"I want it to be loud, a little out of control," says Pete Thorn, in his urbane Los Angeles drawl. "There needs to be some feedback."
Even if you've never watched any of Pete's highly regarded YouTube videos exploring the world of cutting-edge guitar gear, you've almost certainly heard his playing before. He's been a first-call session and sideman for huge acts such as the Eagles, Chris Cornell and Alicia Keys. Now, however, he's reflecting on what it takes to recreate rock's greatest hits on stage without the music becoming too predictable or sanitised. "There's got to be some balls..." agrees James Cole, with refreshing directness.
James is Pete's musical partner in the noble (and reassuringly loud) enterprise that is The Classic Rock Show. A veteran racing driver who has competed in Formula 2 and British Touring Car Championships, James has been the musical director of The Classic Rock Show since 2015. Apart from during the pandemic, the show has been on the road every year since 2012, packing out auditoriums up and down the country. Covering everything from Zeppelin to the Eagles and Van Halen over the course of two majestic sets, the eightstrong band has its work cut out, but, for them, it's all part of the fun.
Today, we've joined James and Pete in Eastbourne on the South Coast, which was once the scene of pitched battles between mods and rockers. They're performing here tonight, but with soundcheck not quite ready to begin, they have a bit of time spare to talk about music and show us some of the beautiful guitars they've brought on tour. To kick things off, we ask them about a challenge that all bands that cover classic material face... how slavishly faithful to the original recordings do you need to be?
Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Guitarist.
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Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
QUICK CHANGE
As Gibson finally adds some Quick Connect pickups to its Pickup Shop line-up, Dave Burrluck revisits this simple no-solder method to mod your Modern guitar
Return Of The Rack
A revered rackmount digital delay makes a welcome comeback in pedal form.
Pure Filth
This all-analogue preamp pedal based on Blues Saraceno's amp is a flexible powerhouse with a variety of roles.
Reptile Royalty
From Queen to King - there's another Electro-Harmonix royal vying for the crown of octave distortion
Tradition Revisited
Line 6 refreshes its Helix-based modelling amp range by doubling the number of available amp voicings - and more
Ramble On
Furch's travel guitar folds down so you can transport it in its own custom backpack and, the company claims, it returns to pitch when you reassemble it. Innovation or gimmick?
Redrawing The 'Bird
A fascinating reimagining of one of Gibson's more out-there designs, the Gravitas sticks with vintage vibe and mojo. Oh, and that sound...
1965 Fender Jazz Bass
\"They made them later on, but it's not something I've ever seen this early.
Boss Cube Street II
Regular readers will know that the last time I took the Boss Cube Street II out, I was in rehearsal for a debut gig in London.
STILL CRAZY
One of the most creative yet reliably great-sounding effects makers out there, Crazy Tube Circuits grew out of a fetish for old valve amps. We meet founder Christos Ntaifotis to find out more
