Joe Bonamassa has announced the upcoming release of The Spirit Of Rory Live From Cork, a powerful live album and film capturing his deeply personal tribute to Irish blues guitar legend Rory Gallagher, recorded during a series of sold-out performances in Gallagher’s hometown of Cork, Ireland last summer. The album will be released Friday June 19th via Bonamassa’s own J&R Adventures, with pre-orders starting today.

Listen to the first three live singles: "Walk On Hot Coals (Live)”, “Bullfrog Blues (Live)”, and “Who’s That Coming? (Live)".

For Bonamassa, the project was never approached as a casual homage. Gallagher’s music has been part of his life since childhood, and the weight of performing it in Cork, with the blessing of Rory’s family and in front of audiences who carry his legacy so personally, was something he felt immediately. “I never had the honour to meet him, but his music and musicianship loom large in my life,” Bonamassa writes in a personal foreword accompanying the release. “From my first time hearing Irish Tour ’74 I was captivated by the sheer intensity of the man and the ferocity of his approach to the electric blues.”

That impact began early. “I remember that voice and a singular guitar tone slicing through the walls of my bedroom at a very young age,” Bonamassa recalls. “My father, who exposed me to so many of the great guitarists of his era, was quick to encourage me to listen to Rory and glean what I could.”

What began as an invitation from the Gallagher family quickly became something much larger. “All these many years later I was asked by Rory’s family to consider performing some of his material and paying tribute to him at a venue in Cork,” he writes. “The very thought frightened me. Yes, I was scared to even attempt it but at the same time so honoured that his family felt that I might be up to the task.” Rather than try to reinvent the material, Bonamassa focused on meeting it with the right spirit. “I felt the very best I could hope for was to approach his catalog with humility and reverence.”

That humility shaped the project from the start. In 2024, Bonamassa traveled to Cork to announce the tribute with a small introductory performance for Rory’s family, local friends, and members of the press. The response was immediate and emotional, and what began as a single concert soon expanded into a three-night stand. “After the announcement, one show turned into three sold out shows,” Bonamassa writes. “I felt that my reputation was on the line with the Irish, but what a response!”

By the time the band returned in 2025, the atmosphere around the performances had only intensified. “This was Rory’s town, and Rory’s people. We weren’t going to let them down,” Bonamassa says. “The crowds on those three nights were rowdy, raucous and Cork did their favourite son proud.” The result is a live document that feels charged by that setting - deeply felt, high-wire, and rooted in the connection between artist, audience, and place.

Across 14 hand-picked songs, The Spirit Of Rory Live From Cork moves through the many sides of Gallagher’s catalogue - from the blistering attack of “Walk On Hot Coals” and “Bullfrog Blues” to the emotional sweep of “A Million Miles Away,” which will serve as the album’s focus track upon release. Other highlights include “Tattoo’d Lady,” “Bad Penny,” “I Fall Apart,” “Calling Card,” and “Cradle Rock,” each delivered with fire and conviction while honouring the shape and soul of the originals.

The release also captures several moments that carried special meaning across the Cork run, including Bonamassa’s performance of “As The Crow Flies” on Gallagher’s own 1930 National Triolian resonator guitar, loaned by the Cork Public Museum. It was a tangible connection to the artist whose presence still looms so large over the city and over generations of guitar players who followed him.

Additional footage, included on DVD and Blu-ray editions, expands the story with bonus material including The Inspiration of Rory, featuring conversations with Brian May and Slash, along with Rory’s Acoustic Guitar and Ballycotton - A Million Miles Away. Together, the audio and visual components offer a fuller picture of what these performances meant to Bonamassa, to Gallagher’s family, and to the fans who packed the room night after night.

In the end, Bonamassa sees the album as an offering - his band’s best attempt to honour a musician whose work helped shape his own. “What you hear on these recordings is our best effort to pay tribute to Rory Gallagher, a man I never met, but admire so deeply,” he writes. “His music is part of me and I’m grateful that we were able to contribute in some small way to his ongoing legacy.”

Pre-Order the album from UK & Europe. Pre-Order the album from North America.

