When it comes to the Rory Gallagher Band, we’ve all got our favourite sideman. 

There are those who love the driving beat of original drummer Wilgar Campbell and those who prefer the harder, rockier edge of Ted McKenna. Those who have a soft spot for the “undrummerlike” drumbeat of Rod De’ath and those who revel in the jazzier style of Brendan O’Neill. Those who delight in the honky tonk sounds of keyboardist Lou Martin and those with a fondness for the solid grooves of bassist Gerry McAvoy. 

But for us, there’s one man who’s a cut above the rest, who had such an incredible musical bond with Rory, who gelled with him perfectly, who was a true friend offstage and there for him in his darkest hours: the maestro of the harp, Mr Mark Feltham.

Mark Feltham entered the Rory Gallagher story in 1984, making his debut at the Pistoia Festival in a tribute show for Alexis Korner. Already in his first performance, he wowed the crowds with his expert harmonica playing on “I Wonder Who” and “Off the Handle” (don’t just take our word for it; hear it for yourself) – songs that would go on to become classic Rory and Mark moments in all their later live shows together. But Mark was no novice, of course. Up until 1982, he had been a member of the R&B band Nine Below Zero, as well as a highly sought-after session musician.

Given how in tune Mark is with the blues, it might come as a surprise to know that his background was, in fact, very much steeped in country music. Born in 1955 in Bermondsey, London, Mark had dabbled with the harmonica from the age of six, but only started to become seriously interested in the instrument in his late teens after hearing the famous opening tune of the music show Old Grey Whistle Test: Stone Fox Chase by Nashville country rock band Area Code 615. Immediately, he sought out other Nashville musicians, developing a particular affinity with the playing style of Charlie McCoy. 

Mark’s first musical break came in 1977 when he was approached by Dennis Greaves to form Nine Below Zero. Over the five years that the band was together, they often played at the Bridge House club in the East End of London. Whenever Gerry and Brendan were back in the city, they went to the club and reported enthusiastically to Rory on how talented the band’s harmonica player was. But it wasn’t until 1983 – a year after the break-up of Nine Below Zero – that Rory and Mark met for the first time. On 26^th July, the Rory Gallagher Band were playing a gig at the Marquee Club to commemorate its twenty-fifth anniversary. Mark came along to watch and, after being introduced to each other by Gerry, Rory invited him up for a jam. 

Dónal has often said that the musical chemistry between Rory and Mark was instantaneous, describing them as “kindred spirits.” He explains that Rory “felt a huge empathy” with Mark right from the very beginning and “cultivated a role for him in the band.” After his first appearance at Pistoia ‘84, Mark remained a key member of the Rory Gallagher Band until 1995, featuring on Defender and Fresh Evidence, as well as a range of iconic Rory gigs from Cork ’87 and Rockpalast ‘90 to Temple Bar ’92 and Montreux ‘94. 

This may have been a period of deep unhappiness for Rory offstage, but, onstage, him and Mark were having a ball. Those moments when they both just get so lost in the music, bouncing off one another and exchanging riffs are truly magical. The look of pure joy on Rory’s face is so infectious and is guaranteed to make you break out in a silly smile, no matter how you’re feeling. The great affection that Rory has for Mark is apparent in the various ways he introduces him over the years (“maestro of the harp,” “our good friend,” “Mr Harmonica”), as well as little moments when he whispers in his ear (see Don’t Start Me Talking from Lyon ’94) or rests his head on his shoulder (see Bullfrog Blues from Paris ’94) as they perform.

The feeling was mutual. 

Talking to Shiv Cariappa in 1998, Mark stated how he loved just being on the side of the stage watching Rory do his thing and that he had never seen anybody with so much passion and dedication to his craft, noting how Rory’s fingers would pour with blood by the end of each concert as he hit the guitar so hard. In the same interview, he described Rory as an “extremely underrated songwriter”, naming “Big Guns” as his favourite Rory song and admitting that he preferred playing Rory’s own material to covers, particularly “Alexis,” “Ghost Blues,”  and “The Loop.” 

