Though, as fellow Sunset Strip shredders re-writing the rock guitar book in the mid-to-late '70s, George Lynch and Eddie Van Halen were sometimes portrayed as something like competitors, the two maestros had great respect for one another.
This reverence was on clear display during Lynch's recent performance at the Dallas International Guitar Festival on May 1, in the middle of which Lynch broke out into an impromptu rendition of Van Halen’s "Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love."
You can check out fan-filmed footage of the tribute above.
Interestingly, Lynch – primarily an ESP user – tackles the tune with a Les Paul that, granted, doesn't quite sound fully in tune. Nevertheless, Lynch gets some hot, soulful licks and octave runs in there considering it was a performance that – as the user who uploaded the video points out in its comments section – was a one-off gig with a local rhythm section and no prior rehearsal or set-list.
"In remembrance of our fallen brother, who is one of the greatest inspirations of my personal guitar journey," Lynch says to the crowd at song's end.
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