Now approaching his mid-70s, Chuck Berry's influence in the evolution of rock'n'roll is beyond question. While brushes with the law have tended to undermine his personal credibility, his songs written and recorded from 1955 to 1965 are peerless examples of sharp, dextrous observation on the spirit of youthful rebellion. A major inspiration to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys (who reworked his Sweet Little Sixteen to huge commercial effect on Surfin' USA) and David Bowie, Berry brings not only his own band on his first visit to Ireland in years but also a plethora of possibly apocryphal anecdotes (such as the one about an encore being played only after further financial negotiations). He plays Dublin's Vicar Street on Monday.
