That late summer’s Temple Bar Blues Festival in the August of 92′ is a gig that I’ll never forget. For me it was the first and only time that I would ever see Rory Gallagher play – and what an experience it was! I was only in my early twenties at the time. What I knew of Rory Gallagher prior to that late evening in Dublin’s blues festival was that I had already known a lot of his music. I grew up in a very large family, whom all had various tastes in music! However one of my brother’s, Brian, was already listening to the blues of the likes of Jimmy [sic] Hendrix, Jimmy Page and of course Rory Gallagher (among many more by having LPs) and also having seen Rory on RTÉ television numerous times (although anything we watched on TV in those days was in black and white. Our Dad was a television engineer for PYE television, [and so] we had TVs everywhere, but unfortunately they were not in colour). Ever since then, Rory’s music has always been a part of my life. 

It was a Saturday morning the 15 of August 1992. As I can recall: Myself and a friend were on our way to Dublin to have a look around the record shops, as we often would and then would go on and get some lunch, and meet the girls. Those were the days!

After spending some time knocking in and out of record shops, markets, and various other places, we were heading back over to College Green towards Tommy Teigh’s sound cellar (record shop) who specialised in rock music. As we rounded the corner from the O’Connell street direction, we noticed a stage being set up. At that moment we had no idea that anything was happening that evening, let alone a blues festival that was taking place in Dublin that weekend. Before making the pedestrian lights I grabbed my friend and said, “Lets find out what’s happening”. We could see drums, amps and lighting equipment being set out on the stage. One of the roadies was quite close to the railing, [and] just off the street as we approached him, I shouted over to him asking, “what’s happening, is there live music on here?” He yelled back over the railing “yeah!” I asked, “Whose on?”  “Rory Gallagher” the roadie replied. I looked at my friend and said, “Rory’s playing!” I then quickly asked the roadie, “You’re not having me on, are you?” “No buddy”, he replied, and added, “He’s playing later”. “Jesus!” I said to my friend, “we have got to see that!”  He replied eagerly that we have to get the Dart (train) and get home. “It’s Rory! And I’ll walk home if I have to!” I said, and then added, “I’m not missing the chance to see Rory play!” My friend then quickly agreed, [and] having a few hours on our hands, we grabbed a bite to eat and passed the time with a beer or 2, as we hadn’t a lot of money in those days.

I recall the crowd starting to gather that evening at the Bank of Ireland’s railing in front of where the stage was set up. The stage was inside the railings. People seemed to be coming from all directions. There were even French, German, and many more far distant nationalities of loyal Rory fans present that night and you could tell that these people were here to see Rory, big time! Soon enough the large street and footpath areas were full of Rory spectators. People had even taken up positions on the Trinity College gates and railings. I looked back at one stage and even saw that a lamp post had become a good lookout tower for a couple of eager spectators. There were the cracking of cans and the audience chattering in anticipation as the support band played and there was the mounting excitement of Rory’s oncoming appearance. All of a sudden there is Ronnie Drew, making a very warm welcome for Rory. Rory wearing a black leather jacket came running onto the stage with his trusted Fender Strat with a big “Yeah!” as the crowed yelled and screamed! Then came the ever humbling “Thank you” followed with a slight adjustment to his amp, Rory kicked in and as usual, no messing about!

The audience were overleveraged with the appearance of Rory and his opening number “Continental Op” and then he went into a blues shuffle, “The Loop”, after making his introduction. He then continued with a blues number as we all watched on with pure amazement and disbelief as he played “Tattoo’d Lady” and “Off The Handle”. Rory piled in the numbers one after another, as the set made its way to the acoustic section starting with his famous, “Out on the Western Plain”, and into “Walkin’ Blues”.  Ronnie Drew joined Rory on stage for “Barley and Grape Rag”. He kicked off the second part of the night with, “Messing With The Kid”. The stage was full of Rory’s energy as the evening went on. Rory really packed a punch in Ireland’s capital at the Temple Bar music festival that August night! 

I never had the pleasure of meeting Rory in person, nor did I ever see Rory live again after what I felt was a high privilege on that late summer’s evening. In returning to my family: They are very much musical performers and as said’, have a wide variety of musical  tastes and interests which included artists such as ‘Jimi Hendrix’, ‘Stevie Ray Vaughan’, ‘Pink Floyd’, ‘Blackfoot’, ‘The Doors’ and of course Rory Gallagher, and again, along with many more! Rory Gallagher was always a great influence to me. Being a guitarist myself, I was a member of a Doors Tribute band along with my brothers. We have also played a wide selection of music down through the years. I feel that in relation to the Doors: they were also a blues band at heart particularly when I listened to Robby Krieger who I found had a somewhat similar style to Rory. When it came to their blues playing they both had very unique styles. Rory’s influence and slide playing helped me in finding my own style. I’ve really enjoyed Rory’s acoustic playing over the years. Rory really influenced me with his working finger style and picking. He also gave  me the confidence to play guitar solos. From watching Rory stand there, out on his own, and how he was able to keep the audience in the palm of his hand, always intrigued me. I have loved playing “Going to My Home Town”, “Out on the Western Plain”, “Pistol Slapper Blues’ and “I’ll Admit You’re Gone” to a live audience. I love plugging in the guitar and working out Rory’s electric guitar work with albums like Calling Card and live shows. Rory is truly an amazing inspiration to me.

What I like best about Rory and his music has got to be his live shows and his Dynamic energy. The stage seemed to be the place where Rory was most comfortable with his audience right there in front of him. He seemed to really come to life and not at all show a hint of the shy Rory we know from interviews. His ability to connect with his audience was incredible. He was able to ‘let it all go’, and give his shows all he could. One of the things I have come to realise from working out Rory’s guitar playing, while I play along with him from watching his live performances, is even though he has a chosen few songs, he performs with various choices of slide playing within that. On most of his live shows he played live solos in ‘standard tuning’, which is rare, as he never seemed to put a note out of place. Another guitarist would opt for a ‘G’ or a ‘D’ tuning therefore making slide solo work ‘mistake proof’. Rory just did it with perfection, ‘to the note’ and ‘to the point’. This comes from a man just being himself and with no airs or graces, so to speak.

I have many favourite songs and albums, as I do with many bands. ‘Art is Art’. It is difficult for me to be a critic on the talents of others.  However, as I mentioned earlier, I most surely have a real appreciation for Rory’s acoustic work, be it his picking technique, his choice of songs, or just Rory  himself and his guitar, performing from the heart. That is where Rory always played from. From the heart.