This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Photos by Arnie Goodman

I missed Davy Knowles twice in the last two years, so when I received notice that he would be at Daryl’s House and playing with Rory Gallagher’s original bassist Gerry McAvoy (71-91) and drummer Ted McKenna (77-81), I wasn’t going to strike out again. I wasn’t disappointed. Knowles, McAvoy and McKenna kicked off the show with the first song I heard by Rory, “Messin with the Kid,” an old Mel London song written about Jr. Wells, and, just like Gallagher himself, they kicked ass with this hard-rocking blues tune.

The band didn’t let up and continued on with that Irish rockin’ blues sound pioneered by Gallagher. Like other great power trios, these guys proved to be a formidable force. While Gerry and Ted are old mates, Knowles seemed to fit in as if they were playing for years. These guys were having a great time and it must been a thrill for McAvoy and to be playing with someone like Knowles, who captures the essence of Gallagher so well.

They played mostly songs by Gallagher, including “Moon Child” and “Million Miles,” but they also treated the audience to a new song from their new release, as well as one by Knowles, and no one plays the blues without a slow blues, and there was no exception here. Knowles showed his chops as a great blues guitarist and McAvoy and McKenna were as good as ever. They laid down the tracks for Knowles to ride on.

The audience was raucous for its age and was clearly having a great time. When McAvoy asked if there were any Irish folks, there was quite a response. McAvoy then led the audience in to a singalong, and for a few minutes one was transported into an Irish pub. They played for at least two hours and when they did their encore, they closed the place with the ending song from Gallagher ’s “Live in Europe” (1972) the same record they that opened with “Messin With The Kid.” Come on, you Rory Gallagher fans, you know it—”Bull Frog Blues.” What a way to end.

My introduction to Rory Gallagher was his first live album, around 1972. Tom Androvic, who always seemed to find out about the new up-coming bands before anyone else, turned me on to Gallagher and other bands back then. I never had the opportunity to see Rory Gallagher, but I now feel—I now know—what it would have been like. When this band opened and closed the two tunes from his Live in Europe record, it brought me back to those days when I first heard that record at full blast. Thanks, guys.

—glenn bohan