THUNDER & LIGHTNING

Guitar World celebrates half a century of Thin Lizzy, looking back through the eyes of two key longtime band members: guitarist Scott Gorham and drummer Brian Downey

- MickWall & Malcolm Dome

SCOTT GORHAM

EVEN THOUGH HE’S lived in London for almost 50 years, Thin Lizzy’s longest-tenured guitarist, Scott Gorham, still exudes the kind of laid-back cool usually found lounging by a kidney-shaped pool in southern California. I feel obliged to bring up the new “super deluxe edition” Thin Lizzy box set, Rock Legends, which came out in October. It’s an impressive beast indeed. From the press release: “Six CDs/DVDs, featuring 74 unreleased tracks, 83 tracks never previously released on CD, alternative versions of all the hits, rarities, live tracks and rare footage... previously unreleased ‘Jailbreak’ demo… an A4 book, the rare ‘collected works of Philip Lynott’ poetry book, reproductions of nine tour programmes and four Jim Fitzpatrick art prints...” But in the end, with 50 years of Thin Lizzy to discuss, we just talk instead. Much as we have been doing since we first met in 1976...

When you joined Thin Lizzy back in 1974, did you all still have to play “Whiskey in the Jar”?