In its latest issue, Hot Press, Ireland’s leading music magazine, published a list of Ireland’s greatest gigs since the magazine’s inception in 1977. The number-one spot in the festivals category was claimed by none other than Rory Gallagher at the Mountain Dew Festival, Macroom, County Cork, in June of 1977!
And who could argue with the result? Not alone was the Mountain Dew Festival the first major, open-air music festival of its kind to be staged in Ireland, but it was headlined by the nation’s first true Rock God!
As Hot Pressputs it: Rory Gallagher had soundtracked the 1970s for so many people, playing powerfully incendiary shows in the National Stadium and the Ulster Hall every year, but the first Macroom Festival was a moment when Irish music entered another dimension.
Follow the link below to read the full honour roll and scroll down to the Top10 Festivals section to read the entry on Rory in Macroom.
Image copyright of Hot Press Magazine.
Were you there in Macroom in 1977? Do you think it deserves the top spot as Ireland’s greatest ever festival? Feel free to share your memories in the comments below!
CD shops have all but disappeared, Apple’s iPod Classic has been assigned to the scrap heap and the uber-cool are discussing their latest vinyl purchases in espresso bars everywhere.
So, just what is going on in the world of music?
Firstly, it looks like vinyl is back and it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Vinyl presses, some of which haven’t seen the light of day since the 1980s are being dragged out of warehouses everywhere in an effort to meet the rising demand. Nielsen Soundscan reports that 9.2 million vinyl albums were sold in 2014. That’s the highest number in 20 years and a significant increase on the 6.06 million units that were sold in 2013. Vinyl sales have, in fact, increased by over 220 per cent since the beginning of the decade. What’s also significant, as reported by http://www.digitaltrends.com, is that vinyl buyers are largely music fans under 35 years of age, which seems to indicate a bright future for the medium.
Copyright The Nielsen Company 2015
Meanwhile, CD sales have seen a steady decline. According to Nielsen Soundscan, CD sales dropped by 15 per cent last year and have been nosediving steadily since 2004. What may surprise some people, however, is that digital download sales are also seeing a downturn, leading Apple to ditch the 80 GB capacity iPod Classic in favour of the much smaller, multi-use iPod touch.
Copyright The Nielsen Company 2015
Spotify seems to be the leading player in a relatively new medium of music consumption which is definitely on the rise: web streaming. As of January 2015, Spotify had 15 million paying subscribers and a total of 60 million active users. Why bother paying for digital downloads that will only clog your phone’s hard drive, when you can listen to music any time you like for free on Spotify? Well, that’s the question isn’t it?
What does this all tell us? Is the CD going the way of the dodo and taking with it its baby brother, the MP3? Is the resurgence of vinyl to be attributed to a change in attitude on behalf of music fans whereby they are no longer willing to sacrifice quality for convenience?
Or is it a case of fashion rather than passion?
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
This year’s Cork Rocks for Rory weekend was a great success and attracted Rory Gallagher fans from all parts of the globe to the city on the Lee Delta!
The Rory Gallagher Music Library played host to the fabulous Dave McHugh who played an acoustic set of blues tunes which inspired Rory himself. This is Dave’s own rendition of ‘Gamblin’ Blues’, a tune associated with the great Lil’ Son Jackson and which features on Taste’s record, ‘Live Taste’. Rory played a smokin’ hot version of this tune at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 on his Fender Telecaster.
As part of our Rory 20 commemorations in the Rory Gallagher Music Library we have made available online for the first time, an amazing collection of rare photographs of Rory & band in full flight, taken in Manchester in the late 70s!
The photographer is Stephen Smith and we would like to thank him for donating his collection to our Rory Gallagher Archive.
Cork’s annual tribute to guitar legend Rory Gallagher will take place this weekend, the 5th and 6th of June, and the Rory Gallagher Music Library will of course be playing its part!
Well known axe-men Dave McHugh and Brian Tambling will perform a set of acoustic blues songs that influenced Rory Gallagher in the cosy setting of our music library at 2.30pm on Saturday, 6th June.
Dave McHughBrian Tambling
Admission is free for this event so don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the music that helped to shape a legend, played by two of the best musicians in the game today. As 2015 marks the twentieth anniversary of Rory’s passing you can be sure that this year’s Cork Rocks for Rory event will be one to remember.
Earlier this month the Martin Gilmore Trio played a hugely successful Irish tour and despite their busy schedule they managed to squeeze in a morning show in the Rory Gallagher Music Library! If that doesn’t show dedication to your art I don’t know what does! Band leader, Martin Gilmore also kindly took some time out from his hectic schedule for the following interview. We hope you enjoy it and if you have any comments we would love to read them!
