Between Kinsale and Bantry lies the small town of Clonakilty. We stopped for lunch at De Barra's and took a brief nostalgia trip. This bar and music venue will forever be associated with Noel Redding, Jimi Hendrix's bass player. Noel played with the Jimi Hendrix Experience from the band's inception in 1966 until 1969. In 1972 he retreated to Clonakilty in West Cork and remained there till his death - from a haemorrhage caused by cirrohsis of the liver - in 2003. Enlarge the pic to see the Noel Redding plaque in the doorway ...
Inside the pub, the guy in the checked shirt is talking about a Bob Dylan gig he went to in Cork on 16 June this year ...
Among the many photos on the pub wall, there's one of Bob with his arm round Noel (I'm guessing this may be the early 1980s?). The picture was taken not far from here. If you look closely you can spot Eric Clapton in the picture beneath it ...
We found another photo of Bob too, taken about twenty years later, just before Noel's death at the age of 57 ...
Of course that's David Bowie in the lower two pics. Apparently he was pretty much out of it when he signed the bottom photo, which is why it's largely indecipherable. Elsewhere there were photos too of Roy Harper, who lives nearby. I seem to remember that one of his albums was recorded live at De Barra's.
13 comments:
Great pictures. I wonder if Bob regrets that shirt. Nah, probably not - he ALMOST pulls it off...
Very interesting, Robert. If you are able to join me on a few days of the upcoming Hadrian's Wall walk, I would like to hear more about the role of Dylan's music in your life. From this and other postings, I have the feeling that Dylan has had a great deal of influence on you.
Ok...lets back this up and come at it from another direction....anyone great not been to this place!! JK!! Wow...could take all day to peruse the walls there! Thanks.
I believe wearing zebra skin is illegal now, Goat, so we won't be seeing him in anything like that in the future, Goat - thank goodness. He's much more into the roving gambler or Mississippi boatman look these days.
Yes, Dylan's been a cornerstone in my life, George. I think he's one of the greatest singer-songwriters ever. Am certainly looking forward to meeting up with you on Hadrian's Wall - will organise it soon!
Everyone's been there, Karin. Except the Wombles, the Archies and Matt Monro, I believe ;)
PS Goat - the shirt the pub guy's wearing is uncannily like the lumberjack shirt I wore throughout 1972 - almost without ever taking it off.
Wonderful to think of Bob Dylan spending time in Ireland wearing that zebra shirt and then some years later showing up with his cowboy/civil war era look with the Little Richard mustache.
I thought of you when writing this post, am ...
Well, a favourite shirt or jacket is hard to part with. Hey, Mr Zimmerman has been a constant presence in my musical life as well. Still coming up with the goods most of the time. As an EFL teacher, I've even used 'Maggie's Farm' as a listening exercise in class - of course the cultural references are hard to get across to a 25-year-old Brazilian, but I tried...
Well done for trying, Goat! But no doubt the universal message of Dylan's song got through anyhow to the cultural recipients of your caprine teaching ;)
rHi all,
I`ve been to Clonakilty, great town,
great music, great people, watch the Noel Redding Experience dvd, by mnvdiscs-Will Scally, get the original one, not the USA copy,
from Barry Levene.
Does anyone know who the ladies are in the Bob Dylan photos?
I believe the lady is Noel Redding's wife, Susanne, in both pictures.
Aha, thank you. I'll put both photos in my "Bob Dylan and his women" photo album on Facebook. :-)
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