I recently re-watched this DVD, which I first reviewed for the Lord of the Strings the fan site for Gary Moore based out of Hungary, which I have been a regular contributor under the name of Emerald , in 2006.
I have had a rethink on my original review and am amending my original review, based on the passage of time and a change of heart I have felt in my attitude towards Gary. I am known to be one of the most fiercest supporters of Gary Moore and his works and music for many years. The amount of satisfaction that Gary’s music has given me over the years, has unchanged. I applaud Gary for being a real person throughout his career, it may have well caused his career immeasurable damage over the years.
Also I wish to address the chasm between Gary and the loyal fan base of Thin Lizzy which over the years has not closed up. Sure Gary was called in several times to replace Brian Robertson as guitarist with the band and actually left the band during an important US tour, which he has since admitted wasn’t his smartest move, but the often tumultuous relationship between Gary and Phil Lynott is as much to blame. I have read the excellent book “The Rocker” by Mark Putterford, which is well written and fleshes in much of the details missing of the up and down again working relationship of Gary and Phil.
Since the early Dublin days and I don’t have my copy of Putterford’s work at hand at the moment, but I am fairly sure that early incarnation of Phil’s and Gary’s band together however brief lived. there was magic present even back then.
So on August 19th 2005, which would have been the eve of Phils 56th birthday, a statue of Phil Lynott was unveiled in Dublin’s Grafton Street by his mother. There to witness the event were members of Thin Lizzy from throughout the bands career. The following evening, they joined forces under the leadership of Gary Moore for a concert that paid tribute to Phil Lynott’s memory. The core band of Moore, Jethro Tull bass player Jonathon Noyce and the mainstay of Thin Lizzy their main drummer who has always played with them, except for brief periods through illness, ect., Brian Downey.
The lineup of past Lizzy guitarists, excluding Midge Ure and Snowy White, Brian Robertson, Scott Gorham and the first guitarist Eric Bell.Each guitarist played separately with Gary.
Extraneous of all this lineup, apparently I learned later that Lizzy tribute bands claimed they had arranged for and collected money to help pay for the statue of Phil and to cover costs for the ceremony, ect. One of these tribute band members got into an internet ‘debate’ with me over Gary Moore’s involvement in the whole preceedings. They were of the opinion that Gary took over the proceedings, ect. Originally he was to be a guest, ect.
I find these claims to be totally groundless and as I will reveal Gary was key to the success of the evening and since he can singlehandly play and sing any era of Thin Lizzy perfectly well by himself, if he had not participated, they show would not have been the artistic success that it turned out to be. The rift between Lizzy fans and Gary Moore has existed since the the occasional times Gary was in the band. Arguably their most artistically complete album Black Rose recorded in Paris in 1979, was throughout marked with the songwriting and guitar playing of Gary Moore. The love/hate relationship of the two Irishmen, the northerner and the southerner, was the theme of their collective works.
On to the show, Gary opened with “Walking By Myself” which was somewhat appropriate as Phil was no longer there, yet to me I sensed some hostility from the Lizzy crowd as it wasn’t a Lizzy song, but Gary being the consummate professional he is carried on. On a related note, and I have been involved in somewhat of a hate Marshall JCM2000 DSL100 amplifiers, which Gary was using at this time and for a comsiderable period before and afterwards. To me their tone isn’t right to my personal taste, though Gary has resorted to using quite the pedal board setup since using these, multi-channel amps….
I will attempt to stay on the main topic here but for me Gary’s amplifier choice colors my interpretation of his tone, as I know how good he can sound with other choices. Gary can sound great through any amplifier, I would have preferred an amp like his 1972 1992 model Marshall Super Bass for example, but that’s just me! Next up is Jailbreak complete with flashing police lights, as back in the Lizzy days.
Gary exhibits his usual total command of the material and his singing which has greatly improved over the years, was up to the task of the Lizzy tunes. Plus his ability to play and sing at the same time, has always placed him in a separate category of accomplished guitarists. Then the band goes into “Don’t Believe a Word” incorporating both the slow and fast versions of the tune, Gary plays exceptionally well on this tune. He is using his Gibson Custom Shop Les Pauls throughout, nary a vintage Les Paul in site. I believe he has Tom Holmes in the reversed neck pickup Sunburst version, He also has a charcoal/black maple quilted top Les Paul that is quite attractive.
