Christy Moore - 1969-2009 Selection

Ireland's greatest living musician
Christy Moore

Some of you might think: Who's that, what's he doing on Mangue Music? Well I decide who fits in the Mangue Music Box, and for me Christy Moore surely is in.

Early 1990s [again] a friend of me, who had seen Christy perform at a festival in Ireland, told me that it was one of the best concerts she had ever been. To be honest I think I had never heard of the man before, but when I heard he came on tour in the neighbourhood, I asked my friend if she was interested to go. Well of course she had tickets already and thought the concert was sold out, but lucky for me I could get my hands on one of the last tickets.
The concert was a blast, one man solo on a for him alone way too big theatre podium, but capturing the attention of each and everybody present. Of course there were also quite some Irish women and men in the audience, singing along with most songs, but most importantly reacting to specific details which truly made the concert even better!

I have got several of his albums, incl.live recordings, but none of those I don't want to post because widely available. Unfortunately I haven't got live radio recordings, nor special K7s or LPs, so decided to present to you a selection of tracks I once catched from the ConcertZender [still including some lives and included one bonustrack!]. So here for you all Christy after Christmas!

Biography

Christy Moore was born 1945 May 07 in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. He was originally a bank employee who wanted to express himself using traditional music. During a bank strike in 1966, which lasted twelve weeks, he went to England, as many striking officials did, but didn't return when the strike was settled. Doing general labouring work, he frequented the folk clubs and the Irish music pubs where he met Seamus Ennis, Margaret Barry, Luke Kelly, Martin Byrnes and many other traditional musicians.
In 1969 he recorded his first album, Paddy on the Road, with Dominic Behan. 1972 brought his first major release, Prosperous, in 1972 brought together the four musicians who shortly thereafter formed a band: Liam O'Flynn, Andy Irvine and Dónal Lunny. For a time they called themselves "CLAD", an acronym of their names, but soon decided on Planxty. After leaving Planxty in 1975, Moore continued on his solo career, reforming his old band on occasion. In 1980 together with Lunny and five other musicians he formed the band Moving Hearts. In 1987 he appeared on Gay Byrne's The Late Late Show performing with The Dubliners for their 25th Anniversary.
Moore's earlier years of heavy drinking, sleeping dysfunctional hours, continual travelling and often eating takeaway foods resulted in a decline in health and several operations. Moore's battle with alcohol, and subsequent heart operations, have taken their toll. At the end of the 1990s, Moore reduced his workload for medical reasons.
Some of Moore's songs are heavily influenced by drink and the effects of drink, his song "Delirium Tremens" being a good example. Listening to Johnny Mulhern's song "Hard Cases" caused Moore to recall the Galway drinking scene with local musicians Mickey Finn, Pete Galligan, Corky and Terry Smith.
In 2007 Christy Moore was named Ireland's greatest living musician in RTÉ's People of the Year Awards.

quote from christymoore.com:
"I played to 50,000 over 12 nights. Me and my guitar. Weird. I'd be totally fucked after it. The cigar smoke was getting to me a bit. Some of the backroom boys were startin' to lose the plot and believe their own publicity. I was believin' in False Gods and that is bothersome and dangerous.
A fellow told me once that I was the greatest Irish writer since Sean O'Casey. I didn't believe him. Then I discovered he'd never read either me or O'Casey!"

CHRISTY MOORE - Selection 1969-2009

 The selection:

• 1969: Christy Moore - Paddy on the Road (written by Dominic Behan) - The Box set 1964-2004
• 1973: Planxty - The Raggle Taggle Gypsy [live] (traditional) - The Box set 1964-2004
• 1975: Christy Moore - The Moving-On-Song - Go! Move! Shift! (written by Ewan McColl) - What Ever Tickles Your Fancy 
• 1978: Christy Moore - 90 Miles to Dublin (written by Moore) - VA - H-Block
• 1978: Christy Moore - The Sun Is Burning (written by Ian Campbell) - VA - High kings of Tara 
• 1981: Moving Hearts - No Time for Love (written by Jack Warshaw) - Moving Hearts 
• 1994: Christy Moore - Go, Move, Shift [live] (written by Ewan MacColl) - Live at the Point
• 2002: Christy Moore - McIlhatton [live] (written by Bobby Sands) - Live at Vicar Street
• 2006: Christy Moore - Beeswing (written by Richard Thompson) - Burning Times
• 2009: Christy Moore & Declan Sinnott - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pink Floyd cover)
• bonus 1994: Christy Moore & Shane MacGowan - Spancil Hill [live RTE The Late Late Show] (traditional) 
  mainly based upon Christy Moore special bc.2011.Nov.10, ConcertZender NL, Folk It! 

While you're downloading watch Christy play a song about the Irish Football team at the 1988 European Championship

MultiMedia [some more]

• 1994: Live with Shane MacGowan - Spancil Hill - RTE The Late Late Show [bonus in selection]
• 2006: Live... Come All You Dreamers - live at Barrowland, Glasgow - youtube [nevermind the wrong title!] -  note especially the audience! 
• 2007.Jun.17: Desert Island Discs Revisited - BBC Radio4 
• 2020: series of Lockdown Sessions - episode 1 at youtube 

and I'm sure Christy agrees:

NEVER EVER FORGET:

"il faut me pardonner - you must forgive me"

Pap Djah's last words before left on his own in the Sahara desert (in Niger)