Rory Gallagher Irish Tour 1974 (DVD)

Think back to the days before the music business was run by soulless global corporates. Before Napster, MP3s, even compact disc. The early seventies. Some may think of glam rock and bad pop, but it was also a time when rock musicians were at their most revered by their fans. Bands were regarded for the musicians and their abilities rather than their looks and saleability. Am I looking back through rose-tinted glasses? Well maybe a bit, but this was definitely when quality guitarists got the most respect. Brian May, Steve Howe, Jimmy Page; they were all superstars because of their musical styles. And another such guitarist of the time was Rory Gallagher. More low key than those previously mentioned, but nontheless highly regarded for his blues and rock guitar style.

As to be gathered from the title this is a movie made in 1974 of Gallagher and his band's tour of Ireland in that year. Director Tony Palmer initially conceived it to be about 45 minutes and destined for TV broadcast on the Omnibus programme, but as it grew out to feature film length it was decided to give it a cinematic release. Remember that 1974 was before MTV and promo music videos, so a film like this was one of the few ways of seeing a performer without going to a live concert. Especially true of Gallagher, who never watched Top of the Pops, let alone appeared on it.

The film covers Gallagher and band and obviously spends the greatest amount of time showing them performing in the various venues of the tour. The choice of material is good, as it shows the diversity of styles that Gallagher was capable of. The blues style of As the Crow Flies that he is best remembered for is obviously featured, as are more traditional Irish sounds. Plenty of straightforward rock is there as well, from the heavy sound of Cradle Rock to the more "prog"-ish rock style of A Million Miles Away and Walk on Hot Coals.

As this is a tour movie we also spend a lot of behind-the-scenes time as well. This includes following Gallagher and band back stage before and after gigs, but also being interviewed about such things as his attitude to playing music - Gallagher had no star pretensions or aspirations - to his reasons for playing gigs in Northern Ireland, which in 1974 was pretty rare. The "travelogue" elements of the movie, which you will always see in tour movies, here perfectly capture the feel of the times, especially the grimness of Northern Ireland during the height of the troubles.

This was a film made to capture the art of a great musician and performer, rather than to just to help shift records. It also now works as a tribute to Gallagher, as he died in London at the age of 47, on 14 June 1995, from complications following a liver transplant.