by The son of guitar hero Gary Moore today releases an new EP with his band and joins the campaign to have his father celebrated with a statue in Belfast
AS he makes his own mark on the music scene today with the release of a new four-track EP, Jack Moore has joined the campaign to have a statue of his father erected in his native city of Belfast.
Jack’s father, former Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary, is considered one of the greatest guitar players of all time.
The rock and blues legend’s youngest sister Patricia and musician Sharon Quigley are heading up the crusade to have the Dundonald-born six-string legend celebrated in Belfast.
Fundraising for the project was hit hard this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but enough was raised in 2019 to appoint a sculpture and begin the first phase of the statue.
The 10th anniversary of Gary Moore’s passing occurs on February 6, 2021.
He enjoyed a career as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist playing alongside Phil Lynott in Thin Lizzy, a hugely successful solo career, and collaborations with B.B. King, Albert King, Jack Bruce, and George Harrison.
Jack, who is currently performing with a Gary Moore Tribute band in Europe, took time out to speak to me about his famous father and his new music with Smith, Lyle & Moore entitled EP1.
AMcG: Firstly Jack, you’ve got involved in the campaign to have a statue of your dad in Belfast …
JM: Yes, I’m very happy to be involved. I think it would be wonderful to see a statue of my dad in his hometown of Belfast.
I know my whole family would be very proud too and I do think the people of Belfast and indeed people all over Ireland and the world would welcome it.
I think my dad might enjoy seeing it too. He might be a little embarrassed by the attention, but I think if he was here and he saw a statue of himself in the place where he grew up, he would be very proud.
When we first heard about the idea of a statue of my dad, it was great news. It’s great for his family to know how much he was appreciated and admired. His music has reached so many people and his guitar playing put him up there with the greats.
Dad was very fond of Belfast and his roots. He always spoke positively about the place and always looked forward to returning there. I think he deserves it – he was an exceptional talent and he created rock and blues music that put Irish talent on the map.
Throughout my childhood, we have lived in various places and so my visits to Belfast were limited. It’s been quite a while since I was there. I would like nothing better to go back to see the unveiling of a statue in honor of my father – that would be a very proud moment for our family.
Jack Moore
AMcG: You are about to release a new EP with Smith, Lyle & Moore – can you tell us about the band and the music?
JM: Well, there Tyler Lyle, Andrew Smith, and myself. We have been playing for a while and we had some songs put together and it was time we got them out there.
Things haven’t been great in the world as we know, so we thought it best to get the songs online and have them heard. We haven’t gone down the line of getting a record label and all that. If that happens, it happens, but for now, we want to share the music.
AMcG: What I have heard of it so far is very good, particularly the song ‘Fate’ which, if you don’t mind me saying, sounds like something the great Tom Petty or The Traveling Wilburys would be proud of.
JM: We brought in Dhani Harrison to sing on Fate. I really feel like it gave it this kind of real Traveling Wilburys vibe. He really like galvanized the whole track and made it way more interesting.”
AMcG: Tom Petty was someone you got to know in your childhood. The influence is there to hear. Is that fair?
JM: Yeah. I got to meet a lot of stars though my dad. Sometimes I wish I was older to have appreciated the people and talent around me during my early years. I do recall spending time with Tom Petty on his ranch and, yes, his music was a big part of our lives.
AMcG: You were a late developer on guitar, right?
JM: I didn’t start playing until I was 16 and that was mainly because my friends were playing guitar too, not because my dad happened to be a great guitar player! Once I had made the decision to pick up the guitar, I needed to play catch-up and I needed to practice – so I basically locked myself in my room for around two years and practiced.
Having my dad around was a help, of course. He guided me more than he would have taught me theory. I learned techniques from him, and other tricks, and he was always giving me the right advice when I needed it, so, yeah, it helped to have a dad who knew how to play guitar the way he did.
AMcG: Did you fear comparisons with your father’s talent?
JM: Being compared to my dad was not something that ever bothered me. I never set out to be just like him because he was an expectational talent in his own right – he was one of a kind. I had never thought that because my dad was Gary Moore that I had to play guitar and I had work in the music industry. It just happened to work out that way.
Maybe there’s a natural talent that I discovered after picking up the guitar, but I practiced hard and often to get to where I’m at.
I do get asked about comparisons often but, honestly, it’s not something I ever feared. I am sure it can be hard on children of great talents in music, or sport, or whatever but it was not an issue for me at all.
AMcG: You are touring with a Gary Moore Tribute band at the moment – can that be emotional for you?
JM: Yeah, I really enjoy playing in a Gary Moore Tribute band and meeting people who enjoy his music and who were big fans of his throughout his career.
I don’t get carried away and don’t often get too emotional when I am playing my dad’s songs but there are occasions, usually fuelled by the reception in a venue when I would become emotional.
Certain moments in songs, like holding the note in Parisienne Walkways and how the crowd reacts to that, can stop you in your tracks. But it’s a good feeling; good to know that people still love that song and how it was played.
Jack Moore
AMcG: What is your favourite Gary Moore song?
JM: There are quite a few songs that I am very fond of like Black Rose and Waiting for An Alibi, Empty Rooms, Still Got The Blues, Parisienne Walkways, of course, and a song he wrote with BBM (Bruce, Baker & Moore) called Glory Days.
AMcG: What is your favourite Thin Lizzy song?
JM: There are so many good songs, that’s a tough one. I guess it would have to be Black Rose and Waiting for An Alibi. They are songs which, for me, so how good a guitarist my dad was.
Werewolf lyrics – Smith, Lyle & Moore
Some days I am Caesar
Some days I am Christ
Some days St. Theresa
Oh by golly, some days I play nice
And some days I am a mother fucking werewolf
I am a cannibal that eats himself alive
So if you see me tonight on the floor or the ceiling
It depends how I’m feeling, maybe you’ll take me home
And I’ll climb your mountains and build a castle around it
But bring your silver bullets just in case
Some days you are Elvis
Some days Joan of Arc
Some times Hallelujah
And some just break your heart
And some days you are a motherfucking werewolf
You are medusa with napalm in your eyes
So if I see you tonight on the floor or the ceiling
It depends how I’m feeling maybe you’ll take me home
Maybe we’ll slow dance or build a fort on my big bed
But I’m bringing my silver bullets just in case
While I was casting demons out of you
You were casting demons out of me
But now I think it’s best we let it be
Because I am a werewolf
