It's not easy been a guitar god!

It can't be easy been a guitar legend, not only do you have to play like you sold your soul every night, you also need to spice up your stage routine with history making and death defying guitar stunts.

Hendrix would dry hump his guitar then set it on fire, Townsend used to impale his guitar through the nearest amp, he also has his trademark windmill strum, although he did end up impaling his hand on a Strat trem arm once while doing it! Jimmy Page played guitar with a violin bow and Paul Gilbert used to use an electric drill to play his guitar back in his Racer X days.

Why am I rambling on about this? Well I found a video you really need to see, I believe he could be the next great guitar hero, he just needs some practice. I think he is attempting the 'Around the world' trick, where you throw the guitar over your left shoulder and it spins on it's strap around your back, under your right arm and back into your playing position, the crowd then go nuts and rock hero status is assured, unfortunately for him it doesn't end quite so well!

Can he play good? Actually no, they all sound pretty awful but with tricks like this I'm sure he'll go far! The legend in question is to the far right of the screen, keep your eyes on him!

How to be a guitar god, Part 1

I can see a big money Dunlop straplock endorsement deal heading his way very soon!!!

DAN.

I've seen Ritchie Blackmore do it for real, and mighty impressive it is too!! I've tried it but could never get it right so consigned it to the bin of "Stupid Stunts (that I can't do but really really want to!)" It's a lot easier with a wireless set up to, I would imagine, but I saw Blackmore do it in about '74/75 when they toured down under when such things were unknown.
A wizard, a true star, to paraphrase Todd Rundgren!

Springsteen did this trick at the end of his Glastonbury set this year, real crowd-pleaser.

Thanks for linking this Dan, funniest thing I've seen in ages.

Yea John, I also saw Blackmore do this in "72" at the Coventry Theatre. It was just after Machine head had been released. He threw his Strat straight up in the air about 12-15 feet, caught the neck as it came down and in one movement threw the strap around his neck and continued playing.

In the meantime, Gillan fell into the orchestra pit !

Hello chaps,

OMG, that is soooooo funny!

Thank you Dan for posting that, it has made my day!

Perhaps the guy ought to put in a bit more practice with a sweeping brush before he tries it with his guitar the next time!

Polly

Just a quick update for this old post.

I found some more cool examples of guitar related stupidity, enjoy!

How to be a guitar god, Part 2 = Self harm
Note lack of sympathy from camera person.

How to be a guitar god, Part 3 = Potty mouth karma
Singer dropped the F bomb, instantly got smacked in the face.

Luckily Keef is on hand to show you how to really use a guitar as a lethal weapon!

How it should be done!
Note the technique, left foot forward with a good back swing!

More next time,

DAN.

Well done Keef! Worthy of a grand slam baseball swing!

"Jimmy Page played guitar with a violin bow"

I remember watching Jimmy Page on 'The Song Remains the Same' on VCR a, playing with a bow and then changing the sound by passing the bow between two aerials, or some such thing, and thinking, while everyone else was oohing and aahing 'what a boring load of old toot.'

Was it just me??
Stu

stuartb wrote:

"Jimmy Page played guitar with a violin bow"

I remember watching Jimmy Page on 'The Song Remains the Same' on VCR a, playing with a bow and then changing the sound by passing the bow between two aerials, or some such thing, and thinking, while everyone else was oohing and aahing 'what a boring load of old toot.'

Was it just me??
Stu

i saw it on the BIG SCREEN when i was young and stoned........., & that one still gets me............."OOO :!: .........AAAAAHHHHH :!: "

stuartb wrote: playing with a bow and then changing the sound by passing the bow between two aerials, or some such thing,

I think he was using a theremin there... I like theremins; you can get some cool noises out of them; in fact you can't do the theme from Dr Who properly without one, I reckon! Bill Bailey would be about the only person I've ever seen who can use one really well... in fact Bill Bailey makes me sick with his talent, and funniness...

corsair wrote:...you can't do the theme from Dr Who properly without one, I reckon!...

Absolutely right! That's probably the only place you hear one of these things on a regular basis. Somewhere in my LP collection is an old recording by Dick Hyman, The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman, where he plays a Moog synthesizer. This and the Theremin were cutting edge stuff in the late 60's...Space Age music!

Must just have been me then!

Here's a Theremin and a Westone together -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbZqzRSZoeE&feature=related

Tim Blake on keyboards and theremin, Dave Brock on Spectrum LX

The Dr Who theme didn't use theremins at all, it was mostly tape loops - but that didn't stop me building a theremin into a model Tardis.

Thorn wrote:- but that didn't stop me building a theremin into a model Tardis.

Pix????

Haven't got any, can't get any until we get a new camera - got nicked last week when Taras handbag got stolen. Got the bag back the next day, minus her purse and the camera. Right pain ringing round cancelling bank cards etc but could've been worse - at least we got the house and car keys back. Also a pain having to corral the kids and drive over with the spare car keys...

The case is one designed to house lots of Dr Who miniatures. look quite good apart from a big hinge on one side. I picked up four last year at a local shop, £2.99 each. One has the theremin in it, two more will eventually house the guts of Thunder active circuits (Lead and bass) so I can turn any of my guitars/basses active.

The theremin one needs an extra circuit - probably just a 555 timer to drive an LED in the light at the top, so it'll look the part as well as sounding right.

what loser is trying to throw his guitar like Blackmore or Malmsteen(who I saw an interview of and denied Blackmore was an influence...I like him but too much glam). If tossing yer git over yer shoulder is yer hope for being a good musician stop playing guitar at all costs.

Barry wrote:

corsair wrote:...you can't do the theme from Dr Who properly without one, I reckon!...

Absolutely right! That's probably the only place you hear one of these things on a regular basis. Somewhere in my LP collection is an old recording by Dick Hyman, The Electric Eclectics of Dick Hyman, where he plays a Moog synthesizer. This and the Theremin were cutting edge stuff in the late 60's...Space Age music!

some guy made a record of just using therimins I wish I could remember the name.