Player archive

May 2025

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18 articles

May 30
- “I said, ‘You have no idea how many things I’ve stolen from you.’ And he said, ‘Yes, I have.’” Randy Bachman on his jaw-dropping introduction to Stephen Stills at Neil Young’s 70th birthday party
- “I thought, 'Oh, my God. This guy is doing everything that I was trying to do.' He just made me feel like I couldn't play.” Brian May on the mind-blowing difference between seeing Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix perform in the 1960s
May 29
- "Without asking, I picked it up and plugged it into my amp. I thought, Yeah, I like that!" How Robin Trower got turned on to the Strat, courtesy of Jethro Tull's Martin Barre
May 28
- “He says, ‘You mean it won’t follow me? Well, what good is it?’” Mike Campbell says his collaboration with Bob Dylan ended when his hit-making studio technology left the folk-rocker mystified
- “You were the person that made me think, Wow, that slide can make some real good rockin’ music!” Rick Derringer told us how he inspired the Allman Brothers' Duane Allman to become the greatest slide guitarist in rock
May 27
- Rick Derringer, famous for "Hang on Sloopy" and "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo," has died. Read our exclusive 2024 interview where he recalled inspiring Eddie Van Halen and performing with Johnny Winter
May 26
- “I’ve been in the Who, I’ve been in the Beatles, and I’ve been in Pink Floyd. Top that!” David Gilmour on his magical duet playing John Lennon with Paul McCartney
May 23
- “One night we were playing and in walks Pete Townshend.” The Doobie Brothers’ Patrick Simmons on the night Townshend picked up a guitar after a gig with the Who
May 22
- "I'm just pushing and fighting till I get somewhere.” Goose guitarist Rick Mitarotonda reveals his Sonny Rollins, "never say die" approach to marathon guitar solos
May 21
- “Took it home, plugged it in, and immediately the entire room started to vibrate. I went, ‘Holy s***!’” Neil Young on his Old Black Les Paul and the amp that's been his go-to for nearly 60 years
May 19
- "It was life-altering — like, ‘Omigod, this is what we've gotta do with our lives!’" Nancy Wilson tells how a transformative Beatles concert set Heart's wheels in motion
- “Every time I listened to myself after that I’d think, Oh no, everything’s out of tune.” How Steve Vai’s compliment made Andy Timmons paranoid about his tuning
May 16
- “There's no chance to ever play together again.” Dave Navarro unloads about Jane's Addiction and the shocking night when Perry Farrell attacked him onstage
May 14
- "The guitar — the one I used on everything — falls and the top of the head breaks off." Neil Giraldo on the guitar-busting drive to cut his most fret-burning solo of all time for Pat Benatar's "Promises in the Dark"
May 7
- “How many weddings can you jam 'I’m Eighteen,' 'Enter Sandman' and 'Cowboys From Hell'?” Nita Strauss shreds with Alice Cooper at her wedding in newly released video
- "They were going for shock value, like, ‘There’s this whole new world of guitar...’” Steve Stevens on introducing the guitar synthesizer to America and shaping sounds on Billy Idol’s new hit album, ‘Dream Into It’
May 6
- “This song depicts all that Joe and I used to think about as teenagers.” Hear Joe Satriani and Steve Vai’s debut track from the SatchVai Band, "I Wanna Play My Guitar"
May 5
- “I’m like, ‘What the f***? My guitar, it’s completely out of tune!’ ” Samantha Fish names the one thing that can ruin every gig