Rory Live Soon

Rip It Up, Issue 36, 1 July 1980, Page 6

Rory Live Soon

Mark Phillips

Gaelic guitar hero, Rory Gallagher, dropped into New Zealand late last month for a short tour and some cheap shirts. We took the chance to catch up on the latest news. Recently, Gallagher toured the US with Jefferson Starship. Rumours are rife about a flareup between Gallagher and Paul Kantner. Gallagher explains, "Well, it was basically nonviolent. It was a.slow build-up. We were guests on their tour, and the contract stated we were allowed about fitteen feet of stage to put our equipment on. Bit by bit, they took it back, and then they wouldn’t let us use the monitors and it just got worse and worse. It ended with me punching him. It was the first time I’d ever done anything like that. I think they were surprised at how well we were going down, and it upset them. They sacked us from the tour after that.” Prior to Gallagher’s New Zealand tour, he toured Ireland, France, and did a couple of nights at the Lyceum in London. From these, and other shows, he intends to produce a new live album about September. Rather than being lazy, he says, and use material from just one or two shows, they want to pick the best performances available, so they have recorded virtually every gig all year. The band does have some material for a new studio album, but the live one is taking priority. They may go back to the studio around December.

Rory Gallagher has no plans to stop touring. “I like going to different countries too much to stop now," he says, "but maybe in a few years’ time, I could see myself spending six months or so on other people's albums. At the moment I look forward to touring."