I bought my first guitar off a guy in Rural Ireland in 1993. He shited On about having seen EVERY band you could possibly name, and told me he’d sold a guitar to Gallagher once upon a time, among 100 other tales.
18 months later I walk into the shop, the owner came out from the back where he used to have his tea and shite talk, and Rory Gallagher walked out behind him..... I couldn’t believe it. “Told ya I knew Rory” I genuinely believed the guy had been been in the pub for half the gigs he said he’d been to..
I said hello, told him I was obsessed with “a million miles away” and I was proud he was Irish and that was it. His brother was with him, but in the car outside. I never got to see him play live though. He also took an all Ireland island approach to his country and played all parts of it when some parts were being blown up. But that mostly was put on hold for music. Rory got respect for that.
Irish Tour 74 is brilliant. It’s mostly live Gallagher I listen to. His magic never as caught in the studio. Although the Taste Albums aren’t bad.
Slash has mentioned him a few times as an influence, Among others.
As I get older I realize after 30 years of loving music, I’ve turned into that weirdo guitar shop owner, with my list of tales and chance encounters. I even met Slash.
I guess everything now is where’s the photo.....