Rock hero remembered by top blues guitarist

Leading blues guitarist Mick Simpson is sure to wow audiences in Stirling with a special tribute to a musical icon.

‘Still Got the Blues: A Tribute to Gary Moore’ will run at the Tolbooth on March 24 with support from a top acoustic rock act.

Moore, who passed away in 2011, is a famed Northern Irish singer, songwriter and rock and blues guitarist who spent almost five decades in the music industry.

As a young man in the 1960s he played with well-known musicians such as Phil Lynott and Brian Downey, leading to memberships in world famous bands Skid Row and Thin Lizzy.

He also shared the stage with legends in the shape of Beatle George Harrison and Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer fame during a prolific career.

Mick, who will be playing Moore’s music at the Stirling show with help from members of the original Gary Moore Band, is regarded by many as one of the leading exponents of blues guitar on the current scene, and a musical hero in his own right.

In the 1980s he worked as a session guitarist for Elkie Brooks and in the mid-90s with John Parr of St Elmo’s Fire fame – featuring on his Man With a Vision album.

A number of tracks from this album were featured on films such as The Running Man with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Three Men and a Baby with Tom Selleck.

Mick also toured with former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings and back in 2004 his original track A Father’s Son won the International Songwriters Award sponsored by the Brit Trust.

It wasn’t until 2010, however, that he finally released his long-awaited solo album Hard Road to critical acclaim internationally.

Two years later he brought out his second album Cruel World and the instrumental track Road to Memphis was used in the sound track for short film Road to Hell and in the awardwinning indie documentary A Message to Myself.

He has since released more material and spent much of this year touring the UK and Europe with his new album Black Rain.

The 52-year-old, who originates from South Yorkshire, can also boast having played at the 80th birthday of blues legend BB King in New York.

And now he is looking forward to teaming up with Graham Walker, Pete Rees and Vic Martin of the original Gary Moore Band for a series of dates – including their Stirling show in the spring.

Support will come in the form of an acoustic blues set from Blind Lemon Gators, featuring singer Greig Taylor – the former frontman of blues rock outfit GT’s Boos Band.

Their set will feature a number of well-known, and other more left-field, songs from across the rock ‘n’ roll and classic rock genre, along with some indie rock anthems – all stripped back to their rawest acoustic form.

Tickets for the event are £15/13 and are now available online from culturestirling.org.

Still Got The Blues: A Tribute to Gary Moore is on at the Tolbooth on March 24