“Who is the support act tonight?” I asked, as we travelled excitedly in the minibus. It was 1981, and with a decent sized group of my school buddies we had bought tickets and hired a minibus to go see Whitesnake at Bristol Colston Hall. For many of us, myself included, it was our first ever experience of attending a rock concert.
The answer to my question came from Puddy, a man in the know. “Gary Moore”. He saw instantly the blank look upon my face, and so he clarified further “He has a band called G Force these days”. I remained in blissful ignorance. “Dai, he used to be in Thin Lizzy”. The reference gave me some idea, but in truth I still had no clue. I smiled, politely, and mumbled “Ah yeah, I know”. Puddy knew that I didn’t know. He rolled his eyes and gave up on the conversation, wisely so.
A flew hours later I knew who Gary Moore was. I recall little of the set he played, but one song stood out. Parisienne Walkways. I knew it, had heard it many times, but here he was taking it to an extraordinary new level. Along with Richie Blackmore, Joe Satriani, Michael Schenker and Robben Ford (in his Blue Line days) Gary Moore remains one the best rock guitarists I have had the privilege of seeing in concert.
And here is my dilemma.
My head plays tricks upon me, my heart divides with internal dialogue on all manner of pointless debates. Would Spiderman beat Superman in a fight? How do dragons blow out the candles on their birthday cakes? Are ham sandwiches better than beetroot sandwiches? And, most importantly of all, at times, I have to attempt to resolve a long standing inner squabble: “Who is the best guitarist?” My answer revolves around the guitar players mentioned above. I go through phases, where, for months on end, one of these celebrated axemen gain pre-eminence in my mind. It has been Michael Schenker, lately, as I saw him play in concert last December. He was astonishing. Perhaps though, the impact of that concert has dissipated recently, as I have developed a desire recently to listen frequently to Gary Moore.
Mid 1990s, and a very good friend of mine went through a painful divorce. It almost broke him. He would visit me of an evening, perhaps twice in midweek, and we would drink tea and listen to music. We would externalise my internal debate about the merits of various guitarists. He is an extraordinarily talented guitarist himself, and is my all time favourite non famous player. I have told him so. I would describe his style as a magical blend of Michael Schenker and Gary Moore. He points to these two as his inspiration and musical heroes. He also has quite a fondness for Yngwie Malmsteen. Not my thing.
Of a weekend we would hit the town, drink too much beer, talk bollocks, then go back to my house, drink whiskey and listen to our favourite music being played at industrial volumes. One CD always found its way into getting played. Gary Moore’s, compilation album, “Ballads And Blues”. Lots of emotive and wonderful songs about love, losing in love and reflections upon the theme. Lots of great guitar playing too. It always struck me that my buddy loved listening to this music as he faced his own pain of love lost. For me though, one track stood out. “One Day”
Here Gary Moore skillfully delves into the complexities of love and the hardships that come along with it. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a heartbroken individual, longing for a lost love and reminiscing about the beauty they once shared. The song reminds us that even amidst heartache and despair, there is always a glimmer of possibility for healing and eventual happiness. It encourages listeners to hold onto the belief that someday their pain will subside, and they will find solace, and love once again. Several years later, my buddy’s pain subsided, he found love again, and remarried.
I have enjoyed relistening again, recently to Gary Moore’s “Ballads And Blues”. This track still stands out for me, so I attempted to record my own cover version of it. Achieving a tone even vaguely reminiscent of Gary Moore’s uniqueness has proved impossible for me. How can one achieve that overdriven, high sustain, creamy, Marshall stack sweetness on a tiny 10w practice amp? Answers on a postcard please. I became frustrated with this question, settling with a relatively balanced “bass -mid -treble” eq, rolling back the tone on the guitar, and adding my compressor/sustainer pedal between guitar and amp. For me though, the tone is still a little thin, particularly the sections which use the bridge pickup. Oh well…..
I am going to see my buddy today. Tea will be drank. Guitars shall be played. He remains something of a maestro, and I shall be ashamed of my distinct lack of musical capability. I'm not sure that I shall show him this video. He will likely say little, apart from “more tea, buddy?” I wish I could play like him, aye. Unlikely, but I hold to Moore’s words:
“One day your dreams may all come true
One day the sun will shine on you”
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