Gary
Moore & Friends - One Night In Dublin
(A Tribute
To Phil Lynott)
Performance
Production
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Gary
Moore & Friends - One Night In Dublin
Performance
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"On August 19th, 2005, on what would have been the eve of his 56th birthday, a statue of Phil Lynott was unveiled in Dublin’s Grafton Street by his mother. There to witness the event were members of Thin Lizzy from throughout the band’s career. The following evening, they joined forces under the leadership of Gary Moore for a concert that paid tribute to Lynott’s memory". The above quote is from the back of the DVD case, and could not have summed up this amazing event any better. I was a bit suspect when I first heard about this DVD. Although Gary Moore is one of my favorite guitarists on the planet, due in part to his incredible blues renaissance over the last 15 years, he did, after all, only appear on a couple of Thin Lizzy albums and tours. Brian Downey and, especially, Scott Gorham were the undisputed guitar stars of this band, but they were only touted as "special guests" on a few songs each. Besides, who was going sing Lynott's songs and do them any justice? Moore? Singing has never exactly been his strong suit. However, Gary Moore certainly has the most star power going these days, especially in his hometown of Belfast, and he was the obvious choice to lead this tribute. He stepped up to the plate this night and hit a home run as both master of ceremonies, and master of guitar. Moore and his friends breath new life into these old Lizzy classics, introducing them to a new generation, and reminding longtime fans, like myself, just how great some of these songs really are. Don't just expect to hear a bunch of Live and Dangerous retreads coming out of your speakers, because Moore convincingly updates these classics for the 21st century with his ringing, crunchy guitar tone, and lightning fast leads. The concert begins with Moore taking the stage first, and firing off a few warm up licks from his Les Paul as he walks out. He is immediately joined by current Jethro Tull bassist Jonathan Noyce, as well as Brian Downey on the drums, who is the only other member of Thin Lizzy, other than Lynott, to hang with the band from beginning to end. The three of them kick things off with the old blues standard "Walking By Myself", which Moore covered on his 1990 album Still Got The Blues. For the rest of the night, it would be all Lizzy stuff, up until the thrilling encore of "Parisienne Walkways", a song from Moore's 1979 Back On The Streets album, which was co-written with Lynott. They remain in power trio mode for two more songs beginning with the fan favorite "Jailbreak", which was somewhat lacking without Lynott's gritty vocals, and a second guitarist, but, hell, Moore sounds like he is playing two guitars most of the time anyways. This was followed by one of Lynott's very best songs, "Don't Believe A Word", which Moore introduced with a casual "there are two versions of this song - the slow version and the fast version", before leading off with the ballad version he did for his Back On The Streets album. After a few minutes in ballad mode, Moore stomps on his distortion pedal, and after a slight pause, for effect, cranks it into overdrive, launching the famous Johnny The Fox version, and sending the crowd into a frenzy. Moore's vocals were more suited for this song and his killer performance made this one an early highlight. From there, things really heat up. Moore introduces Brian Roberston, who walks out strapped with a Les Paul, and looking every bit the rock star, with the black leather pants, sleeveless black tee, giant silver cross necklace, and long straight black hair hanging in his face. When he and Moore cranked up those twin Gibsons for a powerhouse version of "Emerald", it became immediately obvious why his string of Lizzy albums were their finest. Halfway through the song, Moore and Roberston face each other for a little one-upsmanship, as they take turns firing off one incredible lick after another, the whole time grinning in admiration at each other. Robertson hangs out for one more number, "Still In Love With You", a song from the first Thin Lizzy album he appeared on, 1974's Night Life. According to some sources, this song was actually written mostly by Moore, during his earliest stint in the band, even though Lynott is the only one credited. Either way, it is easily one of the best slow blues ballads the band ever recorded, and they really nailed it this night. Just when you think it can't get much better, out struts Mr. California cool himself, Scott Gorham, to kick off "Black Rose", a song he and Moore partnered on for the 1979 album of the same name. Gorham is strapped with a Fender Stratocaster, and he and Moore engage in some of the same guitar dueling that came before. Both guitarist were having the time of their lives, and appeared genuinely moved to be performing these great songs together again. The local crowd appreciated it too, as they were on their feet eating up every note during the entire show. Gorham stayed out for a couple more songs, the two Jailbreak classics "Cowboy Song" and Lizzy's most famous song, "The Boys Are Back In Town". The thing that surprised me the most is that Gorham and Robertson never performed together. You'd think somebody, in their right mind, would have decided to let the two guys who made Thin Lizzy's twin lead guitar attack famous throw down together again on at least one of the songs that they made famous. I think "The Boys" would have been ideal. When Moore returns to the stage for the encore, he calls out original Lizzy guitarist Eric Bell to join him. The obvious song choice for this occasion was Thin Lizzy's rock and roll adaptation of the traditional Irish pub ballad "Whiskey in the Jar", which became the band's first hit single. Bell, looking older, and much less the rock star than Gorham and Robertson, provided a nice change of pace to the evening with his wonderfully soulful lead vocal and guitar performance on this great song. Moore closes the show with his compelling instrumental ballad "Parisienne Walkways", which he fittingly introduces with a few lines of "Old Town", from Lynott's second solo album. "Walkways" has been Moore's go to closer for a while now, and his live performances never fail to blow me away. The song is essentially just one long guitar solo, and this night it would go on for nearly 12-minutes, and include plenty of guitar-god posturing, such as his trademark never ending sustained note. Moore affectionately ends the song with the notes to "Happy Birthday", reminding you again that this show was a celebration of Phil Lynott. The production values of this DVD were all top notch. The picture is presented in anamorphic widescreen and looks incredibly clear and sharp. Both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround options are provided as well as Dolby Digital stereo. If it's got it, I will usually stick with the DTS track, and it did not disappoint this time around. Most importantly, the guitars sounded monstrous, but the bass and drums were also both well defined. I had no complaints with the camera work - it was damn near perfect. The one special feature is a 30-minute film that begins with the emotional statue unveiling, moves on to some behind-the-scenes and rehearsal footage, and ends with interviews with each the show's participants, where you are treated to some fascinating old stories about Lynott and the band. Scott Gorham tells a couple of the funniest stories. After reading a review in one of the leading music magazines, where they were praising Thin Lizzy's twin-lead guitar style as this great new sound, Gorham, who had never really though about it, tells how he was so surprised that he immediately called up Brian Downy and said "Hey Brian, we've got a fucking sound!" He also tells a classic about how when he was in the throws of his heroin addiction he went to see Lynott, determined to quit the band, but eventually left the place stunned, with Lynott having talked him into taking on a new guitar partner (John Sykes), recording a new album, and embarking on a huge world tour. This outstanding DVD is certainly one of the years most pleasant surprises. You couldn't ask for a better showcase for the music of Thin Lizzy, and tribute to the man who made it happen. Reviewed by Paul M. Roy - May 2006 |
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Running Time: 73 Minutes |
DVD Release Date - April 2006 |