RORY GALLAGHER
With plaid shirt and battered Strat this Irish folk hero needs no introduction, so join David Gerrish as he investigates one of blues’s greatest performers.
This month we take a look at an unsung member of the late 60s guitar god hierarchy and one of Ireland’s first rock stars, Rory Gallagher. Despite his immense talent, prolific recording output and extensive touring, Rory never really achieved the fame or the guitar star status he so deserved. Throughout his career he was determined in his rejection of compromise for commercialism’s sake, refusing to allow the release of singles to attract a wider mainstream audience that might well have brought him worldwide success.
Regardless of this shunning of the mainstream, Rory earned a solid fanbase that has grown considerably in the years after his untimely death in 1995, aged just 47. Audiences around the world are still captivated by his primitive passion, his unwavering devotion to his roots based sound, and to his mesmerising performances. The body of work he has left behind is remarkable for its consistency, honesty and earthiness and his influence can be recognised in the generations of guitarists that followed.
Rory was a traditionalist at heart. He had studied the masters with great attention to detail and commanded an authenticity that can only be earned from a deep devotion to the music. However, his unique style came from a melting pot of influences, perhaps most interesting being the inclusion of the traditional Irish folk that he grew up listening to. If there was ever a contender for the king of Celtic blues, then Rory would surely be the highest contender. He mixed these two styles along with elements of rock, country, jazz and everything else he could absorb. This gave him a unique approach to improvising which was often based around full seven note scales compared to the more traditional Pentatonic palette we might expect. He would include 2nds and 6ths and often created lines that weaved slurred patterns of notes along a single string, perhaps because he was also an accomplished slide player.
His playing was raw and ferocious, and his performances unmatched in their intensity. Rory’s passion was visible for all to see as he put his heart and soul into every second of his performances, delivering solos littered with pinch harmonics and a powerful vibrato. At other times he was capable of real subtlety and tenderness, using volume swells to coax violin-esque sounds from his battered Strat. No one-trick pony, his sets would also include acoustic numbers, touching on the country blues and folk influence that often saw Rory sing with intent and passion (a side to his talent that’s so often overlooked). All in all Rory was a master. His unwavering commitment to his craft and his virtuosic command of six strings have earned him legendary status, and it’s not difficult to see why.
NEXT MONTH David takes a look at the softer, more ballad-oriented side of Gary Moore