Mumford & Sons' Winston Marshall on Rory Gallagher: "It was magic"

Music
08 Jul 20

Winston Marshall (pictured, far left) shares his reflections on Rory Gallagher's legacy, as part of our special 25th anniversary tribute to the legendary Irish guitarist. Photo: Alistair Taylor-Young.

Winston Marshall is the banjo player and lead guitarist of Grammy Award-winning folk-rock band Mumford & Sons.

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To tread that numinous line between order and chaos is the quest, no, the duty of the artist. When he treads that line he reconnects with the stars from which he came.

Rory Gallagher was at one with those stars when fingers met steel wire, when his roar soared through the microphones magnetic core, and fortunately for us, down onto the plastic filmed magnetic tape. Whether it’s the lascivious electric squeals of ‘Bad Penny' or the feral pounding mandolin of ‘Going To My Hometown’, Rory teetered along the edge of chaos.

Few guitar players before or since have matched his magic.

And it was magic – or at least something just as unfathomable even today, twenty-five years on. One of the Greats.

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The special Rory Gallagher 25th Anniversary Issue of Hot Press is out now – featuring reflections on Rory's legacy from President Michael D. Higgins, Imelda May, Johnny Marr, Mick Fleetwood, Steve Van Zandt, Slash and many more. Pick up your copy in shops now, or order online below: