Matt LuceyMeet Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa has long been one of my favourite living guitarists. Born in 1977, Joe was a prodigy from a young age. He played alongside the inimitable BB King at the young age of 12 years old. It was clear from then, that Bonamassa was destined for greatness. Beginning his professional song writing career in 2000, he has since release 15 albums. With 3 Grammys under his belt, its no surprise that Bonamassa has gained global recognition. Over the years, Bonamassa has had innumerable influences, but one Irish Rockstar stands tall amongst them.
Rory Gallagher, an Irish Icon
Rory Gallagher was the pinnacle of Rock and Roll. Born in Donegal in 1948 and raised in Cork, Gallagher is the symbol of Irish Rock. Rory was held in extremely high regard all over Ireland and the continent. Unfortunately, Rory never saw the same success in the UK and US markets. This meant that, while not exactly a household name globally, Rory was famed amongst other guitarists. From his time in the band Taste and through his solo career, Rory’s live performances were legendary. From Brian May to Slash, Rory’s influence was immense and widespread. Unfortunately, Rory died in 1995, leaving his loyal fanbase reeling.
Bonamassa Plays Rory
Some months ago, Joe Bonamassa posted on his Instagram, showing himself in Cork, viewing Rory Gallagher memorabilia. He praised Rory at this time, playing some riffs of Rory’s and showing the late guitarist the respect he deserves. Shortly thereafter, Bonamassa announced that he would be playing a tribute concert to Rory Gallagher in Cork. Naturally, I raced to book my tickets to the second night of the event, on July 2nd. The following months, Bonamassa continued to post more Rory related content, hyping fans up for what promised to be an incredibly memorable event. I myself spend the months prior listening to Rory and Bonamassa both, daily.
Under the Marquee Lights
Full of anticipation, I made my way to Cork. The venue itself is incredible. A huge marquee, surrounded by food trucks and a separate bar tent made the run-up to the gig very enjoyable. Making our way inside, we positioned ourselves with the best view we could manage. The build up to the show took only a short while, and we were treated to some tasty licks during the sound test. Once the show began, the sound quality was immediately apparent. Even from a distance, the clarity was great and we had a fantastic view of the stage. Once on stage, Bonamassa played for 2 straight hours without break. No interlude, no long speeches, just music.
The Powerhouse Behind Joe
The night was filled with classic Rory songs, alongside some other incredible music that paired perfectly with the tone of the evening. On Drums, Jeremy Stacy played an incredible show. Connor Brady on Rhythm guitar worked flawlessly to accompany Joe playing lead. Aongus Ralston on Bass and Lachy Doley on Keyboard both contributed to the utter success of the evening. All together, the band put on a stellar show, which is contender for my favourite gig I have attended.
The Setlist & Standouts
Given the 2 hour runtime, I was utterly lost in the music, though there were some definite highlights. Bullfrog Blues, a song Rory covered, was always one of my favourites. It used to be a showcase for Rory’s onstage presence and energy onstage. Bonamassa did an epic cover of this, bringing the song to life once again. Another classic that made an appearance on the night was Bad Penny. Arguably one of Rory’s biggest hits, this powerhouse of a song has a deceptively tricky riff. Bonamassa played it beautifully and Rory would have been proud. While covering Rory, Bonamassa was not attempting to copy the icon, instead, putting his own spin on the classic hits.
Calling Card is another of Rory’s hits. On its title album, the song stands out, demonstrating Rory’s unique take on the blues. Bonamassa’s cover did the original justice and stood out among so many incredible songs of the evening. Towards the end of the evening, Bonamassa played two more of my favourites. Million Miles Away and I Fall Apart. Both of these were phenomenal, though, for me, the latter was the winner. The best song of the evening, I Fall Apart had one of the most incredible solos I’ve ever had the pleasure to have heard.
One for the Ages
The entire night was full to the brim of songs the were nostalgic but felt new. While Bonamassa stated multiple times that he was no Rory, I cant help but think that Rory himself would have been a fan. While this was a once off, I would encourage any rock or blues fans to listen to both Rory and Joe, two of the best.
