At the annual Vibe For Philo bash in Dublin, the crowd was drawn from every generation, including many who surely weren’t even born when Lynott passed away.
The theme of the evening was ‘Wild One’ and throughout the night we heard many different interpretations of that song, starting off with a version by Dublin collective Gnasher. On their heels came Emerald, a young Irish band ‘Vibe’ organiser Smiley Bolger discovered in his local. These boys, all under 19, played acoustic guitar and delivered a swooning rendition of ‘Sara’.
Next, Renegade’s guitarists blew the crowd away: their take on ‘I’m Still In Love With You’ sounded as if it was had been taken right from a live stage in the ‘70s.
Dosh Nagle, who played with Phil on numerous occasions, came on to deliver a gob-smacking ‘Parisienne Walkways’. The solos on both this and ‘Old Town’ were absolutely transcendent.
Striking rather a different note were The Lizzy Boys. This Japanese band flew over especially for the gig. The guitarists were virtuosos while the lead singer channelled Lynott to a tee. They set the room alight with ‘Jail Break’, ’Chinatown’, ‘Wild-One’, ‘Philomena’ and ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’. For their troubles, The Lizzy Boys won a standing ovation from the audience.
As the crowd settled into their seats, Lynott’s mother Philomena came on and told a few tales about Phil and the support she’s had over the years from the fans. Ex-Thin Lizzy tour manager Frank Murray joined her, and led the crowed in a toast to the singer’s memory.
Throughout the night, video projections showed Phil in the early days, as a teenage rock star. Even at that age, his charisma and talent were in evidence. To finish the night, Finland’s Cold Sweat bounded on stage and romped through ‘Rosaline’ and ‘Don’t Believe A Word’. As the fella said, ‘nice one’.