Rory was and is one of a kind. A very special and incredibly talented blues/rock musician !! In my opinion the mold was broken when Rory was made !! What a man what a voice what a talent !! Love you Rory, you are adored missed and loved so very munch💔. Wish you were still with us ! ❤️🔊🤘🏼💀🤘🏼🔊❤️
@ Scott t......couple of corrections there. A: The Hendrix story is a myth, never happened. B: Rory did NOT let himself go "the way of so many other musicians". Rory had never cared for flying and over the years this became more of a phobia. Doctors prescribed everything from Tylenol and sedatives to steroids (that was what gave Rory a bloated appearance). Rory liked a drink but it was the medications that did the irreparable damage. Had the infection not set in following his transplant, he might still be with us. (If only!) Rory never sold out and he sure as hell did not "let himself go". I can't help but find comments like this hurtful considering the man literally played until he dropped. RIP Rory.
@@jimmy2minutes don't drink so much. You lost conciousness. "how dare you" to compare real music with such overhyped pop crap as Polyphia. Are you deaf?
In that small group of Clapton Gallagher, Paige and Hendrix where he belongs. Mind you his drummer was incredible, Ginger Baker esque. Was that his brother?
I'm watching a genius that played straight from the heart ..This type of musicianship is rare..Forget tricks and speed and so-called power playing...What your looking at here can not be learned from a book or video ..this is true art ..R.I.P Rory
Saw him in Manchester at a half empty Apollo back in the early 80's and was literally blown away, speechless, and wondering why the place was not packed.....next day became an RG fan for life..thank you Rory.
I remember seeing Rory in 1973 at Prince Georges Community College with my house buddies,Keith Dyson,Bill Hinkston and Jimmy Drake. Iggy Pop and Aerosmith opened for him. Needless to say, I wasn't there to see either one of them. Rory put on one heck of a show. After the end of the show, he and the band walked off stage. While most people left the building about 50 of us stayed, we held lighters,lit bright over our heads and clapped until he and the band came back out. As we stood at the very front of the stage, only a few feet away, we were treated to a 45 minute encore ,encore.Here's Rory doing my favorite song,by him, "Walk On Hot Coals". A true Irishman to the end. "Let's Roll!",Rory.
Saw him at the Bayou in DC in 79 or so. I worked my way up to the front at the end and stood at his feet. What a great musician and entertainer. He loved the music and performing, not the rock star trappings. That's why his music has a spirit that goes beyond his great technique. One of a kind.
Not only a great musician and performer but one of the nicest men you could meet. Always had time to stop and chat to fans with courtesy and humility. Never rushed away but listened and talked like he had all the time in the world when he probably to just get off and have a few jars.
My god. How the hell did I miss this magnificent performer? I'm ashamed of myself and will now be making up for lost time by listening to his genius And WHAT a fucking band. Top of their game. Respect
Rory Gallagher was definately one of the best guitar players ever. Also this is the best lineup that he had. This line up created the monumental Irish Tour and that is enough to me
It was a sheer privilege to have seen him do several concerts, during this time in the early 70s. He was awesome to watch. He stole the show, when he opened for Deep Purple at the San Bernardino Swing Auditorium, in Southern California. He came for 2 more raucous encores. It was absolutely crazy. My friends and I quickly became Rory fans, from then on.
I've just been getting into Rory recently in the past several months, and I'm starting to think Rory is the greatest all around rock/blues performer of all time.
He definitely is. The average Joe will enjoy his playing but doesn't comprehend the actual greatness of it. I think you have to feel the blues yourself to *really* appreciate how amazing Rory was. He was the complete package; Technical, perfect tone, multi-instrumentalist, genre blending, stage presence, humble. These other British blues rock musicians (besides maybe Peter Green) played the blues, Rory WAS the blues.
I was lucky enough to see Rory many times in the early 70s. He always seemed to be touring. In that era of great blues rock guitarists we kind of took it all for granted, but looking back he was really great.
I love Stevie and was born and raised in Dallas but Rory was hands down a much more talented and diverse stylist. He had the creativity and raw power of Hendrix combined with finesse and technicality far beyond any other player before or since.
I couldn't agree with you more as I was also born and raised in Dallas and a lot of my family is even from Oak Cliff. Stevie was always my favorite blues musician/guitarist.... Until I heard Rory.
This is easily one of the stand out live performances I've ever seen, and perhaps the best thing on the Old Grey Whistle Test, which we all have so much to thank for.
His iconic Strat is set to go to auction Oct 2024. Sheena Crowley’s father sold the guitar to Rory 60 years ago. Sheena has a go fund me page to keep the Strat in Ireland instead of some billionaires wall.
Some guys were fighting on youtube about whose the better guitar player after JH and one of them was a big RG fan. That's how i found out this guy. Lost for words. Just...amazing.
André González how many riffs hav been taken from Rorys work in all the years....copied over and over....suspose its an honour without the credence or credit ...but hel never die...legend...
i love how he can play lead rythm harmonica and sing, for the most part (allthough mark feldham came in later on the harp) and most bands today need 2 guitarists, one for each, having it sound way thinner. if there is a guitar that deserves to be in a museum, your looking at it.
I saw him in 78, right in front of him. Blasting my brains and eardrums out, and then shook my hand. I'm going to see his bassist and drummer play with Davy Knowles next month.
His iconic Strat is set to go to auction Oct 2024. Sheena Crowley’s father sold the guitar to Rory 60 years ago. Sheena has a go- fund- me- page to keep the Strat in Ireland instead of some billionaires wall.
Used to go and see him whenever he played Birmingham Town Hall back when I was a long haired teenager. Still to this day, one of the best guitarists I’ve ever witnessed, and was also very impressed with the keyboard player, who, back in the prog era of Wakeman and Emerson, kept it unpretentious and full-on rocking.
Other guitarist had all fancy pedals and sound effects rory gallagher had raw talent he and that fender created absolute music and sound no other has tried and couldn't match a gentleman too always loved the underdog who tried to make it talent like this sadly wont come around that often thanks to this we can listen to timeless brilliance
I saw Rory Gallagher in concert 10 or 11 times. Fantastic gigs and great memories. He was one of the few acts that came to Belfast in the 70s and 80s. Thanks Rory.
Great Footage of Rory - The Old Grey Whistle Test, What a fantastic archive of talent this has become. Well done the BBC of old for having the foresight to document these great musicians of the 70s and 80s.
Pure...still...perfect....balanced...reminds me of when I lost my shirt(s) in some card games...back in the Navy...yup back in 1970....and after all these years....it didn't matter....but the music still does!
I was listening to this song in the car today and my daughter in the backseat goes "daddy, is this rock n roll?" I go "you bet it is!" My children will know Rory Gallagher.
A fooking flawless display by the master. Rory's great voice and technical brilliance - combined with a deep feeling and passion - on the guitar, are there for all to see. Pure magic.
Rory Gallagher was an absolutely stunning live performer. So you can't beat the two early live albums that he released: Live In Europe, 1972, and Irish Tour '74, originally a vinyl double, 1974. The latter is slightly the better, if only because of its longer playing time. After you've got those two I'd go for Blueprint and Tattoo, both 1973, and then his eponymous debut and Deuce. His later work tended to lose the blues in favour of a rockier feel. Hope this helps.
Hell yah, I was there in 77 at the Aragon Ballroom, Chicago and the Hammond Civic Center Indiana. Opened the Blue Oyster Cult show and I thought the 3 man power trio blew the headliners away. I was front row. Raw energy in a flannel shirt & vest.
A great musician murdered by big pharma and the medical business-- (From wikipedia) in the later years of his life Gallagher developed a phobia of flying. To overcome this he received a prescription for a powerful sedative. This medication, combined with his alcohol use resulted in severe liver damage. Despite this he continued touring. By the time of his final performance on 10 January 1995 in the Netherlands, he was visibly sick and the tour had to be cancelled. Gallagher was admitted to King's College Hospital in London in March 1995, and it was only then that the extent of his ill health became apparent: his liver was failing and the doctors determined that in spite of his young age a liver transplant was the only possible course of action.[32] After 13 weeks in intensive care, while waiting to be transferred to a convalescent home, his health suddenly worsened when he contracted a staphylococcal (MRSA) infection, and he died on 14 June 1995, at the age of 47.[16]
+Learning More he was on steroid pain killers for years because of problems with his hands. If you read Riding Shotgun by Gerry McAvoy you'll see that McAvoy and O'Neill told him to go to the doctor and get well. They didn't want him to tour until he was well. And from his official website Sadly, he swelled up as drink and various prescription medications to deal with the rigours of life on the road had prematurely and noticeably aged him. “The blues is bad for your health,” he shrugged, “its as simple as that, it goes with the territory.”
Visiting Rory's grave in his hometown Cork (Ireland) is sad... what a loss. But he gave us great memories, and thanks to everyone, especially his brother and family for keeping his talent live on.
It's never too late to get the Rory buzz and you've got one fecking great voyage of discovery through all his stuff. It's just a pity you never got to see him live cos it was awesome to be there, I can tell you.
I met Rory in 72 when he played 5 nights at a small club in Atlanta. We were friends until he passed away. When I got pregnant I wanted to name our daughter Rory but that didn't happen, I don' think my husband didn't agree. When we were on the way to the hospital for her birth, they played Walk on Hot Coals on the radio. That was exactly how I felt and every time I hear this song I remember that experience.
Remember watching this, having bought the album, mesmerized! Saw him at The Stadium, Liverpool around the same time..he blew the roof off. One of the best gigs I've ever seen.
Thank you for this response. In southwestern PA during the big AOR rock station time, they didn't play Rory. Which is part of the reason that Rory was not idolized, as he should have been. You were in CA in 1972, which was certainly more cutting-edge than where I was. But lots of places in USA simply didn't get Rory. Sad, but true.
I also have Rory's live Montreux Live DVD - great value. Rory does some good acoustic work on that DVD too - a surprise bonus from someone who had more of a reputation as an electric guitarist. Those amazing Irish guitar greats Rory Gallagher, Gary Moore and... the Edge. As Meatloaf once said "2 out of 3 ain't bad".
Goosebumps every time. Totally colossal music. The solo and the way it builds at the end. I missed a music festival this weekend but this helps ease the pain :)
Damn. Damn. Damn. I adore this every time I see it. Rory controls himself inside the limits of this stage, but still shines. There was, and is, nobody like him.
I was lucky enough to see him in about 1989 or 90 in a very small venue in the Detroit area. His studio work did not do him justice. Live he was just bursting with energy and absolute talent. The little place he was playing could scarcely contain what he was doing. A real shame he was playing bars at that point in his life. Wonderful for those in attendance but I don't think he ever made the big money that he surely deserved.
I saw Clapton in Hyde Park recently and he was awesome - makes it look effortless, glides across the top of the strings. I reckon the reason Clapton crossed over into the mainstream was his cover versions of rock hits - Cocaine, I Shot The Sheriff....and on stage collabs with Steve Winwood, Santana, George Harrison tributes - Rory didn't do any of that so very much stayed under the radar - so ended up as the musicians musician
@ Paulo......But that's just it my friend. Rory NEVER wanted stardom. He lived to make music and to take it to his loyal fans, of which there were plenty. Good grief, the man sold in excess of 30 million albums, and that was before so many more people had discovered him. (Thanks for this, btw) I'm sure he's smiling down on us. RIP Rory.
...uckin' dude! U rock! This Gallagher guy has literally rocked this world! This priceless video chip here bows to none only but Jesus our savior! What a treat u had. At a Houston club '85 Rorys guitar went silent, only i saw the cord pop, crawed on stage, plugged him in, he ran his pik across'em strings, and grinning gave me the thumbs up! And we all ROCKED! Now just a memory.
So glad that people are appreciating Rory. So sad that he never got the kind of recognition he deserved, while he was alive. On the other hand, he was very deliberate in deciding how his music would be marketed. If the Web had existed when he was in his prime, he would have been God. This is true.
How good is this!!! Fantastic playing from one of the best. Is there a full set from the Old Grey Whistle Test? Rory is one of the best who ever played the guitar. Just incredible. RIP Rory.
During the really bad times in Belfast in the 70s and 80s.Rory chered his fans up by playing live in Belfast nearly every year. I'll always remeber him for that. Hopes he jammin in heaven with Jimi, Muddy, Freddie/Albert King etc.
mekulski thanks for the inspirational words... I plan on "practising" til I leave this earth... to paraphrase muddy waters to learn this you have to go to church... and you have to have been through somethin..." so I'll continue bangin on my strat an givin Jesus the Praise wether folk like it or dont like it
