This Day in Rory History, 15 December

[Jay Jay]

On this date in Rory history: December 15
Were you there? Have any stories? Any new information?
12/15/1971 Offenbach D
12/15/1973 Rotterdam NL De Doelen
12/15/1974 Coventry GB Theatre
12/15/1975 Birmingham GB Town Hall
Rory plays solo - the band is prevented because of fog
12/15/1976 Manchester GB Free Trade Hall
12/15/1978 Manchester GB Apollo
12/15/1979 San Francisco USA The Old Waldorf
12/15/1982 Worcester USA The Centrum Tour with Rush
12/15/1987 Kiel D Ostseehalle
12/15/1992 Amsterdam NL Paradiso Club
Supp.-act: Barry McCabe
12/15/1994 Rouen F Exo 7
john g http://www.roryon.com
http://www.petitiononline.com/RoryCork/petition.html

[fenderbass]

Friday 15th December 1978, Manchester Apollo.
My best friend who had gone with me to all the previous Rory concerts had moved to Manchester in 1978 to work.
So I decided to visit him this weekend and take in the Rory show.
He said he would organise everything, but when I arrived he said he did not get tickets, but was sure we could pay at the door.
This proved to be a problem. The concert was a sell out. We were advised by the doorman to wait outside and hope that someone was selling spare tickets.
No luck with this. The support band had started and we were still outside hoping to get tickets.
We were getting desperate, so it was back inside and pleaded with the doorman. We told him we knew Donal personally (which we did) but this did work. We then gave him the story of me travelling 160 miles from Scotland especially for this concert. This seemed to work as after the support band had finished he came and told us there were two seats available. He took us right to the very back row of the uppermost circle in the Apollo. We had made it. Ten minutes later Rory took to the stage and the place went wild.
I can't remember much about the concert. I think this was the first time I had seen Ted play with Rory.
We did not wait after show to meet Rory, not sure why, maybe had to get last bus into city centre.
No ticket or pictures from this show, but scanned in front of program and inside page tour ad. (check the Irish concerts, 4 nights Dublin , 2 Cork and 4 Belfast. Also 3 nights in London).

[dave h]

manchester appollo
if i remember correctly the sound equipment failed part way thru calling card and rory instantly went into his accoustic set.This was the first time My wife came with me , 'must be some kind of jinx' she never went again

[Jay Jay]

On this date in Rory history: December 15
Were you there? Have any stories? Any new information?
12/15/1971 Offenbach D
12/15/1973 Rotterdam NL De Doelen
12/15/1974 Coventry GB Theatre
12/15/1975 Birmingham GB Town Hall Rory plays solo - the band not there because of fog.
12/15/1976 Manchester GB Free Trade Hall
12/15/1978 Manchester GB Apollo
12/15/1979 San Francisco USA The Old Waldorf
12/15/1982 Worcester USA The Centrum Tour with Rush
12/15/1987 Kiel D Ostseehalle
12/15/1992 Amsterdam NL Paradiso Club Supp.-act: Barry McCabe
12/15/1994 Rouen F Exo 7
john g http://www.roryon.com
http://www.rorygallagherairport.com/
http://www.petitiononline.com/RoryCork/petition.html

[Jay Jay]

12/15/1975 Birmingham GB Town Hall Rory plays solo - the band not there because of fog.

I attended this amazing Rory performance. I remember this one as if it was yesterday
Rory played for over an hour acoustically hoping that his band would turn up at anytime. We did not care as Rory had the audience in the palm of his hand
It was apparent after a time that the band would not turn up. Rory pulled a guy out of the audience, who was a pianist. He got out thee strat and plugged it in, to a tremendous roar from the fans. There is a story going around that Donal played the drums. Believe me he did not. Rory instead turn to the mic and said now guys & girls. You gotta be the drums for us right.
Well I gotta say. This was the best gig I ever attended for audience participation, bar none We nearly bought the old town hall roof down. Rory playing on for another hour with some rockin' / boogie tunes.. With all the audience loving every minute dancing / stomping and ROCKIN' for RORY

WELL DID YOU EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

We the RORY FANS absolutely did that foggy night in Birmingham

The best bit was. The great and generous man RORY was. He did that gig all for FREE.. (Rory's' Christmas present to his FANS maybe? )
He told us to retain our ticket stubs.. For a gig later in the year, for another gig with the full band

[JimLED]

Thanks Jay Jay, amazing story! Did you bring there your photo camera?
Had you any shots of Rory at the gigs that you have been?

[Jay Jay]

Thanks Jay Jay, amazing story! Did you bring there your photo camera?

Unfortunately I did not. In those days Jim, it was not as easy to take photo's as today with iphone camera's etc etc.
One time I did smuggle in a portable tape recorder, with mic attached. But did not do it again 'cause like I said at this gig ..
All the loud audience participation would come through on the playback. Spoiling Rory's great sound.

[roryfan]

Great story JJ!

[Jay Jay]

On this date in Rory history: December 15
Were you there? Have any stories? Any new information?
12/15/1971 Offenbach D
12/15/1973 Rotterdam NL De Doelen
12/15/1974 Coventry GB Theatre
12/15/1975 Birmingham GB Town Hall Rory w/o the band because of fog...
Chris Morrison filled in on keyboards and Donal on drums for part of show
12/15/1976 Manchester GB Free Trade Hall
12/15/1978 Manchester GB Apollo
12/15/1979 San Francisco USA The Old Waldorf
12/15/1982 Worcester USA The Centrum Tour with Rush
12/15/1987 Kiel D Ostseehalle
12/15/1992 Amsterdam NL Paradiso Club Supp.-act: Barry McCabe
12/15/1994 Rouen F Exo 7
http://www.roryon.com
http://www.rorygallagherairport.com/

[Jay Jay]

12/15/1975 Birmingham GB Town Hall Rory w/o the band because of fog...
Chris Morrison filled in on keyboards and Donal on drums for part of show

John G.. I don't know where you got the information from about Donal playing drums at this gig?

As I was there at this extraordinary Rory solo performance. Although the piano / keyboard man Chris Morrison was pulled out of the audience to accompany Rory. As I've said before many times. Rory took up his stratocaster after over an hours performance acoustically.. Donal didn't get up and play. Rory asked us the fans / audience all to be the drums. On which we all proceeded ecstatically to clap our hands and stomp our feet on the wooden floor, to the likes of Bullfrog Blues and more. Which made this gig great and all the more enjoyable

Plus as I've said before this was all for free. We were asked to keep our tickets stubs for another performance..
Of the whole Rory Gallagher Band in later months time