Coming back to his home-from-home, Gerry McAvoy looks forward to Cork Opera House show

The most famous musician to ever come out of Cork, Rory Gallagher, is widely considered one of the best guitarists of all time. Both his recorded work and live concerts were equally lauded; and playing alongside him for 20 years on bass was Gerry McAvoy, who appeared on every one of Rory’s solo albums, from 1971 to 1991.

Gerry returns to Cork for only the third time in 30 years on Saturday, September 16, and is looking forward to seeing the city again.

“I played in Cork last year, but prior to that I hadn’t played there since the 90s with another band called Below Zero,” he says

“It’s a place I have such an affinity for, I’ve so many fond memories because of playing so many times with Rory, but also I used to go on holidays to Cork and just hang out with Rory, we’d drive down to places like Kinsale and it’s great to be coming back to Cork in the Opera House”.

When it comes to venues, Gerry really has played every sort, from tiny to huge, and the venue he plays in his upcoming Cork show is his favourite type.

“When I started playing, I was 15 or 16, I hadn’t even heard of Wembley Stadium,” he says.

“Getting a gig in a club in Belfast was enough for me, I didn’t have any massive ambitions; musically yes, but not playing arenas and stuff like that. But of course, as things got bigger, we had to play arenas and big venues as the audience demand was so high, we’d be touring with bands like Deep Purple, ZZ Top, and The Faces… but really it is more intense and emotional to play the intimate venues. Rory really loved the club shows, as do I.

“When you can see the eyes of the people there, there’s no trickery. I was at Bruce Springsteen recently and you are really looking at dots on the stage and a video screen, but in a thousand-or-so-capacity room, you are right there with the audience, you become one with them.

“The Cork Opera House is a perfect size for a show like this.”

Speaking of being able to actually see the audience, Gerry has noticed the profile changing over time. “Obviously there’s that core fanbase of people in their 50s, 60s+ who were at the shows with Rory, but we also get a good amount of young people coming to the gigs, which is so encouraging,” he says.

“We play Greece, for instance, and I think the audiences are normally under 40 and much younger. It’s probably people digging into their parents’ and grandparents’ record collections and the real good stuff always comes through, hence they come along to us to see if we can do Rory’s legacy justice.”

Playing Rory’s music is no simple undertaking, but Gerry is adamant it isn’t some sort of cover band, but much more people playing his music.

“I put Band Of Friends together in 2012 with Ted McKenna who used to play with Rory from 1978 to 1981, but sadly Ted passed away a couple of years ago, so the band has changed over different periods — and will keep changing. At my age I want to play with as many different musicians as possible, maybe keyboards. I like to make changes, to not be restricted to the same group of musicians, and of course we all play with many other bands so have differing schedules.

“That’s why we came up with the name originally — a Band Of Friends — and it’s snowballed from there! Brendan O’Neill, who played with Rory from 1981 to 1991, is in the band at the moment and there are two guitar players, one guy is called Paul Rose and the other Jim Kirkpatrick, who also does some of the vocals.

“The reason behind two guitarists rather the one is that we try to rehearse so many of the songs from all the different albums. When Rory recorded, we usually recorded it live as a three-piece band, we’d go hell for leather, but then he’d go back in and overdub some rhythm bits or other ideas.

“So we are trying two guitars to be able to do what you are used to hearing at home in a live setting. But at the same time, while they are his songs we try to not be too rigid so we might do some of the parts a little bit differently… but not too different!

“There are so many songs to pick from, obviously, but I personally always really enjoy ‘Tattooed Lady’ and ‘A Million Miles Away’, that beautiful song Rory wrote.”

Another old friend of Gerry will be also playing on the night. “I’m looking forward to hearing The Pat McManus Band, we’ve played together on the stage a few times over the years, in Holland France and places like that. I like him, we’ve been friends for a good few years. He’s a great musician, it’s an advantage having him on board, it’ll be a great double bill and hopefully a great night too!’

Gerry has spotted some development in the city he knew so well: “Like every city, there’s been change. I was coming in the 70s and 80s, it’s so different now — it’s built upwards now and modernised. Back then we’d stay in the Metropole, Rory’s granny had a pub just up the road on MacCurtain Street and of course, he got his first guitar there in that music shop [Crowleys].”

On the topic of original equipment, as much as fans might like to see the original gear, Gerry has a stronger sound now. “Some of the old amp heads I used back then I still have, like, they were good for 1970s, but not now. I still have some of the basses I used then and I’ll probably be playing one or two that I used on the records in the Opera House.”

• Gerry McAvoy’s Band of Friends and special guests The Pat McManus Band will play Cork Opera House on Saturday, September 16, at 8pm. Tickets available now from the box office and Ticketmaster.