You guys just finished a fairly intensive tour of Ireland. So, how did it go?
The tour was inspiring, educational, tiring and fantastic. We saw a big chunk of the west of Ireland and logged quite a few hours on the left side of the road. Our concerts were successful and we made a lot of new friends. Audiences in Ireland are so wonderful. The average Irish person has such a depth of knowledge about music and you can feel that on stage. People know where the song comes from, they know its lineage and they aren’t afraid to sing along if they know it. You don’t get that in the United States as much.
You’re no stranger to Irish music. Did you get a chance to catch a show or session while you were on tour?
One of my favorite places to visit while I’m here is Ring, near Dungarven in County Waterford. I have played at the Tig An Cheoil in Ring twice now and Seán Mac Craith is a fantastic sean-nós singer. The crowd is always wonderful there, but I can’t help but be excited for the show to end so I can hear Seán sing. Joe Powers is also a fount of knowledge and songs. He always teaches me Irish words and songs.
John Nyhan is also a fantastic resource for songs and music. He sang songs to us just about everywhere we went and he played a few jigs on the banjo while we were in Clonakilty. There was some sort of impromptu session every night while we were there so we got some good exposure to lots of great traditional music. We didn’t get to see any concerts though. We were busy every night while we were there. Even if we had seen something, it’s never enough. We all love Irish music.
When the Martin Gilmore Trio play there is a solid country base to the music yet influences from Jazz, blues and various forms of folk music are evident throughout. Is this deliberate or just the result of years of exposure to so many musical styles?
What a good question. I have a friend who talks about being in different bands to satisfy his different musical personalities. Ian, Nick and I all play in different bands and know a lot of different types of music. The nice thing about this trio is that I can find a song that I like and the guys can tackle it for the most part. We aren’t specific about the genre of music we play, we just find a song that we think is good and we see how it works with the three of us. I can write something and these guys will bring their own flavor to it. If we were just playing one thing I think we would get bored so it’s refreshing to have the variety on the set list and it makes me excited for each song as we go through the show.
I think that’s a good representation for American music in general. The Appalachians were a “melting pot” of musical styles that created bluegrass and country music. You can hear Blues and Spirituals in Bluegrass just as much as Irish fiddle tunes and English ballads. People from all over the world came together there and their influences on one another created something completely new. It’s the same with jazz and Dixieland music down in New Orleans as well as with Mariachi and Conjunto music in Texas. I suppose we fit into that same mold. We have a common thread of American “Roots music” but we mix and match what we play and it sort of morphs into something new.
With the recent passing of BB King and other musical legends who defined blues, country, rock & roll and folk music in the 20th century there seems to be a certain sense of melancholy creeping into the musical mind frame. Phrases like ‘the death of the Blues’ have been cropping up in some commentaries. As an artist how does this make you feel?
We are really living in an interesting time in music. I think there is a lot of cynicism about commercial music and the model that the major record companies have followed for years is really changing. There used to be a really defined path to success in music and if you were good enough, lucky enough and worked hard enough you could follow that path to some sort of success. That’s not really the case anymore. Some people thing that is a bad thing, but I’m not so sure that it is. There isn’t as much “big money” in music as there used to be and record companies don’t take as many risks these days. However, it is so easy to write a song, record it and put it up for sale on the internet that the large record companies role isn’t as necessary as it used to be. I don’t think any genre of music is “dying” but it’s not presented to the public on a silver platter like it used to be. If you are willing to put in the time looking for something you can really find people making the honest thing. You can find people playing the blues for the sake of playing the blues. Denver, Colorado, has dozens of awesome honky-tonk and swing bands and it is just one city. Record companies were a stamp of approval about the quality of something. If it was on a record label it was probably going to sound good and be well presented. That still exists, but each person has to find their taste.
It makes me excited to hear all the new music that is available. There’s an endless pool of interesting, virtuosic, creative and inspiring music out there. It’s easy for me to spend a few hours on YouTube exploring new sounds. My friends are always telling me about new things. I constantly find things that make me excited about music and that is really an advantage that comes with the new technology. I know musicians are struggling, I’m right there with them, but the commerce side of music will sort all of those challenges out. Meanwhile we get to enjoy the largest variety of music ever available to humanity — and you can access it from the phone in your pocket.
Your band mate Nick Amodeo makes that Squier Telecaster sound like a million dollars! Did he have it modded in any way or is it as stock?
Funny you should ask. We actually borrowed that guitar from John Nyhan’s son Gearoid. Gearoid lives in Cork and he was nice enough to let us travel around with it.
