from "Ongaku-Senka" magazine , (Dec. 1977)
Rory Gallagher Japan Tour 1977
part 1 : Interview | part 2 : Tour Report | part 3 : Live Review
Part 3 : Rory Gallagher concert report
- Nice, full energetic playing -
(by Yukio Miwa)3rd Nov., 2 in the afternoon, Shinjuku Kosei-nenkin Kaikan in Tokyo. Today is national holiday as "Culture day" in Japan. It sounds bit weird holiday to me, since this morning I'm irritated at the day for making trade of culture and decoration from Emperor or government, as for me today is the day of culture locked out-day, I feel being laid low by a bug.
But Rory blew all my blue off when he turned up on the stage and kicked my ass with full power.
This is his third Japan tour, he has been to Japan in Jan. of '74 and also in Jan. '75, the member of his band is the same with last two tours, Rory Gallagher on Guitar and vocal, Lou Martin on keyboards, Gerry McAvoy on bass guitar, and Rod de'Ath on drums. But I've heard two new member will come over to play on Japan tour from information of Toshiba EMI but I feel a bit confused myself when I found the same old member would come. (*)
- - I met natural smiled Rory
Put these little things beside, Rory's playing was started 2 minutes around 14:00 in the afternoon. The opening number was "Moon Child" from the album " Calling Card". From the beginning of the show, all audience turned to be crazy. Next one was "Bought and Sold" from "Against the Grain" album, then "Calling Card" and "Secret Agent" ... In the first half of the show, his representative songs were played. His guitar playing with battered but good old Fender guitar sounds like screaming of his soul and joys of life. He is definitely high technique guitarist but not just only a technical typed guitarist. I found him as a too much straight minded person to see his playing-it is really simple and straight staging,
His dedicated to music-attitude as "I'd like to burn out with my guitar" may grasp lots of people. I think in that way to see his stage in Kosei-Nenkin Kaikan.
In any Rory show, he puts some acoustic numbers at middle of the show. Today is like the rest, other member of the band left the stage at the middle of the show, Rory got the acoustic guitar and played 2 songs then change to dobro guitar and played 2 songs, and changed to mandolin with one song, then changed to electric guitar, the last half part of the show -full with electric numbers- was started. The last number was "Souped-up Ford", then encore time was settled.
After encore, unexpected things was happened, Rory played twice toward to the never ending encore-call from the audience, when the very last song of this show "Country Mile" was over, most of the audience couldn't stand up from their sheet because totally got enraptured.
Rory's allure is to play guitar and sing 100% of his energy out in every show I think. And you can find his musical history with his stage- not only playing blues, also find the changing to driving hard rock stuff after working with Roger Glover. But I'd like to say Rory has not been changing at all, whenever I go to see his show, every time I find him same in the great attitude as always playing hard musician.
Rory will never be the guy who try to make a trade of his sprits for a decoration.
- translation notes -
about "two new members"
This news was announced incorrect from Toshiba EMI. They took 2 new crews (Joseph O'Herlihy : sound engineer, Finbar Quinn : lightning technician) as new band members.1977 Japan Tour : live review by Yukio Miwa , 3rd November 1977, at Kosei-Nenkin Kaikan, Tokyo
from "Ongaku Senka" magazine (Japan), December issue, 1977
English translation by Shinolez (2008) / thank you!