REWRITING RORY

The end of a year is always a time to look back and take stock; to review, reflect and celebrate; to think about the next twelve months ahead and all they hold in store. And when it comes to Rory, it’s clear that 2023 has been full of successes and achievements. In a year when Rory would have turned 75 – and what we’d all give for him to be here celebrating that milestone – his profile has continued to grow, particularly among young people, thanks to the interminable efforts of his brother Dónal and nephews Daniel and Eoin.

On the occasion of Rory’s birthday on 2 March, Dónal shared some personal reflections about what Rory would think of the music scene today. He noted that Rory would be particularly concerned about working musicians in the current economic climate and – typical of his kind and pure heart – would be doing all he could to support them. Dónal’s own appeal in Rory’s memory was for us all to continue listening to live music and the many tribute bands and artists that keep Rory’s music alive.

Dónal wrote this birthday message in Rory’s apartment in London, commenting wistfully on how he still expected Rory to come home at any minute with a new guitar from his local music shop. He speaks on behalf of all of us who still feel Rory’s presence so strongly in our lives and carry him with us on a daily basis, whether through his music, our memories or conversations with other fans.

So, with this blog post, we want to reflect on the various Rory-related events and accomplishments of 2023. They demonstrate that, over 28 years since Rory’s passing, his legacy is stronger than ever. Rory, wherever you are today, we hope that you can see just how much you are loved. We will never forget you ❤️

‘Rory Gallagher’s Leprechaun Boogie’: Irish Stereotyping in the International Music Press (6 January)

The year kicked off with a flying start when the Review of Irish Studies in Europe published an article by Lauren on Rory and the presence of Irish stereotyping in the international music press. The article identified five key themes of Irish stereotyping, which highlighted the different roles into which Rory was unwillingly cast by the music press. It argues that this fostered discrimination by moulding (negative) public opinion of what it meant to be Irish at a time when Anglo-Irish tensions were already high and ignored the deeply emotional impact of the Northern Irish conflict on Rory. It also took attention away from Rory’s music and, in doing so, downplayed the important contribution he made to the world of blues and rock. You can read the piece here.

Photography Exhibition in Gallagher’s Pub, Cork (2 March)

To mark Rory’s 75^th birthday, a photography exhibition was launched in Gallagher’s Pub on MacCurtain Street in Cork. Originally set to run for one month, due to popular demand, it will now run until at least March 2024. The exhibition was organised by Ramon Muntjewerff and showcases images taken by Dutch photographer Goovert De Roos. De Roos is well known for his iconic ‘Bed-in for Peace’ photo of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and photographed Rory on multiple occasions throughout the 1970s. His onstage photos of Rory encapsulate the pure electricity of a Gallagher live show, while his offstage photos perfectly capture Rory’s reserved and gentle nature. To mark the launch of the exhibition, Gallagher’s Pub held two events. The first – held on the afternoon of 2 March – saw guests served a fine meal as they listened to stories about Rory’s life from his cousin Pat O’Mahony and De Roos on the exhibited photos. The second – held in the evening of the same day – saw the bar play host to a live Rory tribute band. Both events were attended by Eoin Gallagher.

3^rd Annual Birthday Bash for Rory Gallagher (2 March)

The city of Dublin was also celebrating Rory’s 75^th birthday, with the 3^rd Annual Birthday Bash held at the Grand Social in Temple Bar. The night of music was led by the Rory tribute band Deuce, with support from Dubh Lee, The Stonecold Hobo and Colm Skwirbat. Next year’s concert has already been announced, this time in aid of Muscular Dystrophy Ireland.

24^th International Rory Gallagher Tribute Holland (3-4 March)

Over on mainland Europe, Rory’s birthday celebrations continued with the 24^th edition of the International Rory Gallagher Tribute Holland. Held at café de Zon in Wijk aan Zee, the festival had a strong lineup with The Juke Joints, Aiden Pryor Band and Laundromat performing on 3 March and Dom Martin, Barry Barnes & Danny Vlaspoel, Zac Schulze Gang, Bullfrog Taste Express and Stephan Graf’s Double Vision performing on 4 March.

Return of Replica Guitars to the Irish Rock N’ Roll Museum (March)

Also in Rory’s birthday week, Eoin Gallagher made an appearance at the Irish Rock N’ Roll Museum in Dublin to donate two replicas of Rory’s beloved 1961 Fender Stratocaster and 1968 Martin D35 Acoustic. The guitars had previously been displayed in the museum in 2019, but were given on loan to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Eoin also helped to launch the official Rory merchandise outlet of the museum, featuring t-shirts, books and limited-edition photographs by Colm Henry.