Nick is a monster player. He can play anything with strings and make it sound amazing. He and I have talked about electric guitars and what makes each guitar player sound unique. We have pretty much settled on the fact that it’s the fingers of the player more than the gear itself. Carlos Santana will sound like Carlos Santana on any guitar he picks up. I could get all the same gear as Rory Gallagher and I will never get his sound. Nick can make any guitar sound fantastic but he always sounds like Nick.
He has a boutique Telecaster and amplifier back in the states but this tour really showed me that it’s more in his touch than in his gear. It’s inspiring and makes me realize that I should practise more.
I imagine the Rory Gallagher Music Library in Cork must’ve been an unusual venue for you but what’s the strangest venue you’ve ever played?
Wow, what a question. Honestly, I have played a lot of shows and concerts in libraries so it didn’t feel too out of place. As a working musician you get to see a lot of wild and crazy things. Nick and I have played gigs in the main terminal of the Denver International Airport. That can be a strange place to play. I have played concerts in people’s living rooms; that can be wonderful, but it can also be a bit strange. The trio once played a saloon in western Nebraska where everyone sat in the front room while we played in the back room. We stopped because we thought no one was listening and the bartender told us that everyone really liked us. That was a pretty strange experience.
I think, more than the place, I pay attention to the audience. I’ll play for anyone who is listening, but if no one is paying attention it really changes the feeling for the performer. There’s not a lot of money in bluegrass music. We play it because we love it and we want to share the love of the music with other people. If people aren’t listening I find myself trying to figure out how to get them to love the songs as much as I do. That struggle is what sets the tone of the gig for me. The crowd at the Rory Gallagher Music Library is always so wonderful. I’ll play there any time.
What’s next for Martin Gilmore and when will we see you and the band in Cork again?
There’s a lot of stuff happening this summer for the Martin Gilmore Trio. We are playing a couple of festivals around the Rocky Mountain Region and we will probably go into the studio to lay down a few tracks for a record. However, I will be moving to Cairo, Egypt, in August of 2015. My wife accepted a job teaching music in an international school and I am going to tag along and write songs. That means the MG3 will probably take a break for a few months and we might not release a record until after I return from Cairo.
It also means that I am closer to Ireland and could return more often. Maybe the MG3 could reunite for a couple of tours through Ireland and the rest of Europe. Ian and Nick have several other projects that keep them busy and there will be no shortage of gigs for musicians like them. I am looking forward to the creative time and people can expect a lot of new original material from the MG3 when we return to Cork — which cannot be soon enough.
Interview: Ian O’Sullivan, May 2015
If there’s one thing that shines through from this interview with Martin Gilmore it’s that he has a genuine passion for music, places, and people. We look forward to seeing the MG3 on our shores again very soon and, more importantly, on the banks of the Lee!
Jimmy Crowley to launch new book ‘Songs from the Beautiful City : The Cork Urban Ballads’ at Cork City Library.
Jimmy Crowley is a man who needs no introduction to Corkonians and little introduction to the rest of ye! The renowned balladeer has been singing songs from his native city for decades and many of these are to be enshrined in his new book which will be officially launched on Thursday14th May at 7.00 in the City Library, Grand Parade.
The book will be launched by Mick Moloney, NYU and John Dolan, Features Editor at the Cork Evening Echo.
Bígí linn mar sin le h-aghaidh oíche cheoil is scéalaíochta ó dhuine de na ceoltóirí is cáiliúla na cathrach seo!
Don’t miss what promises to be an unforgettable night of story and song with one of Cork’s most celebrated bards. For more information please visit Jimmy’s website: http://www.jimmycrowley.com/
Another Cork International Choral Festival has come and gone and our fair city by the Lee is still reverberating with the echoes of heavenly harmonies from many lands. The festival was a resounding success as usual and Cork City Libraries was proud to be a part of the chorus with outstanding performances in our central and branch libraries.
We captured some of the action for your enjoyment. Here’s looking forward to 2016!
The Tallinn University Chamber Choir entertained the public at Bishopstown Library as part of their first visit to Ireland.
The Foerster Female Choir in the City Library.
The Foerster Female Chamber Choir (Czech Republic) was founded in Prague in 1975 and quickly came to be regarded as one of the Czech Republic’s leading choirs. Over the last few decades the choir has amassed a plethora of prizes, winning honours at festivals in Arezzo, Cork, Debrecen, Jihlava, and Prague, along with claiming outright victories at competitions in Klaipeda (2003), Vienna (2006), Venice (2008), and Rimini (2012). The choir pays special attention to contemporary music and has given many Czech composers their premier performance,though its repertoire is wide, ranging from Renaissance polyphony to music of the 20th century. Current director Jaroslav Brych studied conducting at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague under Václav Neumann and now works as a pedagogue there, the Faculty of Pedagogics at Charles University, and the Conservatoire of Pardubice.
