Says it all.....
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Then other reviews above say it all. Gerry was so close to Rory for such a long time his book reveals more than most. A great read and well worth the time and cost.
It also prompted me to look up Nine Below Zero, well worth that too.
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For a while I thought Rory was alive!
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Gerry McAvoy's book is superb. Honest, confessional and funny. He is a legend himself and has a right to be clear about what he feels of the music business and its ego's. Rory played a huge part in his life and that of others, its a pity that Gerry could not have told him how he truly felt about things, but as the story says - if he did he may have been 'walking on hot coals'.
Rory is the God of guitar and my hero.
This book has inspired me to check out NBZ again.
I read this book in damn near one sitting it is such a page turner so well done to Gerry and Pete Chrisp. Buy it and follow the instructions on the last page. BRILLIANT.
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An enjoyable read, but NBZ fans should buy with caution
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This is an enjoyable read and gives an insight into growing up in Northern Ireland during the troubles as well as life on the road as a musician.
The only disappointment for me was that Gerry's years with Nine Below Zero are only touched on briefly at the end - which is probably understandable as he was with Rory for much longer. I know little of Rory's music, but am pleased to say that this book has whetted my appetite to put that right.
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A very entertaining and revealing account
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A decent book or even an article about Rory Gallagher is woefully hard to come by, so I was very intrigued about this book by Gerry McAvoy, Rory's stalwart bassist for 20 years. Its not actually about Rory alone as its an autobiography but the insights one can glean about the enigmatic guitarist are both enlightening and sometimes surprising.
This is not to take away from the fact that the author has led a most amazing life himself and is well worth reading for that alone. He manages to evoke a hectic and excessive lifestyle with great humour and is very candid about all manner of escapades. I found myself laughing out loud on a number of occasions. Gerry doesn't hold back on his opinions, and some reviewers have mistaken it for griping. Realistically, in trying to present the reader with how he was feeling at a particular time, he manages to convey a greater level of truth than in other biographies where such things might be airbrushed over for the sake of diplomacy.
In all, it is one of the most eminently readable rock books I have ever come across (and I've read quite a few!), and like many of the better ones, you come away feeling better informed but still wanting more.
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Essential Reading for Blues & Rock Fans
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Gerry McAvoy manages to tell in these pages, a story which is sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but throuout facinates and has a feel of honesty. The book charts his own beginnngs in Belfast, his abortive attempts to break into the music biz with Deep Joy, through his years with Rory Gallagher and his present band, Nine Below Zero.
It would have been very easy for him to paint Rory Gallagher as a saint, a flawless character. Mr McAvoy has steered clear of this obvious pitfall and has painted a picture of his friend and employer which is complex and three dimentional, and in doing so he tells the story of many of the other colourful personalities that part of the music scene of the time. This isn't Rory Gallagher's Story, it's Gerry's story. Gallagher is a large part of that story for sure, but there is so much more here which is revealing, especially regarding the music scene in Ireland in the 60's and 70's. It's a cracking page turner and I reccomend this book to any music fan.
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