CD Track Listing

1. Cradle Rock (Live)

2. Walk On Hot Coals (Live)

3. Tattoo'd Lady (Live)

4. I Wonder Who (Live)

5. Calling Card (Live)

6. Who's That Coming? (Live)

7. Messin' With The Kid (Live)

8. Bullfrog Blues (Live)

9. Treat Her Right (Live)

10. Bad Penny (Live)

11. I Fall Apart (Live)

12. A Million Miles Away (Live)

13. As The Crow Flies (Live)

14. Back On My Stompin' Ground (Live)

DVD / Blu-ray

1. The Spirit Of Rory (Opening Scene)

2. Cradle Rock

3. Walk On Hot Coals

4. Tattoo’d Lady

5. I Wonder Who

6. Calling Card

7. Who’s That Coming?

8. Messin’ With The Kid

9. Band Introductions

10. Bullfrog Blues

11. Treat Her Right

12. Bad Penny

13. I Fall Apart

14. A Million Miles Away

15. As The Crow Flies

16. Back On My Stompin’ Ground

17. Ballycotton (End Credits)

DVD / Blu-ray Bonus Features:

● Ballycotton - A Million Miles Away

● Rory's Acoustic Guitar

● The Inspiration of Rory (A Conversation with Brian May & Slash)

Vinyl (180 gram Red Marble Double LP)

Side A

1. Cradle Rock (Live)

2. Walk On Hot Coals (Live)

3. Tattoo’d Lady (Live)

4. I Wonder Who (Live)

Side B

5. Calling Card (Live)

6. Who’s That Coming? (Live)

7. Messin’ With The Kid (Live)

8. Bullfrog Blues (Live)

Side C

9. Treat Her Right (Live)

10. Bad Penny (Live)

11. I Fall Apart (Live)

Side D

12. A Million Miles Away (Live)

13. As The Crow Flies (Live)

14. Back On My Stompin’ Ground (Live)

U.S. SPRING TOUR 2026

April 10-12, 2026 - Miramar Beach, FL - Sound Wave Beach Weekend +

+Sold Out

U.S. SPRING TOUR 2026

April 10-12, 2026 - Miramar Beach, FL - Sound Wave Beach Weekend +

+Sold Out

EU/U.K. SPRING TOUR 2026

April 22 - Hamburg, DE - Barclays Arena

April 24 - Rotterdam, NL - Rotterdam Rtm Stage

April 25 - Paris, FR - La Seine Musicale

April 27 - Esch-sur-Alzette, LU - Luxembourg Rockhal

April 29 - Mannheim, DE - SAP Arena

May 1 - Chemnitz, DE - Stadthalle Chemnitz

May 2 - Nürnberg, DE - Psd Bank Nürnberg Arena

May 3 - Zürich, CH - Hallenstadion

May 6 - London, UK - Royal Albert Hall

May 7 - London, UK - Royal Albert Hall

U.S. SUMMER TOUR 2026

June 26 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts w/ JJ Grey & Mofro & D.K. Harrell

June 27 – Atlantic City, NJ – Ocean Casino Resort

June 28 – Newark, NJ – New Jersey Performing Arts Center

July 29 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap w/ Gov't Mule

July 31 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater w/ Gov't Mule

August 1 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion w/ Gov't Mule

August 3 – Hyannis, MA – Cape Cod Melody Tent

August 5 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater w/ JJ Grey & Mofro

August 7 – Selbyville, DE – Freeman Arts Pavilion

August 8 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion w/ Gov't Mule

August 9 – Youngstown, OH – The Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre w/ Gov't Mule

August 12 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia Festival

August 14 – Interlochen, MI – Kresge Auditorium

August 15 – Welch, MN – Treasure Island Resort & Casino w/ Gov't Mule

August 16 – Lincoln, NE – Pinewood Bowl Theater w/ Gov't Mule

August 19 – Cheyenne, WY – Cheyenne Civic Center

August 21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Eccles Theater

August 23 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre

EU FALL TOUR 2026

October 21 - Helsinki, FL - Veikkaus Arena

October 23 - Stockholm, SE - Stockholm Avicii Arena

October 24 - Oslo, NO - Oslo Spektrum

October 25 - Gothenburg, SE - Göteborg Partille Arena

October 27 - Copenhagen, DK - K.B. Hallen København

October 29 - Rostock, DE - Stadthalle Rostock

October 30 - Berlin, DE - Uber Arena

October 31 - Dortmund, DE - Westfalenhalle

November 3 - Basel, CH - Baloise Session

November 4 - Milan, IT - Unipol Forum

JOE BONAMASSA

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