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March 29, 2014 7:23 PM   Subscribe

What are the best live guitar videos on youtube I should know about but probably don't?

I'm trying to dig through and find the performances that may be incredible but easily missed if you aren't looking for them. I don't care about genre so much. It can be rock, blues, country, jazz, etc. I just want to watch guitarists play their heart out on stage.
posted by fishmasta to Media & Arts (33 answers total) 21 users marked this as a favorite
 
Kaki King (if you don't like the quality, just look for "Playing with Pink Noise" and "live.")
posted by griphus at 7:33 PM on March 29, 2014 [2 favorites]


Are 12-year olds ok? (Unlocking the Truth)
posted by cashman at 7:56 PM on March 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


The best guitar solo in rock music is, of course, in Elvis Costello's "I Want You." I don't know if there's a definitive live version, but this one is okay.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:01 PM on March 29, 2014 [2 favorites]


Rock:

Van Halen — Eruption

Prince — While My Guitar Gently Weeps (by George Harrison)

Steve Vai —  concert

Dream Theater (guitarist: John Petrucci) — Erotomania

John Mayer — concert

Folk:

Leo Kottke — Up Tempo, etc.

Jazz:

George Benson — Take Five (by Paul Desmond)

Ron Carter Trio (guitarist: Russell Malone) — concert (e.g. the guitar solo starting around 1:10:00)

John Pizzarelli — Route 66 

Classical:

LAGQ — The Nutcracker "Overture" (by Tchaikovsky)
posted by John Cohen at 8:32 PM on March 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


Came into say Prince doing George Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame performance...

Bonus points when Prince falls backwards into the crowd while still playing his solo at the end, one of his bodyguards catches him and pushes him back up onto the stage.... George Harrison's son (also playing on stage) totally laughs at the stunt while Tom Petty (singing and playing guitar) super duper frowns at Prince's antics.

Completely PRICELESS.
posted by jbenben at 8:39 PM on March 29, 2014 [3 favorites]


While Elvis Costello's "I Want You," is an amazing guitar moment, Bruce Thomas playing bass on Elvis Costello and the Attractions' "Lipstick Vogue," both album and Live at the Mocambo (available on youtube) is EPIC!
posted by jbenben at 8:46 PM on March 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


Buck. Et. Head.
posted by bricoleur at 8:50 PM on March 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


Joe Bonamassa
posted by jpdoane at 9:13 PM on March 29, 2014


Danny Gatton — Sleepwalk
Mike Bloomfield — Drinking Wine

(and I can't find a live video, but Kimberley Rew's insane guitarwork on Old Pervert by The Soft Boys is a wonder to behold.)
posted by scruss at 9:17 PM on March 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


Oh man - BB King Live in Africa
posted by jpdoane at 9:18 PM on March 29, 2014


Leo Kottke- Last Steam Engine Train/Stealing
Walter Trout- Red House
Buddy Guy- Sweet Home Chicago
Albert King and Gary Moore- Stormy Monday
posted by EKStickland at 9:20 PM on March 29, 2014


canon rock
posted by Sebmojo at 9:21 PM on March 29, 2014


Wes Montgomery playing Coltranes Impressions for Belgian TV in '65.

(Wes Montgomery/guitar, Harold Mabern/piano, Arthur Harper/bass, Jimmy Lovelace/drums)

Wes has absolute command of the guitar here.
posted by The_Auditor at 9:24 PM on March 29, 2014 [1 favorite]


..cant' forget Roy Buchanan playing Misty
posted by The_Auditor at 9:32 PM on March 29, 2014


I'm also partial to the musicality of Joe Satriani's axe heroics.
posted by Sebmojo at 9:38 PM on March 29, 2014


And some excellent flamenco here.
posted by Sebmojo at 10:07 PM on March 29, 2014


Here's Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucia doing Mediterranean Sundance on a Friday Night in San Francisco.

And then the trio (with John Mclaughlin) doing a full concert for A Special Guitar Summernight.
posted by carsonb at 10:37 PM on March 29, 2014 [1 favorite]




Screaming Females' Marissa Paternoster - Lights Out

Josh Williams, Andy Falco, Chris Eldridge - Cherokee Shuffle

Radiohead - Paranoid Android

Les Claypool

Iron Maiden - Hallowed be thy name

RATM - Wake Up

David Gilmour - Comfortably Numb
posted by viramamunivar at 12:22 AM on March 30, 2014


you should check out Shawn Lane
posted by thelonius at 1:27 AM on March 30, 2014


What? No Zappa?
posted by epo at 3:12 AM on March 30, 2014 [1 favorite]


U.F.O. - Rock Bottom (1975)

Rush Working Man Original Drummer John Rutsey 1974 Live

RANDY RHOADS 20 YEARS OLD LIVE SOLO

Back in the day if you were a shy teenage boy - with most of the guitar heroes being young men at the time, playing guitar was how you could find adulation from massive amounts of people - and maybe even have sex and money and a jet plane. Those forces sat millions of boys on the edge of their bed for hour after hour and generated some extremely competent guitar players. And then there is me.

Also woot Al Di Meola.
posted by vapidave at 4:42 AM on March 30, 2014


Steve Vai shreds in Denver
posted by rocketman at 6:51 AM on March 30, 2014 [2 favorites]




Couple of personal favorites:

Tommy Emmanuel
Bjorn Berge
posted by CincyBlues at 8:07 AM on March 30, 2014 [1 favorite]


Stephen Bennett
posted by 4ster at 10:53 AM on March 30, 2014


Eric Johnson always seems criminally overlooked to me. This Austin City Limits episode from 1988 is just the best.
posted by jbickers at 1:03 PM on March 30, 2014


Along with the aforementioned version of the song, this version of Comfortably Numb with Van Morrison singing the David Gilmour part has a couple of fantastic guitar solos.

And thanks for that link to Prince soloing on While My Guitar Gently Weeps!
posted by feste at 2:29 PM on March 30, 2014


Well not technically live, I find it criminal that Paul Gilbert playing Technical Difficulties has not been mentioned.
posted by Silvertree at 5:37 PM on March 30, 2014


Eric Johnson always seems criminally overlooked to me

This 1997 House of Blues show is also great
posted by thelonius at 7:49 PM on March 30, 2014


How about some Ewan Dobson?
posted by Otis at 9:38 AM on March 31, 2014


Go to YouTube. Type "Gary Moore End of the World Brilliant Solo live". Enjoy.

The song itself may not impress you; it's standard 80s pop metal, maybe a bit better played than average. But the three and a half minute solo that starts the song is great.
posted by wittgenstein at 3:39 PM on April 4, 2014


I see that my link to a John Mayer concert has already gone dead, so here's a replacement: the John Mayer Trio.
posted by John Cohen at 2:57 PM on August 11, 2014


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