Then it is time to bring on the first of the ‘guest’ guitarists, Brian Robertson who never played in Lizzy with Gary at the same time as Gary was the one usually replacing the injured Robbo. To be frank Brian gave it his best shot, but for my money Gary is carrying the version of Emerald that they are playing and Brian is a wee but rusty and doesn’t play with the same fire he once had. He has had a rough go of it throughout the years and matched up against a guitarist of Gary’s caliber, most players would look shoddy to be fair. Gary gives Brian every opportunity to rise to the occasion, but I think Brian was a little nervous as well. He was playing a seventies Les Paul, which may well be the one the band first bought for him when he first joined the band!
The next tune “Still In Love With You”, which in the Gorham /Robertson version of the band, was always a standout performance for Brian and one can’t help but think back to the fantastic 1977 performance of Live and Dangerous which Brian owned the solos on.
Sadly on this occasion he would come close, but be sharp on occasion, ect and he seemed to lack confidence. I realize that back on the seventies his playing was bolstered by a combination of speed and whiskey and he was much younger. Again Gary saves the day and carries the tune. I felt that Gary gave every guest player the opportunity to shine and didn’t attempt at any time to overplay against the other guitarist, though just Gary laying back in a groove is superior to many others lead work! It was great to see Robbo, still alive for one thing and it was brave of him to get up there and be there for Phil’s mum.
Next the now gray haired Scott Gorham bounded on with his current weapon of choice, a Floyd Rose equipped Stratocaster with a bridge humbucker and quite a few rack effects as well. In fact I thought at time he was doing an eighties Steve Lukather impersonation! His tone to me was thin and weasly and I remember on the GM fan forum, a big joke about the Weasel pedal, ect!
Black Rose was the number they first played and this is the song where Gary taught Scott all the guitar parts, in fact it was rumored for many years that Gary had played all the guitars on the studio version, I don’t believe that to be true though.
Next the Cowboy Song segued into The Boys Are Back In Town which for such a simple song has the most amazing number of chord changes!! This all was well received by the crowd and then Scott was gone and on came Eric Bell , whom Gary introduced as the only man who Phil thought could play this song properly. Eric’s performance was inspired and he was also well received, though Lynott hated that song for many years, it was their first big break.
Gary then played an excerpt from Old Town which segued into Parisienne Walkways which Gary teased the crowd with around the sustained note and threw in Happy Birthday for Phil at the end.
Standout performances besides Gary were Brian Downey, the solid rock foundation of Lizzy and often overlooked for his loyalty and massive contribution to the drive and force of the bands music.
Jonathon Noyce’s performance was adequate, I wasn’t expecting him to have a mirrored pickguard bass guitar or leather trousers, he did wear a leather coat though. Who could replace Phil, to be fair.
Gary Moore has dedicated a fair amount of his solo material to the story of Phil and himself, from 1987′s Wild Frontier through After The War, with the incredible autobiographical song Blood of Emeralds.
This beautiful tale co-written by the fantastic Neil Carter, says all there is to say about the triumphs and ultimately sad but inevitable tragedy that Phil was doomed for. No one could stop his ship crashing into the rocky shore. Bob Dylan told Hughie Lewis that in his opinion Phil Lynott was one of rock musics greatest poets.
As Gary and various family and band members watch the unveiling of the statue the day before, Gary can be seen kissing his young daughter as he holds her in his arms. Phil’s incredible mother Philomena places a kiss in the likeness of her son, whim she loved and was most proud of.
So well done Gary Moore and all the band members, a fitting tribute to Phil, though I would of liked to have heard Johnny Boy and Blood of Emeralds but they may have been to much for Gary to deal with, plus Blood of Emeralds requires the great keyboard playing of Neil Carter.
I was angry, I was sad
just thinking about the times we had
I felt so lost and lonely too
what could I say, what could I do?
And after all, the time goes by
No one knows the reasons why
You lived each day like there was no tommorow
You spent those years living on time you borrowed
And in your eyes, all I could see was sorrow.
Excerpt from Blood of Emeralds written by Moore/Carter
Every time I hear these lyrics or even the sad melody, it brings a tear to my eye, as Gary’s lyrics, though pertaining to Phil , in a way reflect how my life was headed and how I managed to avoid tragedy with the help of the Lord , who helped in my own personal recovery.
http: //www.moorepanos.com/pages/misc/dublin.htm
By the way this DVD is now available in full HD 1080p in Blu-Ray technology for those who are lucky enough to own such equipment!!
Dave