To mark the 25th anniversary of Rory Gallagher's death, the band of friends is also undergoing a change. Gerry McAvoy on bass and Brendan O'Neill on drums are backed up by two guitarists. Paul Rose and Jim Kirkpatrick will join the two original members in celebrating the entire work in their well-known passionate manner.
Gerry McAvoy played with Rory Gallagher from 1971-1991 and formed the band Of Friends in 2012. He is joined on drums by Brendan O'Neill. He also played with Rory Gallagher(1981-1991) and later joined the British R&B band Nine Below Zero.
But the two new band members are also passionate Rory Gallagher fans. Paul Rose was personally selected by Rory Gallagher as the winner of a competition organized by Fender from among 1,000 guitarists and has been named "Best UK guitarist" twice in a row!
Singer and guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick is considered one of England's finest slide, blues and rock guitarists. Since 2008 he has been the lead guitarist for legendary British classic rock band FM. Recently working with several members of R. Gallagher's band on a tribute to the legendary Irish guitarist, he has now found his way into the Band Of Friends.
In the meantime, the Band Of Friends are also releasing their own albums, which are a logical further development of Rory Gallagher's music.
Another album is planned for 2022, which we can be very excited about!
Jim Kirkpatrick: guitar, vocals
Paul Rose: guitar
Gerry McAvoy: bass, vocals
Brendan O'Neill: drums