Who is that backing guitarist?
January 27, 2011 8:53 PM Subscribe
Who is playing guitar in the background of the MTV Alice in Chains Unplugged? How much heavy lifting is he doing?
This question is totally frivolous, I admit. Usually I ask on here about something of more substance, but here goes.
Who is that guy playing guitar in the background of MTV's Alice in Chains Unplugged? I was just watching this and noticed him. I also noticed he seems to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting guitar playing wise. Is he just an essential dude they needed to hire to recreate that multi guitar layered studio sound? Or was Jerry Cantrell just really really out of practice? I can also see Layne Staley totally reading these lyrics as if he didn't remember them.
Here is a clip:
This question is totally frivolous, I admit. Usually I ask on here about something of more substance, but here goes.
Who is that guy playing guitar in the background of MTV's Alice in Chains Unplugged? I was just watching this and noticed him. I also noticed he seems to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting guitar playing wise. Is he just an essential dude they needed to hire to recreate that multi guitar layered studio sound? Or was Jerry Cantrell just really really out of practice? I can also see Layne Staley totally reading these lyrics as if he didn't remember them.
Here is a clip:
FWIW, you can see Kurt Cobain reading the lyrics in the Nirvana one, too. That's pretty standard in a studio recording session, which Unplugged basically is, aside from the audience.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:01 PM on January 27, 2011
posted by Sys Rq at 9:01 PM on January 27, 2011
I think he was there because it's hard to make a lone acoustic guitar sound as full as it should. Two doubled-up guitars sound more rich and less amateurish. The background guitarist seems to be playing the exact same parts as Jerry Cantrell, except when Cantrell does his solos/licks. That's another reason to have a background guitarist: it tends not to sound so great if the rhythm guitar drops out during the guitar solos (because it's all played by the same one guitarist). Having an extra guitarist on stage is a common practice.
I do think Layne Staley seemed pretty out-of-it in that clip.
posted by John Cohen at 9:07 PM on January 27, 2011
I do think Layne Staley seemed pretty out-of-it in that clip.
posted by John Cohen at 9:07 PM on January 27, 2011
With the reading thing, Michael Stipe once generated some negative press when, for one tour, he took to having a music stand on stage with the lyrics for the songs REM planned to sing.
As for the extra guitar, a good number of bands have extra musicians for tours or live shows to fill out the sound as John Cohen mentions. Alkaline Trio has an extra guitarist for live shows, and if I remember correctly, the touring guitarist for Nirvana (Pat Smear? Germs?) ended up becoming a member of the band on the last album, then a member of Foo Fighters.
posted by Ghidorah at 9:19 PM on January 27, 2011
As for the extra guitar, a good number of bands have extra musicians for tours or live shows to fill out the sound as John Cohen mentions. Alkaline Trio has an extra guitarist for live shows, and if I remember correctly, the touring guitarist for Nirvana (Pat Smear? Germs?) ended up becoming a member of the band on the last album, then a member of Foo Fighters.
posted by Ghidorah at 9:19 PM on January 27, 2011
Response by poster: This all makes sense. thanks everyone.
Poor Laney Staley, that dude was seriously hooked.
posted by Salvatorparadise at 9:20 PM on January 27, 2011
Poor Laney Staley, that dude was seriously hooked.
posted by Salvatorparadise at 9:20 PM on January 27, 2011
Zephyr has it, via wikipedia: The show marked Alice in Chains' only appearance as a five-piece band, adding second guitarist Scott Olson. He is also credited on the album.
posted by haplesschild at 4:51 AM on January 28, 2011
posted by haplesschild at 4:51 AM on January 28, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by zephyr_words at 9:00 PM on January 27, 2011