By Rosine Alleva – Rock At Night EU Editor
The Professor is back! After having interviewed Pat McManus in 2019, what a joy to see the band in concert at La Zenia in Spain.
To celebrate 25 years of existence, the Irish pub Paddy’s point invited Pat McManus band for 3 days in a row!
The pub was totally crowded and most of the audience made the trip especially to join the “Big Fiesta”. I was probably one of the rare people who didn’t wear any of Pat McManus or Mama’s Boys tee-shirt…Oops. What a party, what a concert! Everyone was singing along, jumping and dancing two hours long! Pat is such a crowd pleaser!
Whenever he’s playing guitar,sings or is playing the violin, it’s a feast for the ears and the eyes! You could get dizzy just by watching his guitar playing, eyes stuck on his fingers!
And it was a nice surprise when Breige Devlin joined Pat on stage performing 2 songs “Still got the blues” from Gary Moore and “Shaking all over”. We missed Jenny Salmon who joined Pat as well during that crazy weekend.
Interview
RAN– It’s amazing to meet you here in Spain today! Who would have thought this when we last met in France in 2019! So many things happened since, how did you live the pandemic?
PMcM– Well, for me it was the first time I had to stop playing …I never had been in a situation like that so it was very hard to deal with cause that’s the only thing I’ve ever done. Through social media I started to do live streams and that was really very good cause from my point of view that kept me busy. I would program all the music on my little computer as it was a band playing and I would play along with this. It would take six, seven days to do the songs and every day 12 hours a day get them all prepared for the next show. I reached a lot of people from New Zealand, South America, it was crazy, I was very surprised! I was also quite nervous. It’s quite disconcerting when you then realize there are so many people in the world that can see you playing. I was doing a two hour show once every week, that’s a lot of songs. Then people would send me requests and I would prepare and record the songs during the week. That’s how I dealt with the pandemic.
And my mum, bless her, I looked after her, she didn’t really understand the concept of Covid. I would do the garden for her and she was asking if I wanted a cup of tea. I told her I wasn’t allowed in the house because of Covid. She said “oh yes I understand” but then she would ask again “Do you want a cup of tea…?” Pat’s mum passed away in 2023.
It was great to reach so many people and people would give me feedback and say I lifted them when they were feeling really low. And it was both ways, they lifted me as well!
RAN– Let’s talk about your actual line-up. I haven’t met your actual bass player Plunkett Mc Comb – the Iceman – who’s accompanying you since July 2021. What happened to Marty McDermott?
PMcM– Marty didn’t want to do it. He was working in a cafe bar as a barista, he didn’t wanna do anything. Very simple! I recorded most of my albums with Plunkett at his studio, I have known him for 20 years. So I told him I was looking to make a change and he said he can be in!
RAN– In August 2022 you recorded your gig at the Tribal Rock festival in Peymeinade above the Côte d’Azur, called “Live in France”
PMcM– We did the Tribal Rock a lot of times. Markus, who runs the festival is a very dear friend of mine from the very early Mamma’s Boys days. And I’m booked to do Tribal Rock again!
RAN– How was this festival Live in Patrimonio in Corsica with Eric Mc Fadden?
PMcM– It’s a very special place. So beautiful, it’s not touristic, with French and Italian people. It’s one of the nicest places I’ve ever been. Lovely people! And of course Jean Bernard who runs the festival is a total jam! I honestly feel very honored to play there! We had such a great time, it’s a wonderful place to play!
RAN– Full Service Resume is your seventh studio album. When was it recorded?
PMcM– Full Service Resume was recorded during Covid, when all was quiet. I went to Plunkett studio with the songs ready to be recorded, so he and I did it. Due to the Pandemic the album was released at the end of 2021.
RAN– You added four bonus tracks, Belfast City blues, Belfast Boy and 2 others. How did you choose them?
PMcM– Well, somebody asked me if they could take some of the older tracks. It was interesting, I really enjoyed revisiting the old songs and adding them to the album.
RAN– We could hardly imagine the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival without the legendary Pat McManus! At this 2024 edition you introduced young musicians on stage…Some of your students?
PMcM- When I think that they’re really good and they’re keen to play, I say “ok come with me”. And that’s a great experience for them you know and that encourages them more. I love to see the younger generation get into it, it just fantastic! I like to help people, I think that’s what music is about. I like to share the knowledge I’ve got for whatever it is, help them, encourage them. For that point of view I love it.
RAN– That’s just brilliant! And coming from a musician’s family, you’ve got that spirit, that culture!
PMcM- We always played for the local play, it was never about Rock’n’Roll, success. I don’t care, to me it’s superficial. It’s the feeling for music, regardless of what it is. I just play that feeling, I play for myself. Really, truly I like to play it for myself! I don’t really care whether people like it or not! It’s an achievement as far as I’m concerned, for me to do what I do. If I come with something new, I don’t think if people will like it or not. I like it! That’s what music does and means to me!
RAN– 3 Pats for a guitar night with Pat O’May and Patrick Rondat kind of stopped abruptly in March 2020 when the tour was just starting, due to the pandemic. Any chance you would do it again with them or even guitar nights with other guitarists?
PMcM– Just before reaching the first venue, we’ve been told that we wouldn’t play. If I would do it again? Some people asked me about it a few times, you never know, maybe with them or maybe doing something different.
RAN– In our last interview in 2019, you mentioned you would be the happiest man to support Jeff Beck before you die. Unfortunately Jeff Beck passed away beginning of last year. Who would be the actual guitarist you would like to be on stage with, to support?
PMcM– The guitarist I’m really thinking about is Frank Marino, a canadian guitarist. He’s the only person I would take right in my car and drive to a concert! He was a huge star in the 70’s, leader of Mahogany Rush. He has a “backwards guitar” technique that sounds so real, sometimes you think he plays a slide guitar but it’s not, he’s a total genius! You’ve got to check him out!
Many thanks to Pat McManus for this interview, to Sallie, Paul and Plunkett, to David, Jenny and more of the PMB Choir for the amazing entertainment during the concert!!! More thanks to Paddy’s point for their kindness and the crowd photos.
Too bad my friend and RAN colleague, Jose Oliveira, missed this!
PHOTO GALLERY
From Belgian and Italian parents, I grew up with music, dance and big fun! I love singing since I'm a little girl, I still am, haha. When I was 14, I saw my first concert: T-Rex. Later it was FrankZappa, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Fela, Canned Heat, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Earth, Wind and Fire ....
I dreamed to have a chat with each of them 😀 Before interviewing bands, I used to sing (and still do) and met lots of great musicians. I had the chance to be the support band to Joe Cocker in 2007. I love to communicate and meet people (Italian blood).
Working for magazine, a few years ago, l met José Oliveira! We were working at the same festival in Colmar. 2 people from the South with the same passion just recognized each other...and we stayed in contact since then. Here I am! Enjoying concerts, covering interviews and articles with José for Rock at Night!!
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