Bringing a little bit of Ireland home….

Often, on our trips around the globe, I’ll by a few CD’s, and it’s highly likely that these will reflect, either the destination, or the experiences of the trip, and our visit to Dublin was no exception. I got hold of four CD’s that I’ve been after for a while, and it seemed exactly the place to get them. They’re all Irish, but they have another thread of commonality that connects them. I saw them all play live in my hometown of Derby as a teenager.  First up, a brace of albums by the unique HORSLIPS: “The Tain”, and “The Book of Invasions”.

Both drawing heavily on Irish folklore for their subject matter, they paint wonderful images with the widest range of Celtic and rock instrumentation. they were electrifying live, and the standout track for me is ‘Dearg Doom’ from ‘The Tain.” – a brilliant mix of rock guitar, fiddle and flute. I remember leaping about like a loon to this played live at Cleopatra’s club, ably aided by some Marston’s Pedigree bitter.

No Dublin trip would be complete without some THIN LIZZY, and I’d been after the Special edition of ‘Vagabonds of the Western World’ for some time. The casual Lizzy fan, who perhaps only knows them from the beginnings of the four piece line-up on ‘Nightlife’, (On which tour I saw them at Derby College) is missing out on an absolute gem. Eric Bell’s guitar work is simply stunning on here. ‘The Hero and the Madman’ is a tour de force, surprisingly led by a young Kid Jensen ( A DJ , for all you young folks!)narrating the story, and the solo is fabulous. Bell is an original, a sound all of his own, his solo on ‘The Rocker’, proving it’s no fluke. The appearance of a young Gary Moore on a blistering ‘Little Darling’ almost seems like an embarrassment of riches. In this early incarnation, Lynott’s bass playing is funkier, and the bassline to ‘I’m Gonna creep up on you’ is one of his best. This is a great 2 disc set, highly recommended.

Finally, the late great RORY GALLAGHER. I met Rory towards the end of his life at that most ‘muso’ of places – the cafe at Scotch Corner on the A1, a more down-to -earth individual you couldn’t wish to meet. his music was raw, honest and powerful, and the set I saw him play many years before at the Kings Hall in Derby was just awesome. In Dublin, I bought ‘Big Guns – The very best of Rory Gallagher’ . It’s a rip-roaring ride through his career, and whilst its a great listen, it leaves you wanting more, and from my perspective, makes me want to explore his band ‘Taste’ once more.

So next time you get annoyed by the asinine syrup of  Westlife, Boyzone, and all rest of that shite that Louis Walsh has foisted on the world, remember, Ireland was the birthplace of some of the greatest rock music we’ve had the privilege to enjoy.

Kev Moore

Dublin 2 – In search of Phil

I’d visited Dublin before – some fifteen years ago, if memory serves. I was there in a professional capacity, fronting the embryonic Oliver/Dawson Saxon, hot on the heels of their release “Victim You”, under their original name of Son of a Bitch. We were playing at the Temple Bar Music Centre, right in the middle of the district of the same name name. The gig was amazing I remember, and as we left through the stage door at the end of the night, I recall seeing people hanging over balconies, spilling out onto the street from bars, just having a great time. But we were not long there, and couldn’t spend a long time in the city, as we had to head across country to play Galway Bay.

Cut to last week, and my visit to Ireland’s capital is much more leisurely. This time, I intended to visit the grave of one of my major musical influences: Philip Lynott.  I needed to pay my respects to a man who was such a hero to me as I was growing up and discovering I wanted to be a musician, moreover, that I wanted to be a bass player/lead singer like him.  I ‘met’ him….very briefly, as the embryonic twin guitar line up of Thin Lizzy were relaxing in the refectory of Derby College, back in the 70’s about to promote the ‘Nightlife’ album. ‘Met’ constituted a mumbled ‘hi’ from a tongue-tied awkward teenager, and a nod from the man himself, but it was good enough for me.

We found his grave on the promontory East of Dublin known as Howth. A strange sense of a circle being closed came upon me. Phil was one of a triumvirate of bassist/singers who had a profound impact on me becoming a professional musician. In the 90’s, I had the chance to impersonate him on the UK TV show ‘Stars in their Eyes’ , and some weeks later, I met Eric Bell, Lizzy’s original guitarist, who confided in me that he’d seen the show:

In the intervening years, I’ve travelled the world, played on some of the biggest stages, and now I found myself on this windy promontory kneeling at the graveside of one of the men who most certainly set me on the path I tread to this day.  As I write this, his bassline to ‘I’m gonna creep up on you’ is pulsing out of my speakers, as alive as can be….and I realize that his music is his heartbeat, and that will never be stilled.

Me and Phil: The corner of Grafton Street, Dublin 2013

Afterword:

While we stood by the grave, Miki asked if I wanted to leave a drawing, and promptly produced her drawing pad and pen. I left this little sketch on his gravestone. It’s said that his Mother, Philomena, visits everyday. I hope she finds it:

Kev Moore