But
while the boys from the Home
Countries developed their celebrity by switching to other styles,
Gallagher, from Ballyshannon,
Co. Donegal, stayed much the same. He was never to wrestle with the
dilemma of whether it was time to switch from Armani to Versace,
never to wonder if the Princess of Wales would come backstage.
Gallagher, who has died of pneumonia at 47 a few weeks after a liver
transplant, was cut from a different cloth-denim.
A typical show with Taste, the trio he led in the sixties and with which he made his name, would start with Gallagher in jeans, lumberjack shirt, long dark hair almost masking his face, stamping a baseball-booted foot. His old Fender Stratocaster would be screaming under his fingers, nearly all the sunburst paint chipped off after years of gigging.
He
got his start in Cork with an outfit
called The Impact, firmly in
the Irish showband
tradition, which meant everyone wearing the same outfit and covers of
the hits of the say. Gallagher's job
was to perform the Chuck Berry role.
Next, in 1965, came a rock band which
evolved into Taste with Richard McCracken
on bass and John Wilson on drums. Gallagher
was the creative force of the local heroes building their reputation
with small gigs around Ireland. Their first album, with the same name
as the band, majored on his extended blues work-outs and tortured
vocals. But the next record, On the Boards, was the band's
biggest success and showed how his songwriting had
progressed.
One of Taste's finest hours came at the Albert Hall in 1968, when they were chosen to share the bill for the final performance of Cream, the supergroup containing the combustible talents of Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce.
Taste
also broke up
acrimoniously after the 1970 Isle of Wight festival, with Gallagher
claiming the other two were being greedy and Wilson saying he was
being held back. He was rarely heard of again.
By
then, Gallagher was a star, with Van Morrison the only other genuine
article Ireland had to offer before Thin
Lizzy and long before The
Boomtown Rats and U2.
Bono, U2's lead singer described him as one of the top 10 guitarists of
all time. "More importantly, he was one of the top 10 good guys."
Gallagher received messages from Morrison, Bob Dylan and the folk
guitarist, Martin Carthy, after his operation.
John Lennon
was an admirer in the sixties.
Slash of Guns 'n' Roses in the nineties and Gallagher recorded with
heroes Muddy Waters, Jerry Lee Lewis and Lonnie Donnegan. He forced
Clapton to second place in Melody
Maker reader polls. Gallagher had always been an outstanding
live act and his 1972 album, Live in
Europe made the top 10, and
broadened his audience.
Gallagher was a shy and modest man whose love of the blues was matched only by his interest in the movies. "There wasn't a movie made that Rory hadn't seen, " said a friend. " He could talk knowingly for hours about all sort of films."
He released more than 20 albums, and sold more
than 14 million copies of them, and though his popularity waned in
Britain in the eighties, he was still a big star in much of Europe and
Japan. He had been touring until he became ill last Christmas and had
plans for a new album.
But the devotion of his followers was tested
when he played one of his last London shows two and a half years ago.
The Town and Country in north London was sold out and the crowd was
chanting "Rory, Rory." No one was unduly concerned when the support act
reappeared for two more songs. Eventually, Gallagher took the stage,
lurched past his microphone and started playing in a storm of feedback.
Then it was immediately apparent that all was
not well with Gallagher's rapid fingers failing him, notes being missed
and misbent. The crowd's affection turned to anger and a shower of beer
glasses and cries of "We're over here, Rory. " Gallagher stopped the
band and said: " If you want Madonna , go and see Madonna. If you want
the Thompson Twins, go and see the Thompson Twins, this is Rory
Gallagher music."
Things went from bad to worse, and everyone
hoped that he would not attempt his mid set acoustic solo. He did.
Gallagher fished a slide out of his pocket, dropped it on the stage and
set about failing to tune the guitar to the open chord he was seeking.
Members of the band gradually crept back on stage to give his
meanderings some form.
Gallagher stopped again and said: " Look, if
you don't like it , you can go to the box office and get your money
back. This is the last time I play London."
When he finally wound up his much shortened 55
minute show, his brother and manager, Donal, came on and told the few
members of the audience who had stuck it out: "Rory has been performing
against doctors orders tonight, he's under medication." However, he was
well enough to perform in Leeds the next night. * (see addition
below this article)
Gallagher said in 1971: "The only extravagant
thing I want is a farm in Ireland. I don't want a Rolls Royce." At the
time he was 22, and living in an Earl's Court bedsitter. He ended up a
few miles away in Fulham.
"I want to walk out on stage at 40 or 50, and
have people watching me like Muddy Waters." Only half of his wish came
true.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Ellison
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rory Gallagher, musician, born March 2, 1948: died June 14, 1995
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Addition to article.
John Wainwright wrote to Donal after the ill fated show at the
Town and Country. Here is Donal's reply in a 1992 letter.
Dear John
Many thanks for your letter. I am so sorry that the T&C concert was
distressing for you due to Rory's condition. Unfortunately, he had
medicated himself with tablets prescribed by his doctor, but mistakenly
drank on an empty stomach which caused him his sickness and to appear
to be completely intoxicated. He did, however, go on to play a terrific
shown in Leeds the following night and we are planning a free show at
the T&C to try and compensate for the London show.
Gerry McAvoy, Brendan O'Neill and
Rory part company over a year ago (though they played out some dates
that were already committed) as they wished to form their own band
"Nine below Zero".
We are hoping to have an information
service in operation by the start of '93 and will forward you details
to the relevant person. Meantime, many thanks for your support and
continued interest.
Regards
Donal Gallagher
|
To
Join The
Loop
Mailing
& Discussion List 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
238