Music for Mental Health: An Autoethnography of the Rory Gallagher Instagram Fan Community (21 March)

March saw another academic publication on Rory published in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography. This piece by Lauren was very much a personal exploration of how the Rory Gallagher Instagram fan community helped her to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and deal with a mental health breakdown. It brings attention to the importance of online music communities for building friendships and creating a sense of collective identity. Find out more here.

Photography Exhibition in Cobh Library (1 April)

Following on from the success of the Goovert De Roos photography exhibition in Gallagher’s Pub, Ramon Muntjewerff launched a second exhibition at Cobh Library on 1 April. Speaking on the launch of the exhibition, Councillor Danny Collins noted that Rory had a close family connection to Cobh and that “local people and music lovers will enjoy this unique opportunity to see his talent through the eyes of a photographer’s lens.” Again, Eoin Gallagher was in attendance for the exhibition’s launch.

Cobh International Readers and Writers Festival (20-23 April)

Cobh International Readers and Writers Festival is an annual event that celebrates the cultural richness and creative spirit of Cobh. On account of Rory’s 75^th birthday, the 2023 edition was dedicated to him, with a wide range of events taking place in his honour. Across four days, there were live music performances by local musicians influenced by Rory’s innovative approach to the guitar. There was also a special screening of the Irish Tour ’74 film and a talk by Dónal about Kickback City and Rory’s songwriting, which blended his love of noir with the blues. The Festival also held a poetry competition with Rory as the theme. To her great surprise, Lauren was the winner, with a poem entitled ‘Immortality’ (see below). Fellow Rory fans and Rewriting Rory supporters, Kelly Munro and Mandy Steel Collins, were highly commended for their entries.

Unveiling of Plaque at 19 West Beach, Cobh (22 April)

As part of the Cobh International Readers and Writers Festival, a plaque was unveiled by Dónal and his cousin Pat O’Mahony at 19 West Beach on the site of the sweet shop that Pat’s father used to run. The plaque was designed by Pat’s son. At the unveiling, Dónal gave a speech in which he talked about the significance of Cobh to he and Rory. He stated that they had arrived in Cork in 1956 and first met Pat’s father at their grandmother’s bar in MacCurtain St. Pat’s father asked them if they wanted to come to Cobh to meet their cousins; according to Dónal, he was convinced by the Volkswagen van filled with sweets for the shop! Dónal and Rory found the O’Mahony family to be “most hospitable,” and they returned every summer to stay with them. He recalled the Cobh Folk Festival, which used to take place during this time, and Rory’s delight at listening to the music and seeing musical instruments and groups from all around the world. He also noted that Rory’s first gig with the Fontana Showband was at the Atlantic Ballroom in Cobh, and when he played later with the Impact, they also performed several times in Cobh at St Colman’s Cathedral. Going back even further, Dónal explained that his grandfather came to Cobh in early 1916 to run the local yacht club. It was at this yacht club that he met his future wife who he married just three weeks later at St Colman’s. Dónal described being back in Cobh as “paradise regained” and stated how he always loved being there.

Photography Exhibition in Irish Rock N’ Roll Museum (12 May)

The Rory Gallagher photography exhibition went from strength to strength, expanding to the Irish Rock N’ Roll Museum in Dublin in May, where it stayed for six months. The exhibition also featured Rory artwork from Italian artist, Arethajasmineart. According to the Museum, the exhibition was “a great add on to tell the hundreds of tourists who visit weekly more about Rory Gallagher.”

Ballymaloe May Fair (13 May)

On 13 May, Dónal made a guest appearance at the Ballymaloe May Fair. He was joined by Pascal Rossignol and Colm McCan in the Drinks Theatre for “an entertaining and lively ‘grape rag’ of wine chats, stories and natural wine tastings inspired by the touring days around the world” with Rory.

‘Music as Source of Unity: When Rory Gallagher Came to Belfast’ Open University Module (18 May 2023)

In May 2023, Lauren was asked to produce an Open Learn module for the Open University on Rory. She decided to focus on his relationship with Belfast and how he continued to play in the city throughout The Troubles. The piece emphasises the significance of live music as a unifying force between diverse communities. You can find out more here.

Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival (1-4 June)

The annual Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival in Ballyshannon took place, with a stellar line-up that included Michael Schenker, Eric Gales, Band of Friends, Laurence Jones, Pat McManus, Bullfrog Taste Express, Grainne Duffy, Johnny Gallagher & The Boxty Band and The Zac Schulze Gang. Next year’s festival will see Mark Feltham return to Ballyshannon after many years’ absence, with Nine Below Zero announced on the bill.

Photography Exhibition in Macroom Library (3 June)

Further success for the Rory Gallagher photography exhibition as it expanded to Macroom Library in June. Running for one month, the exhibition also featured other iconic photos by Govert de Roos, including Abba, David Bowie, Debbie Harry and John Lennon. The exhibition tied in with the launch of the Macroom Music Festival, which seeks to recall the first open-air music festival in Ireland (1976-1982).

Live in Europe HMV Special Edition Release (17 June)

On 17 June, Rory’s iconic 1972 album Live in Europe was re-released on red vinyl as part of HMV’s specially curated 1921 Centenary Editions – a collection of the music shop’s favourite albums from the past 100 years. The record was presented with an HMV exclusive limited-edition obi strip and was available in a limited print run. 

Guitar World Greatest Acoustic Guitar Song (22 June)

On 22 June, Guitar World launched a competition to find the ‘greatest acoustic guitar song’ ever. The magazine drew up a list of 120 landmark acoustic songs for the public to vote on, including Rory’s ‘I Fall Apart’. Unfortunately – and rather shockingly – Rory didn’t make the final cut, with Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ taking first place’, followed by Eric Clapton’s ‘Tears in Heaven’, Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’, Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’ and The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’.

Guitarist Magazine Feature(3 July)

The 500^th edition of Guitarist Magazine featured a special piece on Rory and his live guitar rigs. From Live In Europe to the new All Around Man album, Rory’s amplifier and effects setups were rebuilt and tested. The special article featured detailed insights from Daniel Gallagher, while accompanying videos on YouTube showed guitarist Barrie Cadogan of Little Barrie breaking down Rory’s various live amp rigs.

Mastermind Australia (3 July)

Rory was the surprise specialist topic on Mastermind Australia for public servant David Foley. Foley stormed to victory, answering 12 questions correctly and going on to win the whole show with a grand total of 19 points. Foley told presenter Mark Fennell that Rory was “really influential,” but “flew under the radar” because he built his reputation through touring rather than by releasing singles.  You can watch Foley in action here.

Rory Gallagher – All Around Man: Live in London (7 July)

It was music to our ears back in October 2022 when we heard from Daniel Gallagher that a live album marking the latter part of Rory’s career would be released in 2023. And when 7 July was announced as its release date, it really couldn’t come around fast enough for us! All Around Man: Live in London brings together the best of Rory’s two performances at the Town & Country Club in December 1990. For a full review of the album, check out our July post. On 20 July, the album hit Number 1 in the Official Jazz & Blue charts and remained in the Top 10 for eight weeks – a clear demonstration of Rory’s continually growing profile.

Rory Special on the Dave Fanning Show (11 July)

To mark the release of All Around Man – Live in London, Dave Fanning dedicated his 11 July show to Rory, playing highlights from some of his many interviews with Rory over the years, as well as some of his favourite Rory songs. Unfortunately, the show is no longer available, but Dave’s 1980 and 1988 radio interviews with Rory are up on YouTube, as is his 1990 interview with Rory on Rocksteady.

The Reopening of Crowley’s Music Centre (27 July)

On 27 July, the iconic Cork music shop, Crowley’s Music Centre, reopened at a new premises on Friar Street in the South Parish area of the city. Crowley’s is, of course, well known for being the place where Rory bought his beloved Fender Stratocaster back in 1963. Following the death of owner Michael Crowley in 2010, daughter Sheena took over ownership of the store. However, it sadly closed down just three years later. During the pandemic, Sheena started an instrument rental business, which gave her enough momentum to finally reopen Crowley’s. The new shop focuses mostly on selling secondhand instruments from the traditional and folk genres, but Sheena hopes to expand her stock over time. The shop also has a space for workshops, lessons and a podcast recording studio. The day of reopening was marked by a performance in store from John Spillane, which included his song ‘Crowley’s Music Store’.  

New Rory Documentary in the Works (28 July)

In an interview for the series Stef’s Podcasts, which marks the 80^th birthday of Eric Clapton, Dónal Gallagher casually mentioned that a new Rory documentary is in the works. Although little has been revealed about this project yet, we do know that it will be a co-production between RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland, and will focus more on Rory’s life offstage, exploring his time in Ireland, in London and on the continent. It is likely to air in late 2024. Watch this space! Side note: the Stef’s Podcast interview is well worth a listen – two hours of Dónal reflecting on Rory’s interactions with Clapton over the years, plus many insights into his own life as Rory’s manager.

