A Tour With Big George

When I jumped into my brothers car that day & held his guitar case across my lap, I didn’t realise just how much things were about to change.  George was on his way to perform at one of the O’Neills bars that were starting to open across the country.

 

The pub scene was going through a major overhaul & the O’Neills franchise was offering a taste of Irish culture here in Scotland.

Irish pubs were opening up all over the country & live music was to become a staple, my brother George had played a major part in the folk music scene in & around Glasgow for the previous 6 years performing in The Old Burnt Barnes, The Tollbooth & Jinty McGintys to name a few, he’d also just stepped off the stage at the famous Glasgow Barrowlands supporting the Wolfe Tones.

With a few days off from work, I thought spending some time with my brother & a wee trip through four of Scotland's cities would be nice.  

The first stop on the trail would be Aberdeen where George, Carolyn & I met up with my sister Helen & her friends.   

I don’t recall too much about the pub or the songs played on the night, but after the show we ended up back at a friends house in Aberdeen till the early morning & I was introduced to the works of Devo, Half Man Half Biscuit & the Men They Couldn’t Hang.  

The next day we made our way to Dundee, but only after a quick curer in O’Neills for those that needed it.

Having visited both the cities as part of the Celtic support at away matches it was good to see what both cities had on offer, but again the main view we would get was of the inside of city bar.

My brother Stephen joined us in Dundee to celebrate his birthday, although there were only a couple-of days left of the tour, he seemed to bring a bag of clothes to last about 2 weeks.  The night went on long after the gig had finished & there were a few sore heads in the morning, breakfast was little bit quiet.

By the time we reached Perth I was really getting a taste for the live music scene.   Watching George interact with the crowd during his songs, people singing along, dancing, it was great to be part of it.

On the final night of the mini-tour, George played in a bar in Stirling.   He had played the same bar 4 days earlier, the venue was packed & at standing room only.  Playing through his song list of traditional folk & modern hits, everyone was on hand to sing every word.

The Fields of Athenry, Ye Jacobites by Name, Four Green Fields, Black is the Colour, Seven Drunken Nights, Young Ned, 500 Miles, McIlhatton, Irish Rover.

These songs & other will be etched in my head forever after those few days away in July 1995.

I had made some great new friends on that tour, extended my music taste & met Linda who would become my wife (some years later). 

After the tour finished George flew to America & played some more gigs in Pubs & clubs in Boston & New York arranged through family & friends in both cities.

On his return from America George gave up his day job & singing became his career.  He told me he wrote a song about that mini tour, but I never did get to hear it.  He then got the chance to sing on the pitch at Celtic Park pitch as part of the pre match entertainment.

Many years later in 2007 George would live out his dreams by touring America & Australia as part of Celtic Thunder, he created a new list of admirers & they too experienced the warmth & attention he would share with everyone who took the time to speak to him.

As part of Celtic Thunder he performed at the opening of the St Patricks Day Parade in New York & sang for President Obama in the White House. 

When home from the tours he would always look forward to going back to his old venues & love nothing more then performing in Jinty McGintys on a Wednesday & Sunday night, in a place that became home for him.

Raised in Easterhouse to performing in the Whitehouse.   George loved what he did & he done it all.

In 2014 George suffered a Heart Attack & died at home.    At only 46 he had achieved so much through his music, releasing albums of his own & touring the world, but he loved nothing more than being back home with his friends & family.

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