Announced today world renowned Gerry McAvoy’s Band of Friends will play Cork Opera House September 16, 2023. They will be joined by special guests The Pat McManus Band. Tickets available now from Box Office and Ticketmaster.
Gerry McAvoy played, recorded and toured with Rory Gallagher for 20 years, from 1971 to 1991, also playing on every solo album that the legendary guitarist released over the course of critically and commercially successful career. The pair recorded ten albums together during a prolific decade during the seventies, including two live albums, Live in Europe and Irish Tour ’74.
The Belfast-born McAvoy had previously been in the band Deep Joy. Another member of Deep Joy, Brendan O’Neill, went on to play as part of Gallagher’s live band and is also part of Gerry McEvoy’s current Band of Friends, along with Paul Rose and Jim Kirkpatrick.
McAvoy was the mainstay of Gallagher’s live band for two decades as it went through several changes, but working most effectively and more often with McAvoy on bass, Gallagher and a variety of drummers. He then played with Nine Below Zero for more than a decade before forming Band of Friends in 2012. 2005 saw the publication of his biography, Riding Shotgun: 35 Years on the Road with Rory Gallagher and Nine Below Zero.
Support on the night comes from The Pat McManus Band – headed up by former Mama’s Boys and Celtus guitarist, violinist and singer songwriter Pat McManus. The ‘PMB’ line up is completed by former ‘More Power To Your Elbow’ powerful drummer Paul Faloon and rhythmic and solid pop rock bass player and studio engineer Plunkett McComb. Irish guitar legend Pat McManus grew up in a family steeped in Irish Traditional music. He formed the ‘Mama’s Boys’ with his two brother John and Tommy who went on to perform at Reading Festival as an unsigned band and worked with Thin Lizzy, Bon Jovi, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Rush, Sting, Gary Moore, and Scorpions.
Cork Opera House
Saturday September 16th 2023 8pm
Tickets €26 + b/fee from Box Office and Ticketmaster.ie
“Really has the atmosphere of a Rory concert” – Lust for life
“This is not a tribute band but a group of its own. The group works wonders” – Rock & Folk
“Sparks fly from the first note.The Band of friends is pure cracker” – Blues Focus