Komorni Zbor Hugo Wolf Choir at Cork City Library
Komorni Zbor Hugo Wolf (Slovenia) was founded in 2010, the 150th Anniversary of the birth of composer Hugo Wolf (1860-1903) as part of the Cultural Society of German-Speaking Women (Mostovi-Brücken). Keeping in spirit with the rich tradition of choral singing in Maribor, the choir incorporates a very broad range of styles, both old and contemporary, with no limits of genre or origin. The choir consists mostly of students of the choir’s artistic director, Aleš Marčič, a Master of Musical Arts. In 2011 the choir was awarded the golden diploma in category “Musica sacra” at “In… Canto sul Garda”in Italy. In 2014 they were invited to perform at Festival Maribor as part of the project “Stolen” with artistic director Richard Tognetti, director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
For more information on the Cork International Choral Festival and for a full report on the results of the competition, please visit the festival website.
The Rory Gallagher Music Library has established very strong links in the areas of Bluegrass and Country music over the years with regular performances by domestic and international acts. As part of our Country Music Recital Programme we are delighted to host an in house performance by the Martin Gilmore Trio. The show will take place in the Music Library at 11 am and will be free of charge so don’t miss this golden opportunity to experience the amazing musicianship of this band!
Martin Gilmore
Martin Gilmore is a man with stories to sing and tunes to play. His love of history is blended into original songs taking audiences on journeys to places in time that may have faded in memory.
Each time Martin performs listeners get to see a craftsman at work. Stellar musicianship, engaging stage presence and genuine passion for performance come together when Martin sings and plays.
Wrap a lifetime of exposure to musical genres of bluegrass, folk, jazz, Irish, classical, rock and roll and the influences merge when he steps on stage. Performing with the Colorado based bluegrass band “Long Road Home” (Pete Wernick, Gene Libbea, Justin Hoffenberg, Jordan Ramsey), Martin’s lead singing gives that band it’s signature.
When he is not performing, he can often be found conducting workshops at festivals, teaching lessons at various venues around the Denver metro area or working as a studio musician and producer.
Nick Amodeo
Nick Amodeo is a multi-instrumentalist who’s focus is making honest, soulful music. Playing everything from reggae bass to bluegrass mandolin to honkytonk guitar, Nick continuously reinvents himself, keeping an open ear and a welcoming attitude to all styles of music. He is the 2005 Rockygrass mandolin champion, and has performed over the years as a sideman for the celebrated blues artist Otis Taylor. Nick was featured on Downbeat Magazine’s 2007 Blues Album of the Year; Otis Taylor’s “Definition of a Circle” and has toured throughout North America and Europe, sharing the stage with such legends (and personal heroes) as Buddy Guy, Charlie Musselwhite, Chuck Campbell, and Ron Miles. Nick has also had the opportunity to teach music at Naropa University and Swallow Hill Music School, and is currently a popular instructor on Jamplay.com. Nick is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but now lives in Denver, Colorado.
Ian Haegele
Ian Haegele comes from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and currently lives in Boulder, Colorado. In high school, while taking private lessons and studying the bass and playing in orchestra, jazz band, and a performing around Wisconsin in a bluegrass/folk trio, he decided that he wanted to pursue a career in music. After high school he moved to Boulder to study double bass performance at the University of Colorado, graduating with his Bachelor’s degree in 2014. When he wasn’t practicing and studying music at school, he was pursuing his love of bluegrass and American acoustic music, playing in various pickup groups, going to local bluegrass shows, picks, and festivals, playing music with friends gained from said events, and learning as much as he could about the Front Range bluegrass/acoustic music and it’s musicians and fans. Even though Ian graduated, you can still find him doing all of those things. Otherwise, you might find him hiking. Upon graduating, he began pursuing music more intently and started playing with Golden-based bluegrass/acoustic country band, Thunder and Rain. Even more recently, he joined forces with the Martin Gilmore Trio as well as Martin’s other band, Long Road Home and has really been relishing the many musical opportunities that have been coming his way, helping him start his career and live his dream.
For more information about the band please visit their website:
Dave Burke is by now a well known figure in the Cork singer/songwriter scene and has built up quite a reputation for himelf over the last few years. We are delighted to host the launch of Dave’s debut album ‘Fulfil the Wish’ in the City Library on Wednesay March 25th.
The event is free of charge and starts at 7.00pm. All welcome!
Fáilte roimh gach éinne!
More info about Dave Burke on his Facebook page. Click below!
Rory Gallagher Music Library 