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Irish Examiner

'Without Rory Gallagher, I wouldn't be here': Marquee promoter pays tribute to Cork guitarist

Live at the Marquee promoter Peter Aiken admits he was extremely nervous the night before the tickets went on sale for the Joe Bonamassa tribute to Rory Gallagher. A gig he had been trying to put together for years, the Belfast-born impresario had signed up the American guitarist for two concerts, and had also got the approval of the Gallagher family. 'I was tossing and turning the night before as the tickets were going on sale at 9am. But by 9.30am we had sold 8,000 tickets and I knew we were going to be alright,' said a relieved Aiken at the Marina-side venue on Wednesday as he launched the 2025 series of concerts. Bonamassa, currently in Cork rehearsing with his band, will play a set of Gallagher's tunes at the Marquee over three nights on July 1-3, with some tickets only remaining for the third concert. Joe Bonamassa is playing three nights at the Marquee in tribute to the late Rory Gallagher. Picture: Mark Stedman The promoter also revealed how the tribute to the beloved Cork guitarist who died in 1995 - 30 years ago this month - is more than just another gig for him. 'Without Rory Gallagher, I wouldn't be here today,' he explained, as he recalled how Gallagher had worked with his father Peter Aiken to put on gigs in strife-torn Belfast in the 1970s. Once the Cork man played in the city, it became easier to persuade other acts to come to the North during the Troubles, and Aiken Promotions were able to build their business. He also revealed the geographical spread of some of the ticket sales for the Gallagher tribute, and while punters from Cork and Dublin will make up the bulk of the audiences, there are hundreds of fans travelling from the UK for the gigs, with dozens more from such countries as the USA, Netherlands, and even Kazakhstan. This year's 28 shows at the venue mark 20 years since the series began in 2005 when the recently-deceased Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys took to the stage in Cork. Organisers have faced some online criticism this year for the lack of female artists on the bill, but Aiken defended the roster. 'We were close with a number of female acts but it just didn't happen in the end this year with the headliners. We do have quite a few female support acts,' he said, also pointing to the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Lady Gaga and Lana Del Rey who have previously played at the Marquee. UK comedian Michael McIntyre is performing three nights at the Marquee. The huge tented venue has been erected in the same former Tedcastles yard as last year, with work already underway on a huge housing scheme across the road at the site where the Marquee stood for the opening years of the annual series. One of the new additions this year has been the laying of a tarmacadam floor in the standing area of the venue. Kicking off on Wednesday night with the first of two performances by Irish band Picture This, other big draws in the weeks ahead include Roy Keane, Cian Ducrot, D-Block Europe, and Michael McIntyre.