favourite, 'I Could've Had Religion'. Hope you enjoy it! On this day in 1986, Rory was a guest on the Paul Jones Rhythm and Blues Show on BBC Radio 2. He performed a short set that included 'When My Baby She Left Me', 'Continental Op' and 'Off the Handle' and also took part in an interview, where he shared some of his own favourite songs. Today is the anniversary of Rory’s 1989 headlining performance at Irish Rock Week at the Mean Fiddler in London - a whole seven nights in April featuring the “cream” of Ireland’s new talent. Today I turn to Rory’s performance on Ohne Filter and share a little clip from one of my favourite parts of the set: Walkin’ Wounded. I didn’t get a chance to share a post about Rory’s interview/performance on Ohne Filter on its anniversary last week as it fell on the same day as the final gig at the Marquee with Gerry and Brendan. So, I’m taking the opportunity today and tomorrow to give it the attention it deserves. Here's some reading to enjoy this long Easter weekend - the fourth installment in the 'Meeting with the G-Fans' series. This time, I speak to Paul Deegan, who shared some wonderful Rory memories from over the years (Link in Story, as always!). You may remember that last year I was doing some research on the Carol Clerk scrapbooks held at the Oh Yeah! Music Centre in Belfast. I'm delighted to share news that my first article based on th the study, entitled ‘A Chink of Light’: Rory Gallagher, Youth Fandom and Musical Refuge in Early 1970s Belfast, has just been published with the Journal of the Society for Musicology in Ireland. Today marks Gerry and Brendan’s final official concert with Rory at the Marquee Club in New York (they would perform with him again several times in 1992 while he got his new band together). Rory on stage at the Paradise in Boston on this day in 1991. The show started with technical difficulties as the rostrum was too small for the drumkit, leading the cymbals to constantly fall off. Those in the audience noticed the difficulties, yet could not believe the remarkable sight they witnessed before them that evening: of Rory undeterredly playing, drawing energy from the crowd and progressively getting better and better. Rory on stage at Club Bene in Sayreville on this day in 1991 (photo by Bob Leafe).

Rewriting Rory
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