Amazing Grace in the Life and Work of Rory Gallagher (7 August)

In August 2023, Lauren was invited to deliver a presentation at the Cowper & Newton Museum to mark the 250^th anniversary of Amazing Grace. Naturally, Lauren chose Rory as her topic, focusing on the importance of the song to him. She also got a chance to play Rory’s performance of the song at the 1994 Montreux Jazz Festival to the audience, which was a particular highlight! Listen to the presentation and read the accompanying article here.

‘I’m Not Awake Yet’ in Woman in the Wall (4 September)

Fans were surprised and delighted in equal measure to hear Rory’s ‘I’m Not Awake Yet’ feature in an episode of The Woman in the Wall on 4 September. The disturbing drama series examines the legacy of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries.

‘Learn to Play Guitar the Rory Gallagher Way’ Course, Rory Gallagher Music Library (19 September)

On 19 September, the Rory Gallagher Music Library launched an 8-week ‘Introduction to the Blues’ course for adults. Marketed as ‘Learn to Play Guitar the Rory Gallagher Way’, the course was open to just eight people and offered free of charge.

6^th Rory Gallagher Italian Tribute Night (6-7 October)

The sixth edition of the Italian Rory Nights Festival took place in Bergamo on 6 and 7 October. The event features tribute bands Blueprint, Big Guns, Against the Grain and Bearded Babies, as well as Dough & Mary Carroll and the Aiden Pryor Band.  

‘Can’t Believe It’s True’ in Dead Shot (October)

More soundtrack success for Rory when ‘Can’t Believe It’s True’ featured in the action thriller Dead Shot, which tells the story of a retired Irish paramilitary who witnesses the fatal shooting of his pregnant wife by an SAS officer.

Guitar Techniques Feature (October)

The October edition of Guitar Techniques was focused on fingerpicking techniques, so it’s no surprise that Rory was one of its main features. The short article focuses on Rory’s “vibrant acoustic approach to the blues” and includes one small example score that highlights how he used syncopation in his fingerstyle. The other example scores reference other excellent fingerpickers, including Blind Blake, Woody Mann, Corey Harris, Seasick Steve, Kelly Joe Phelps, Keb’ Mo’, Eric Bibb, Tommy Emmanuel and Leo Kottke.

Lust for Life Feature (October)

October also saw Rory as part of a large feature in Dutch magazine Lust for Life to mark the 50^th anniversary of Tattoo. The article included a long interview with Dónal, which is always so fascinating to read. Here, Dónal reflected on the meaning of some of the songs on Tattoo and the recording of the album. You can catch up with our translated version here. The magazine also contained another article on Rory, although this one was largely recycled material and less engaging. You can also catch up with it here.

Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival in Japan (5 November)

November saw the annual Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival take place in Japan. Rory fans travelled from all over the world to be there, including from Cork. The lead performers included Angillous, the Innes Sibun Trio and O.E. Gallagher.

Portraits of Rory Book(20 November)

Portraits is a new series of photographic books from Rufus Publishers, consisting of 230mm square books presented in a slipcase. Earlier this year, they announced that Rory would feature in their series, with a limited print run of just 666 copies. The book was released on 20 November and features some 300 glossy pages of black & white photographs of Rory, both onstage and offstage. Although many of these photographs can already be found online, it is wonderful to have a printed collection that brings them all together. There is also a small selection of photographs in the book that were not previously available. The book also comes with an exclusive A1 poster of Rory. For those who have the cash to spare, the book is also available in a leather and metal edition, limited to just 50 copies (retailing for a whopping £500!). If we were to have one little grumble, the 1970s is far more heavily represented in the book than the 1980s and 1990s, which is a shame considering the number of great photos from these decades.

‘Supporting Mental Health Through Online Music Fandoms’ Open University Module (15 December 2023)

Continuing her work with the Open University, Lauren produced a module for their Open Learn platform entitled ‘Supporting Mental Health Through Online Music Fandoms’. The module is focused on Rory and is very grounded in Lauren’s personal experiences as both a fan and an academic. It features a 1-hour podcast on Rory with Lauren and musicologist Dr Michael Lydon. You can find out more here.

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We want to end this piece by thanking all our followers for their continued support of Rewriting Rory. It is so greatly appreciated. We wish you all the best for the New Year ahead.

Rory On!