Roy Gallagher

my all-time favorite guitar player.....Like to crank his song titled "A million miles away" on the dynaco mk iv;s My alltime favorite!
 
Clean Pure and True = Rory Gallagher

my all-time favorite guitar player.....Like to crank his song titled "A million miles away" on the dynaco mk iv;s My alltime favorite!

Yep Rory is defiantly in my top 5 players and the man had a ear of gold along with his up front true talents, his Fresh Evidence "The King of Zydeco" cut some how is deep and almost haunting along with the sound of rain in the end.

I'v said it time and time again over many years that whoever mixed down 90% of his studio masters should be held in the highest place.
 
He also fronted a band called Taste before he went solo.

Actually, I saw him twice. Once at he Midwest Rock Festival in 1969 w/Taste and on a slate that included John Mayall (doing "The Turning Point" acoustic stuff), Delaney and Bonnie, and Blind Faith, and again on his own in a bar in Milwaukee about 3 tables from the stage. Great stuff!!

I had the "Taste" 8-track when I was a kid... I miss that album... Think I gonna' have to look that one up on CD or something... That was some bluesey stuff for sure... I always loved his beat-up old Strat with the finish missing... Can't remember if he did that on purpose to make it ring louder/clearer or if it simply got that way from years of him beating the crap out of it.
 
"Irish Tour" was a fairly recent vinyl 180gr. re-release. Absolutely fantastic. I've had the CD and the DVD for years. Not to be missed!

Fortunately since this thread started, there have been a number of reissues and uncovered material that has hit the market. Even Joe Bonamassa paid tribute to Rory recently by taking Rory's legendary Strat out of mothballs and using it in concert!
 
My very first concert: Rory Gallagher opening for Gary Wright at the San Jose (Calif.) Civic Auditorium...pretty amazing stuff!

I actually found a review of the 1975 show by Melody Maker music critic Harry Doherty (got to love the Internet!), including this:

On the Saturday, we prepare to leave—for the first California gig at San Jose, about 50 miles outside San Francisco. The gig had sold out earlier in the week, despite the fact that Santana had been playing on the same night at Winterland in San Francisco, where Gallagher was scheduled to headline the next night. The atmosphere in the auditorium is electrifying. Most of these Americans haven't seen Gallagher in action before, and know him only by reputation, but when he is introduced the place erupts. The band trots on first, and then the guitar slinger. He waves a quick hello, and goes straight into “Messin with the Kid”. The reaction was riotous. Kids jump, shout and dance. The set lasts 2 ½ hours. Gallagher is always happiest when playing. “It's what I'm thinking about most of the time. It's the main reason for living. That's the corny answer. I get a great kick out of playing. It's the most important thing in life for me."
 
Though we've had a number of Rory Gallagher appreciation threads over the years @ AK, one never tires of weighing in @ each of them, to honor the tremendously talented player, writer, singer (read: musician) that was one William Rory Gallagher (2 March 1948-14 June 1995). I saw him perform on several occasions, the first time in/around 1975, the last in/around 1985. I have many ROIOs of Rory shows captured over the years; of these, my very favorite performance is:

Rory Gallagher
Blues Festival
Tegelen, Holland
10 December 1984


A smashing show, chock full 'o heavenly Blues sides & slide.
 
I had the "Taste" 8-track when I was a kid... I miss that album... Think I gonna' have to look that one up on CD or something... That was some bluesey stuff for sure... I always loved his beat-up old Strat with the finish missing... Can't remember if he did that on purpose to make it ring louder/clearer or if it simply got that way from years of him beating the crap out of it.

Gallagher had a rare blood type, resulting in extremely acidic sweat. Thus the beat up guitar. There's a hilarious video of Johnny Marr on you tube explaining how he tried to get his first guitar to look like Rory's, worth a watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG94P0F8gy8
 
If you want to see Rory's guitar back in action after all these years, look up "Joe Bonamassa playing Rory's guitar" on You Tube. He played it live in both 2011 and 2013. Rory was Joe's idol. That has to be the ultimate tribute IMO.
 
Saw Rory in Santa Barbara, he was the front band for Rod Stewart when he did the Maggie Tour in 1973
 
There was a stretch there in the 80s where Rory would come through DC what seemed like a couple times a year, and I didn't miss too many chances to see him. I always said of Rory that "he played 'til YOU got tired", and I mean that as a compliment. Always gave it 110%, and by all accounts a wonderful person.

There's a vid or two of Slash saying some very nice things about Rory and what his playing meant to him on Youtube, fwiw.

They put up a nice statue to him in his hometown of Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal a few years back. I thought I saw some fundraising for another one somewhere (Belfast maybe---Rory was one of the very few acts that would play Belfast during the "troubles") in the last month or so.
 
Last edited:
"The rain ain't fussy 'bout where it lands, it falls on one as it falls on all... but when it rains, brother, it's gonna rain hard, when the blues comes calling with it's calling card !"
 
If anybody asks me who is the best guitarist you've ever heard?
No doubt, MR.RORY GALLAGHER.

Best album, to my mind is 'On the Boards' (Taste).

I was fortunate enough to see him live, back in the day (1979 might be 1980) at The Venue in Victoria.
I took my camera and got some great shots of him sweating and running scross the stage.
My ex wife has still got my photos. I'm tempted to go round and snatch them back.

Also, I remember seeing him play on 'The old Grey Whistle Test'. (Crest of a Wave/Deuce).

763d1aa80cbb6687ec972826d35dc467.jpg

Bob Harris 'NOW THAT'S JUST SHOWING OFF'
 
Last edited:
When Jimi Hendrix was told by a journalist in a interview that he was the greatest guitar player alive, his reply could have been almost anything...but he replied " Did Rory Gallagher die?"

Nuff said
 
When Jimi Hendrix was told by a journalist in a interview that he was the greatest guitar player alive, his reply could have been almost anything...but he replied " Did Rory Gallagher die?"

Nuff said
The story I read was this:
Reporter to Jimi: What does it feel like to be greatest guitar player in the world?
Jimi: I don’t know, you’d have ask Rory Gallagher
 
The story I read was this:
Reporter to Jimi: What does it feel like to be greatest guitar player in the world?
Jimi: I don’t know, you’d have ask Rory Gallagher

Not sure if my memory is cloudy (very possible) or there may have been several times where Jimi mentions Rory during interviews.

My account was from video of a live interview I saw some years ago
 
Rory Gallagher

Artiist: Rory Gallagher
Album:The Story So Far
Year: 1973
Record Label:polydor International
Genre: Blues/Rock

Never heard of this guy before. His albums were in the group of 500+ that I purchased. He is the lead guitar player/voalist and there is alot of lead guitar thoughout the album. Some basic blues riffs with the Edgar Winter type of vocals. His music is upbeat with alot of drum work that is really tight. It really surprizes me that I never heard of this guy cause his blues is as easy to listen to as any of the boogie blues/rock artists.
He prefers the club scene over the big concert hall. Maybe that is why he never promoted himself to the big scene. His songs are the classic story-telling in the blues form. If you like this genre I highly recomend this album. I am looking forward to his other albums.
Also, check out Rory Gallagher with Taste Live at the Isle of Wight from 1970, I believe. Lots of classic white-boy Irish blues.
 
Back
Top Bottom