Gary Moore fans launch crowdfunding appeal for statue campaign on guitar legend’s 13th anniversary

The Wild Frontier Memorial Project is raising money for a Gary Moore statue to be erected in Belfast in honour of the great Irish guitarist.

Srón Quigley who, with along with Gary's sister Patricia Moore, co-founded of The Wild Frontier Memorial Project in 2018, said: “We want to celebrate his memorable music, his remarkable talent, and with his legacy, inspire new generations of musicians.

Continuing, “Belfast is a city rich with music history and talent and we believe visitors to the city will warmly welcome a statue of Gary Moore as much as the people of Belfast. We know Gary has a worldwide fanbase and our new online crowdfunding appeal will allow them to show their support and love for Gary Moore.”

The campaign plans to fund the proposed statue via tribute gigs in Dublin and Belfast and has received declarations of support from a number of Belfast politicians and famous musicians including former Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham and ex-Whitesnake and Dio axeman Doug Aldridge.

The two proposed gigs, one Belfast date and one Dublin date, are to be put on by the Gary Moore tribute band with the Belfast date promising an appearance from Gary's sister Patricia.

The Dublin show will take place at the Purty Kitchen Dublin on March 15 while the Belfast show will take place on Saturday April 20 at Oh Yeah Music Centre.

Gary Moore, who also played guitar with rock n'roll royalty Thin Lizzy was born and raised in Belfast in 1952 and carved an illustrious career with notable stints in bands such as Skid Row and G-Force, as well as flourishing as a rock and blues solo artist. His ground-breaking 1990 album, Still Got The Blues, remains popular today, having sold over three million copies to date.

Renowned for seamlessly transitioning between heavy rock and blues genres, Moore took his denim- and-leather-clad fans on a remarkable musical journey that led to collaborations with icons like BB King, Albert King, Peter Green, Glenn Hughes, Jack Bruce, and Eric Clapton.

The Wild Frontier Memorial Project, endorsed by Moore’s son Jack, and sister Patricia, has also gained support from the Green Party and The Alliance Party in Belfast. Among the many who wish to see the statue erected is Thin Lizzy's keyboard player Darren Wharton, who shared a message on Youtube supporting the project:

The project has raised over € 7,000 towards the construction of the statue of Moore, which is estimated to cost € 80,000. It will not be the first statue dedicated to the rockstar who passed away 13 years ago in 2011.

The village of Skånevik in Norway erected a statue of Gary Moore in recognition of his contribution to Blues music and the village’s annual Blues Festival

Tickets for the Dublin Gary Moore Tribute Band gig on March 15  are available here and are priced at €27. Tickets for the Belfast gig on April 20 are priced at £17 and are available here.

Fans can donate directly to the crowdfunding appeal on idonate here.