Louth rockers Bad Reputation bring Phil Lynott tribute home to Spirit Store

To coincide with the 40th anniversary of the late, great Thin Lizzy supremo, Phil Lynott, Louth rockers, Bad Reputation, return to the Spirit Store stage on Saturday, January 17th, to play one of their occasional and much-anticipated local gigs. 

Not content with playing all over Ireland, early in 2024 Bad Reputation returned to Holland to headline the now firmly established ‘Remembering Phil Lynott and Gary Moore’ annual event. ‘Remember Phil and Gary 2024’ was held over 2 nights in the Netherlands, at Culemborg near Utrecht, and Weert, close to Eindhoven, on the 2nd and 3rd of February, that year. 

The event is now in its 13th year and this was the second time our local heroes appeared there having made their Dutch debut at Weert in 2013. Within a short period of time, ‘Remember Phil and Gary’ established itself as the prime Thin Lizzy/Gary Moore commemoration event on the continent and many Lizzy aficionados have prided themselves over the years on making a “Phil-grimage” to both this shindig and the legendary annual Vibe for Philo in Dublin.

Bad Reputation are - Gordon “Flash” Murphy on guitar and vocals, Colm McSherry on guitar and vocals, Kieran McDonnell on bass and Johnny Kerr on drums.

Main man “Flash” needs little introduction. From his time as a member of Dundalk’s legendary Thin Az Lizzy tribute band through to his starring role as frontman in Ireland's #1 Metallica tribute act, he has seen and done it all; including touring in the UK, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands. 

In fact, in his previous Phil Lynott tribute incarnation, Thin Az Lizzy, Flash spent several years travelling the highways and byways of Holland playing many of the top Dutch venues and festivals, including the legendary Melkweg in Amsterdam on an Irish celebratory line-up with Aslan, Stockton’s Wing and the Dubliners, and also featured on a star-studded Queen’s Day (Dutch national holiday) concert in front of 25,000 people in the market square at Arnhem which was filmed by the BBC and shown prior to the 2000 Euro Football Championships. 

That particular day, Flash also guested in an all-star celebrity jam fronted by vocalists Mark Owen from Take That and Barney Greenway from Napalm Death, with musical comedians Tony Hawks (Round Ireland With a Fridge) on bass and Paul Kaye (aka legendary Channel4 celebrity prankster, Dennis Pennis) on drums, all introduced by renowned Top of the Pops presenter and former James Whale late night TV sidekick, the one and only Lisa Rogers!

Other "Flash" highlights over the years include playing at Ireland’s tribute festival Sham Rock and featuring in an RTE TV reality show which saw him win a place on the headlining bill for Europe’s top tribute festival Glastonbudget, at Leicester in England. He has also previously played many times at past ‘Vibes for Philo’, as a member of Bad Reputation, Thin az Lizzy and Metallitia.

Top axeman, Col McSherry, is a founding member of famed Guns n Roses tribute, Mr Brownstone, and latterly GnR. Col takes on the Gary Moore responsibilities in Bad Reputation, and as a huge fan of the Belfast man has dedicated himself to delivering those sparkling lead lines to the very best of his ability.

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The band is completed by tribute band veteran and Meathworks fan club president, Kieran McDonnell, plus the band’s Health ‘n Safety officer and excellent skinsman, Johnny Kerr, who between them have seen service in Metallitia, Mr Brownstone, Tampora, GNR, and A Taste of Meatloaf, among many others.

Bad Reputation will be serving up their usual menu of Thin Lizzy and Gary Moore songs that are as close in sound as possible to the original performances. Of course the hits will be played and who knows, maybe even a track you didn’t expect. Be ready to be surprised!

The bill is completed by Drogheda funksters, Disko Volante, who are led by one of the town's most renowned musicians, ace bassist Ellen O'Reilly, and tickets are on sale at spiritstore.ie, so get your rock gear on and check them out at the Spirit Store, on Saturday, 17th January.

Tickets available at spiritstore.ie