As Rory’s health got progressively worse towards the end of the 1980s, Mark also took on an unofficial duty as guardian angel to him. Concert footage of the time often captures Mark looking across in concern at Rory and he is always at hand to give him a friendly pat on the back or a reassuring smile. When Rory collapsed on stage on 10^th January 1995, it was Mark who was the first one over to help him and seek medical attention.

Mark was there again when Rory was hospitalised in March 1995 and fell into a coma, staying at his bedside and playing country blues on his harmonica to try and wake him up. Talking to Dan Muise in 2002, Dónal stated that Mark’s harmonica playing definitely had an effect on Rory: “You could see the reaction in the wellbeing of the man. He did improve. Certainly from what I could see of his body heat, colour, complexion. It had a dramatic effect.” When Rory sadly passed away at 10:46am on 14^th June, Mark was present, along with Dónal and Mona. It was also Mark who took the role of one of the pallbearers at Rory’s funeral. He also stepped up and performed the daunting task of playing “A Million Miles Away” at the Church of the Descent of the Holy Cross and “Amazing Grace” at Rory’s final resting place in St Oliver’s Cemetery. It takes a brave man to witness and experience what Mark did yet play on stoically and, for that, he has our full respect and appreciation.

Despite Rory’s often guarded relationships with others, Dónal notes that his brother truly liked Mark and thought he was “a lovely person with a wonderful manner,” as well as “a very true spirited musician.” Mark, likewise, never had a bad word to say about Rory. In a passage that we so often love to quote, he describes Rory as “an angel sent down from heaven to me,” “the most wonderful man I ever met,” and “a gentleman in the sense of a gentle man.” Powerful words indeed.

In interviews since Rory’s passing, Mark has frequently summed up Rory with the same five adjectives: religious, gentle, humble, kind and generous. Reiterating the words of so many others, Mark has also stated how Rory never swore, never had a bad word to say about anybody and treated women with the utmost respect. In the jesting way that only a dear friend can get away with, Mark has also joked that everybody always had to be careful what they said or did around Rory because he had such high morals. 

Over the years, Mark has shared so many beautiful anecdotes, from how Rory would often stop a conversation in mid-sentence just to cross the road and give money to a homeless person or how he would chastise band members for eyeing good-looking women or making suggestive comments about them. A recent passage he posted on Facebook truly captures the high regard in which he held Rory and is worth sharing in full below as it is so beautiful:

I miss him dearly and his “no sellout” vision of the world. He reminded me so much of Mark Hollis. He too had those good solid core values and morals too. There was certainly none purer than him. When I was living at home in the early 80s, quite often he’d call home and if I was out and my father answered, he’d ask my dad if he had a bet on the horses this coming weekend and if so, did he have any tips. If my mum was in and took the call, he would often talk to my mum for ages and ask if she had read the latest murder mystery books as they shared a fascination for the subject. You have to remember, this was prior to internet, emails and mobile phones. People used to talk in those days, mind you, when RG did speak, his 10 words were the equivalent and more powerful than 1000 words from others. He made every statement a milestone in a learning curve going forward with your life, both as a musician and/or the local postman, it mattered not. He really was a beautiful man in every sense of the word as his passing was so untimely and cruel to every music lover. I treasure these moments and remember fondly the long gruelling tours across the world and especially Germany and the Eastern Bloc. If I sound sentimental, I am, for this is the power that decent people can have over us mere mortals.

So, with this post, we want to say a huge thank you to Mark. Like Rory, he’s a humble man who keeps himself out of the limelight, but he truly deserves to get more attention for his important part in the Rory Gallagher story. Mark’s exceptional musicianship contributed enormously to the power of Rory’s later live shows and recordings, while his friendship to Rory offstage at a time when many others had let him down should never be overlooked. All the words Mark used to describe Rory could equally be applied to him: an angel, a gentleman, a wonderful human being. We love you, maestro of the harp!

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We wanted to end this post with our Top 5 Rory and Mark moments, but the more we watched, the more we realised that all of them are truly spectacular. So, after much deliberation, we’ve somehow managed to whittle it down to a Top 8 list (in no particular order). In the words of our sweet Rory, hope you like it!

1. “When My Baby, She Left Me” (Sonny Boy Williamson II), at the Cork Opera House in Cork, Ireland, 1987 

Well, Rory might be left without his baby, but he sure is not left without Mark on this one. Their chemistry is magnetic, from Mark’s cheeky additions throughout the verses, to the exciting interplay of harmonica and guitar that closes out the song. 

From our experience, this clip cannot be watched once, but a minimum five times! 

(Honourable mentions: “Don’t Start Me Talkin’,” “I Ain’t No Saint,” Off the Handle,”). 

2. “I Can’t Be Satisfied” (McKinley Morganfield), backstage at the Philipshalle in Dusseldorf, Germany, 1987.

Just the two of them, a National and a harmonica: could life get any better?

Many times we have seen Rory play this song. However, as is often the case, this great rendition is made even greater with the accompaniment of Mark. Whether it is his sharp bursts behind the acoustic riff or soulful vibrato, Mark is able to put a warm, bluegrass feel to this blues standard. As Mark discussed in his 2017 interview with The Oasis Project, “country music is my love,” and that statement definitely rings true for this performance. 

3. “Mean Disposition” (Henry Townsend), for the television program Ohne Filter, in Baden-Baden, Germany, 1990. 

Together, Rory and Mark guide us through a poignant journey of longing and angst.

Mark creeps into the second verse and echoes Rory’s frustrated cry of, “why can’t I be happy?” to then responding with an explosive and gutsy solo at the prospect that “this little girl might change her low down ways.” 

4. “Walkin’ Blues”(trad.), during the Montreux Jazz Festival at the Casino de Montreux, 1985.

Here the maestro’s take—or rather, walk—through a passionate musical showcase, from Mark’s use of the ‘wah wah’ technique on his bluesy solo, to Rory’s aggressive strike against the Martin D-35. We can’t help but join in with the crowd’s enthusiastic applause as the tune draws to a finish. 

(Honourable mention: on occasion, Rory would pair Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” with his “Walkin’ Blues” renditions—like, for example, his performance at the Celtic Festival in 1994. The blend of these two songs is so heartbreakingly good, and therefore deserves to be recognised on this list). 

5. “Nadine” (Chuck Berry), at the City Festival in Vienna, Austria in 1987. 

This performance is guaranteed to put you in good spirits! A highlight in the song is when Rory sets down his 1960 Gibson Melody Maker and shows off a few moves to the lively rhythm of Mark’s playing. 

(Honourable mentions: “I Wonder Who,” “Bankers Blues,” “Shinkicker,” ) 

6. “Garbage Man” (McKinley Morganfield), for the music television program Rockpalast in Cologne, Germany, 1990.  

Though it was difficult to select only one song from this concert due the fact they are all timeless, in the end we decided to go with “Garbage Man.” All three instrumental solos (guitar, accordion, and harmonica) compliment each other tremendously well. Mark and Rory exchange melodies at the start, which immediately grab the listener’s attention, and for the finale, Mark adds some overblown notes that capture the pain of watching your girl “run away with the Garbage Man.” 

(Honourable mentions: “Don’t Start Me Talkin’,” “When My Baby, She Left Me,” “Middle Name,”). 

7. “I’m Ready” (Willie Dixon), for the Out On the Green Festival in Dinkelsbühl, Germany, 1986.

What can we say about this incredible performance? 11 minutes of sheer passion, energy and musical genius. Rory’s gritty vocals are complemented perfectly by Mark’s killer harp playing, culminating in a fantastic “call and response” improv section between them (check out from 5.18-6.52 in particular to have your mind truly blown). Yet another performance that has to be watched multiple times in a row to take it in: a real sensory overload!

8. The Ultimate Honourable Mention: “I Wonder Who” (trad.)

This song took several shapes throughout Rory’s career, and so there really is no definitive version. Of course, there are many incredible renditions with Mark and the band. Therefore, instead of choosing one performance, let us take the opportunity now to celebrate this song as the epic that it is in Rory’s live catalogue. 

Please feel free to share your favourite Mark and Rory performance/s in the comments below!