The Strathaven Hotel may seem an odd choice of venue for this Northern Irish rocker, but these gigs were personal. Ricky grew up on a nearby farm, and it was here that he and his schoolmates formed The Almighty. With the unwavering support of his father, they would rehearse in the farm's barn, only pausing when they couldn't hear themselves above the noise of the threshing machine.
Playing this room brought back many memories for Ricky. This was where he attended the school discos. He fondly remembers drinking in the hotel bar as a youth. He still has family living in the village. Indeed, his sister was in the crowd.
By the time we arrived, before the scheduled door opening, the room was already filling up. The Frets function suite had been split into two sides, with chairs arranged in rows and a central aisle, with a channel from the door for access. The seating wasn't staggered, so the further back you sat, the more restricted your view. I chose an aisle seat halfway back, thinking I could lean out to see better (as it turned out, not a good plan, as everyone in front did the same, or worse, jiggled their seat further across). In the end, I took no videos and hardly any photos.
Not to worry. The stage was bare, bar a couple of acoustic guitars and a mic stand, so there wasn't much to see anyway. This gig was more about listening.
Riddell, the support act, is a local boy whose day job is a music therapist at a hospice. A work connection brought him to Ricky's attention, earning him this slot. He played for half an hour, mostly his own material, with one cover: Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out". I'd place him somewhere between a competent Buchanan Street busker and Kelly Jones of Sterophonics. His songs may be sad, but his disposition is sunny.
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| Riddell |
As soon as Ricky took the stage, you couldn't help but be grabbed by his magnetism. He may not be a household name, but he's served his time, chipping out cracking songs over an extended career. Some of these, as well as some favourite covers, received an acoustic airing tonight, with him playing solo for two hours.
It wasn't just a night of music. Ricky is well-versed in the craic and tells a great tale. Like getting to know Lemmy after The Almighty opened for Motorhead, a tale which ended with Lemmy calling him a Lightweight, Ricky having passed out in his own blood and vomit after a night partying with the metal legend. Or his Mum always wanting him to get a proper job, complaining he couldn't be that successful because she'd never heard his songs on the radio. Then, when Black Star Riders made it onto the Radio 2 playlist and were played by Terry Wogan and Ken Bruce, with Ricky getting to choose the Tracks of his Years, she complained that he was now on the radio too much.
In '92, he flew his father, Des, down to Monsters of Rock at Donington, where The Almighty were opening for headliners Iron Maiden. Then lost him. Eighty thousand fans, and his father was nowhere to be found. After hours of searching, just as Ricky was considering putting out a message over the tannoy, he eventually found him coming out of Skid Row's dressing room, with their bassist in tow, absolutely blitzed. His father had been partying all day on their free booze, enjoying the bigger dressing room and better rider. This year, Ricky will be sixty, and for his birthday, he'll get to open for Iron Maiden again when they play Knebworth.
Ricky misses his father. During one recollection, he had to turn away from the microphone when emotion unexpectedly struck him. Taking a moment to compose himself, he continued the story. Heart on his sleeve stuff.
The room was warm, the atmosphere supportive. The music was great, but the night was made even better with his sublime storytelling. If we hadn't had an hour's drive ahead of us, I would have waited to meet him again to thank him for such a great night. I'd definitely do it again if he holds another such event.
Setlist:
Fighting Heart
The Killer Instinct (Black Star Riders)
The Boys Are Back in Town (Thin Lizzy cover)
Three Sides to Every Story
The Whiskey Song - Feckin Whiskey
All Hell Breaks Loose (BSR)
Testify or Say Goodbye (BSR)
When Patsy Cline was Crazy (and Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues)
Borderline (Thin Lizzy cover)
Schwaben Redoubt
Wasted Years (Iron Maiden cover)
Angels of Desolation
Belfast Confetti
Power (TA)
Little Lost Sometimes (TA)
The Crickets Stayed in Clovis (snippet of Everyday - Buddy Holly)
Wild and Wonderful (TA)
Bound For Glory (BSR)
Celebrating Sinking
Kingdom of the Lost (BSR)
Ace of Spades (Motorhead cover)
Finest Hour (BSR)
Free N Easy (TA)
Ticket Price: £25.00 x2 + Booking Fee £3.75 x2 = £57.50 from wegottickets.com
