Review by Damien Doherty for MPM
It’s night three of four for this run of shows at the Sanctuary Theatre in East Belfast, but thankfully it’s not as wild as last night – weather wise that is – Storm Darragh rocked through the province overnight and many of those present this evening have battled delays, cancellations, and the occasional roadblock to attend this special, intimate performance.
The theatre, an old shipyard worker’s church, does indeed provide safe harbour tonight And there has been good news since we were last here; Funding of almost one million pounds has been secured so that the Bright Umbrella Drama Company can upgrade and refurbish the venue to serve Belfast for many years to come.
Entitled “A Cowboy’s Life”, this series of shows are dedicated to the songs of Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy, punctuated with stories and anecdotes from Ricky’s life in music.
Curating the performance is his friend and co-conspirator Sam Robinson who welcomes him to the stage to rousing applause.
The fresh Comber air must be doing wonders as he’s looking hale and hearty and ready for business. This year he is once again accompanied by Paul Consiglia on percussion and Sam’s son Jordi on guitar. Incidentally Ricky supplied Jordi with his first guitar at age 13 so it’s fantastic to see them being able to share this musical journey.
Casting his mind back to 2010, Ricky recounts being contacted by Scott Gorham and asked to join Thin Lizzy, a dream and a daunting mission for any frontman, with the biggest shoes in Irish rock to fill.
Terrified and excited in equal measure, wise words from a friend pointed out that no matter what happened that first night, tomorrow would never be the same again.
And aptly the band break into Are You Ready. Jailbreak follows after some more anecdotes from the initial meetings and rehearsals, Scott Gorham’s counsel that the frontman position was “his to fuck up”, and developing “Phil-isms” along the way.
The lads reminisce about discovering Lizzy for the first time, Ricky being influenced by his sisters record collection, and Sam recounting his parents going on a chain-smoking spree to collect Embassy coupons to buy him a record player, sans records!
Next up is Borderline from Johnny the Fox, Sam’s first Lizzy album, followed by Do Anything You Want To, of which Ricky had the first verse tattooed on his leg immediately prior to a gig in Cologne – a gig subsequently endured in pain, talk about suffering for your art.
Southbound is dedicated to Mick Thornton, lighting director for New Model Army, The Almighty, Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders who passed away in 2021. And Dancing in the Moonlight of course has hands in the air clapping from all present. The first act concludes with Got To Give It Up, as the guys contemplate the now obvious cry for help in the lyrics from Phil.
A 20 minute break in the convivial settings of the lounge area of the theatre allows for restocking of refreshments and some quick chats with the other attendees, before everyone files back in to the pews for act 2.
Ricky shares his memories of moving to Strathaven in Scotland as a teenager, questioning his fathers reasoning for moving to somewhere more windy, more rainy and more sectarian than Northern Ireland, and he recalls with “fondness” the talent that Scottish folks have for keeping people grounded as exemplified when trying to skip a queue at a nightclub and being sent to the back because even rockstars have to wait in line.
A trio of my favourites up next, Jordi and Ricky harmonising on guitars for Wild One, the always rocking Don’t Believe a Word, and then the song for which the night was named – Cowboy Song, complete with mandatory coyote calls.
It’s impossible to have a Thin Lizzy show without the next 2 tunes. The Boys Are Back in Town finds all present in full voice, the unexpected massive hit from the Jailbreak album is a worldwide anthem.
And the penultimate song Whiskey In The Jar finds Jordi channelling his inner Eric Bell, yet another East Belfast Lizzy legend.
And of course Gary Moore gets a mention during the show, this part of town really stepped up when it comes to this legendary ensemble.
Final song of the night is Ricky’s new Xmas standard All I Want For Christmas is Christmas, and we are under a stern warning to participate in the chorus – and we do!
What a show, what a night. It’s time to congregate once again in the lounge for our final nightcaps while sharing a word with Ricky, Paul, Jordi, and Sam. Old pals are reconnected, new friends are made, and importantly the limited edition t-shirts are bought, limited in the fact that the lads decided it would be fun to make them themselves, and got very quickly scundered with the entire process, lol.
Storm Darragh having fully abated we fall out into the night, already contemplating next year’s shows. What an amazing night in this fabulous relaxed venue, I can’t wait to see what lies next in its evolution.
Photos by Rocky Hamilton
