RORY GALLAGHER'S life as the
perpetual blues guitarist, always on the road, dedicated, serious,
won't change, even though there's a film and a double live album doing
the rounds now.
The Irish star is one of
rock's most unlikely heroes. He got restless during his two-week summer
break. Then just before leaving for his current six-week tour of the States he aimed a few broadsides at the rock establishment.
He has nothing but
contempt for the rock
stars who hide away in their country mansions living on record company
advances.
''Musicians who want to play go on the road," he says;
"Mind you, we don't work as hard as people make out. We're just normal."
This attitude took him
recently to London's Marquee for a steamy season of three solidly-packed nights; something he
enjoyed more than all the grand tours.
"The trouble with doing
two concert tours a year is that it becomes a royal occasion. I like to
do the small clubs. It's bad when you get to the point where you only
play big stadiums."
"Now some of the clubs wedo in the States are really small
and very relaxed."
''Y'see the most valuable thing for me is just to get on the stage.
There is more to music than just playing on a stage, but that's 99 per
cent of it for me."
"What's the point of being a retired millionaire?, " he asks.
"The trend in the music business is towards Hollywood glamour - well,
that's OK. Those people get wrapped up in their own enigma and become
schizophrenic. Some of them can take it."
Naturally, Rory does no acting in the film which should be on general
release this autumn. Tony Palmer- rock critic turned cinematographer -
has made the story, Rory's Irish Tour, into a candid camera epic.
Rory's pleased. He also denies that the release of a live album is a
cop-out.
"There are 10 songs on two albums and the fourth side is a jam session.
Also, half the material has not been recorded before and it's a
document of the film."
Anyway, he wants to forget it now.
"I feel at the end of a certain patch or work. We all saw and heard too
much of the film. Now I want to forget it on the road."
That road is a long one, but Rory reckons he's in a lucky position.
After the American tour, there's a London gig, then a German tour, back
to America, then Scandinavia, Spain, UK and an Irish tour....on and on.
"There's plenty of hard work: it's not a bowl of roses - it's all cake
and honey. I've got an extra responsibility - I've got a lot to live up
to."
Next time the band hits the UK, there'll be loads of new songs and
possibly an extra keyboard to broaden the sound. But you won't hear
synthesizers or wah wah pedals from this lot.
With characteristic purity, Rory sums it up: "If you've got an affinity
for the blues, you like to keep it as simple as possible."
by Peter Harvey from the 8/10/74 issue of RECORD and Radio MIRROR reformatted by roryfan
background is a mutated photo from the article
