Every kid on my street, in my school, and in my city knew of Thin Lizzy. Every kid supported Lizzy. We took pride in Lizzy and what was there not to be proud of? Thin Lizzy could rock as well as any band around and history has shown that they held their own opening for the likes of Queen, BTO, Journey and others. They lived the life we aspiring young musicians dreamt of and were inspirations for us all to chase our dreams.
Phillip Lynott penned songs that became the soundtracks for our youth. And damn, were they ever cool?
The fuckin' coolest.
Like every other Irish rocker and Lizzy fan, I wish that Phillip was still alive. I would give anything to be able to stand in the audience and watch his greatness and listen to his voice. But unfortunately, Phillip Lynott, the greatest Irish rock n' roller of all time, is no longer with us.
But his music is.
When I was asked by Scott and the band to come down for a jam, I had my reservations. "Do you know what you're asking me to do and what these songs mean?" Was it an honour to even be considered? Absolutely. Was the concept surreal and the reality even scarier? Hell yes. And while mulling it over and over, last week I somehow found the courage to walk into a Thin Lizzy rehearsal. I am going to share a little secret with everyone.
When I was really intimidated and having my moments of self doubt, I drew strength from a Lizzy song.
"You can do anything you want to do. It's not wrong what I sing it's true. You can do anything you want to do."
So starting in January 2011, 25 years after the death of Phillip Lynott, I will be respectfully paying tribute to his legacy and singing his songs.
Scott Gorham, Brian Downey, Darren Wharton, Marco Mendoza, Vivian Campbell and myself will be doing our best to entertain the fans while
staying true to the spirit of Thin Lizzy. ....Ricky Warwick
