Reunion Blues Backstage Banter

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Tag Archives: guitar playing

The Great Unknown Guitar Player?

A few folks are serious Rory Gallagher fans (like me), but most people probably shake their heads in confusion when asked about Rory Gallagher. Is that the comedian with the big hammer? Is he the young Irish golfer? Nope and Nope.

Rory Gallagher played some of the rockingest blues based guitar of the baby boomer generation. He turned down a request to join the Rolling Stones because he did not want to be boxed in. In addition to his brilliant guitar work, he wrote scads of top shelf songs and raged through different leads each time he performed them. His enthusiasm is evident in each performance. He jumped around the stage like Angus Young of AC/DC, but with less manic movement. He drew his band members in with eye contact and brought out their best like a good football coach.

In his trademark plaid shirt and jean jacket, Rory was not quite Jimi Hendrix wearing a feather boa, but for a regular guy he made you want to watch, listen and move. Legend has it that when Jimi Hendrix was asked how it felt to be the greatest guitar player in the world, he said “ask Rory Gallagher”. High praise indeed.

His brother Donal created and has been the caretaker of a fabulous website www.rorygallagher.com. Youtube videos are many. For my money, I like Bullfrog Blues and A Million Miles Away. A Blu Ray edition DVD was recently released of the Irish Tour ’74 including documentary footage. He comes across as a very humble man who loved his craft. Unfortunately, he passed away too early in 1995, but thanks to videos, he still lives on. Rock On Rory!

Introducing The World’s Most Comfortable Guitar Strap!

I was talking to a friend at NAMM last year about how his heavy Les Paul was hurting his neck and shoulder during his performances; playing 3 hours a night for 4 nights a week. He described it as bearable but the thing that really annoyed him was the fact that his vinyl strap was seriously uncomfortable. This wasn’t the first time we’ve heard a complaint or two about comfort during a 20 minute rendition of Led Zeppelin’s Moby Dick so we decided to create a superior and ultra comfortable guitar strap.

Merino Wool Guitar Strap
Merino Wool Guitar Strap
Introducing the Merino Wool Guitar Strap from Reunion Blues. This delightful companion is made of Merino Wool, one of the softest materials we could find just short of having your roadie (Francis) encapsulate you in pillows while you play! It’s also natural fiber, biodegradable and is trimmed with full grain leather. The straps are selling very well (will we sell out of inventory? who knows!) Anyway, we saved a special reserve for you, talented reader, just by leaving a comment below of why you might want one of these straps for yourself. So go for it! Free straps to the first 40 commenters!

Best,

John Maher

Guitar Hero: Help or Hindrance?

Guitarface by Brett
brettblogg1

Guitarface by Brett

As a long time proponent/proprietor of old-school 70’s & 80’s style hard rock, it always does my heart good to see and hear my favorite bands and songs resurface in contemporary popular culture– even if it is in a Cadillac commercial! When the Guitar Hero inferno began to rage, I was very excited about two particular aspects of the phenomenon:

  • the possibility of exposing kids to great classic rock tunes
  • inspiring a new generation to pick up the instrument and hopefully assisting them in developing the technical skills required to really RAWK!

 

Based on first-hand observations of my own progeny, I can say that I’m encouraged in-regards to the former and a bit discouraged in regards to the latter.

 

I can think of very few things that tickle me more than hearing my 6 year old son doing his best Dee Snider, walking around the house singing, We’re Not Gonna Take It or my 11 year old daughter humming China Grove while doing her homework. The flipside to their new interest in dad’s music is that my daughter’s actual guitar hasn’t left its case since she got the game. She asked Santa for a guitar two Christmases ago and while she was never the most dedicated student, she at least practiced regularly and was making some progress. Then she got Guitar Hero about six months ago and it would seem that the allure of the more immediate gratification afforded by the game has supplanted the thrill gained by learning to play music on a stringed guitar.

 

I do have hopes that once she’s mastered the expert level of the game (and she’s very close) she may want to explore her actual instrument. As for the question of whether the mechanics of playing Guitar Hero assists in developing the physical dexterity necessary to play guitar, it remains to be seen but I do believe that after she beats the top level, the Nirvana of video-game rock, she will be curious to unzip her real guitar again!

 

Hmm, all this is making me wonder, Reunion Blues bags for game controllers? Might not be a totally ridiculous idea….

 

BRETT’S MUSIC BAG:
For new bands that are rockin’ the streets the old school way check out End Ever After and Black Tide.