Well – and forgive me if I repeat anything I’ve said before about this – the last time I saw Horslips was in the late 70s on their “American” Tour. They broke up two years later, and stayed broken up for the following 24 years.
I’d kept an eye on the unofficial .com website (I didn’t know it was unofficial at that time), but not frequently enough to discover they’d reformed for a one-off gig at an exhibition in Belfast – I only discovered this a year after the event (I’d have gone if I’d have known about it). Things went quiet again, and then – for the same reasons as before – I missed their 2009 and 2010 performances.
I would have missed this one as well if it wasn’t for the fact I skipped over to the official .ie site a few weeks before Christmas and saw the announcements. I know it doesn’t make me sound like a big fan not knowing all this, but for most of that 24 years of being broken up the last thing I expected was a reunion, and the only site I was aware of – the .com one – didn’t change one bit to reflect any of the subsequent developments.
But I have everything Horslips ever did – all the imports, and a few other bits & bobs. They were the first band I ever saw live (Birmingham Hippodrome, 1978), and I never thought I’d see them again. So this was something I was really looking forward to.
It’s impossible to describe the feeling when they came on stage – after 33 years (for me)!
I’d arrived in Glasgow at around 6:30, and the doors opened at 7:00, so I got right up to the stage (ironically, when I saw them in Birmingham all those years ago, I’d somehow got front row tickets for that, too). As usual, a lot of people didn’t turn up to see the support act – a female duo called Lumiere, who were rather good – so getting a good place was easy.
By the time Horslips were due on the place was packed.
The set was brilliant: they played a fair few songs from The Táin and The Book Of Invasions, but picked classics from most of the rest. It all still seemed so fresh, and Charles O’Connor’s fiddle along with Jim Lockhart’s flute were just perfect. The sound was great, and the guys seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The Glasgow Concert Halls site says:
While popular demand has prompted a few more appearances, the band have said they’re by way of a brief last hurrah, not a protracted comeback, so relive the moment while you can.
Horslips seemed truly taken aback by the strength of support last night. In fact, like all the best bands, they vastly underestimate their own popularity. I’m certain they could fill bigger venues than this if they tried.
In fact – and I was thinking this on the long drive to and from Glasgow last night (it was over 600 miles/11 hours on the road as a round trip) – you can’t help wonder at what might have been if whatever it was that caused the split back in 1980 hadn’t taken place and Horslips had gone on to crack America.
Still, I got some nice keep-sake photos and short videos which I’ll treasure forever (I just wish the lighting had been a bit better in the corner where Jim Lockhart was sitting!) Easily the best gig for a long, long time – and one which can never be beaten for a whole range of personal reasons.