Inspirational Guitar Movie Moments - a list.

Guitars probably look pretty much alike to the average person. Pointy bit, sticky bit, chunk you strap on and strum. But in the world of the apprentice guitar-nerd, the simple shape, colour and features of every guitar evoke stories, memories, emotions and a thirst for more knowledge. A lot like my other passion for racing bicycles.

A bunch of emotive moments from movies have been coming back to me lately, as the Lonely Planet band have been rehearsing and performing for the summer season. I've been having these "that's just like the scene in ..." deja vu feelings. All of these movies make me want to leave this keyboard this instant and pick up the Strat instead - no other instrument is as evocative for me.

Rules of the list are that it can't be a movie or show that is actually about a real band. Thought I'd get to 10, but stalled at #8. All debate duly welcomed!

1. Wayne's World (1992) - "It will be mine - oh yes - it will be mine"


An iconic moment in this much-loved movie. The best guitar playing is undoubtedly Cassandra's band, but Wayne's attainment of the white Fender Stratocaster (which he refers to as Excalibur) in his local music shop is a triumph.

I have come to realise that as a wannabe guitarist you very much need to have one good "May I help you?" riff in your fingers to have ready when you are sifting through your local guitar store and require some assistance. Stumbling over an open G just is not rock. Wayne of course is the master.

The other two required riffs (just in case you were wondering) are the "I've just turned my amp on" riff at rehearsal (call this your signature chord, ideally timid people will jump when you hit it); and the "sound check riff", a longer arrangement which is the rock equivalent of a dog urinating to mark its patch on stage. Lenny Kravitz serves me well at this time, but I will admit deep jealousy at my Slabotomy friends Vivek and Ian's sound-check virtuosity.

Since this is the internet, I'm duty bound to bootleg the video of the "May I help you" moment:




2. This is Spinal Tap (1984)


Nigel Tufnel is my hero - and in 2011 (11/11/11) it is proposed to hold the first global Nigel Tufnel day. Responsible with a simple slip of the apostrophe for the infamous 18 inch stonehenge, he explains why when I see a Gibson or Epiphone Flying V guitar, a strange voice in my head goes "yeah, I could do that..."

I should probably aspire to a more respectable V-playing hero like Albert King.

Anyway, Spinal Tap as a shocking spoof of everything bad in rock music is actually a wonderful taste of what joy you can experience on stage, with a guitar strapped on and your amp turned to 11. Well, 5 actually, or Ian gets on my case.

3. Back to the Future (1985) - "whatever you do Marty..."

Episode 1 - Marty goes up to Doc Browns laboratory, and finding him not at home proceeds to do what every teenager who has ever watched this movie wants him to do, urges him to do - plug that guitar in, and turn it up. You know exactly what is coming, and it still takes your breath away, crummy 1980s special effects and all.

The guitar is a weird one, you don't really see it much - sort of a futuristic thing you'd expect to be lying around a mad inventor's laboratory. But it's not the guitar, it's the moment - clearly it's Marty's "I am plugged in" rehearsal opening chord.

4. Back to the future (1985) - Johnny B Goode

"Alright guys, this is a blues riff in B, watch me for the changes and try to keep up." Like some kind of incantation, Marty's words haunted me for years - what did that gibberish mean? Sounded very cool though, and seemed to work for the band. A famous Chuck Berry song, Johnny B Goode was not written until 3 years after the scene in the movie was set, which adds some humour to the moment.

I'm pretty sure it is a Gibson ES335 he is playing. So that explains my deep irrational yearnings for one, either in red or BB King black.

With luck the bootlegged video is still available for you to view on Vimeo.

marty mcfly - johnny b. goode from etsw on Vimeo.

5. Crossroads (1986)

A great scene from a terribly cheesy movie about a kid (a karate kid no less ;-) who drops out from the Julliard music school and goes on the road, ultimately acting out that great old country song The Devil Went down to Georgia in a battle with Satan's own guitarist - who just happens to be Steve Vai. Who is quite probably the right guy for that role.

Ry Cooder played all the guitar for Ralph Macchio in the movie - I won't linger in the guitar pseud's corner for long (because there are plenty of weird looking guys there already) but needless to say the music easily overcomes the plot, and I am always a sucker for a bit of redemption. With a Fender Telecaster you say? With the blues? I'll have an extra helping thankyou. And if I find myself in the same situation at some stage, I'll be looking around for Travis to help me out.

If you have the patience, the final duel scene can be viewed here:

6. The Blues Brothers (1980) - Ray's Music Exchange

I've written about this before, and of course, I own that very guitar in the picture. There is so much great guitar and bass playing in the movie, and yet it is in the background to the two main characters Jake and Elwood. I like the way Mad Guitar Murphy, Steve Cropper and Donald Duck Dunn are away from the limelight but drive this movie all the way home.

Doubtless a trained psychologist would observe that standing in the background being super-competent is akin to my own approach to life, which occasionally I have learned to overcome, ironically recently with the Lonely Planet band.

7. Oh Brother Where art Thou? (2000)

Hmm - the blues again. Guitars again. Wikipedia does a good summary of the circumstances in which a fictional character is crafted from the real bluesman and the legend of Robert Johnson cutting a deal with the devil (seeing a pattern yet anyone?):

"In the 2000 movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? there is a character named Tommy Johnson (played by Chris Thomas King) who sold his soul to the devil to play guitar. He plays accompaniment for the Soggy Bottom Boys (a band consisting of the film's three main protagonists plus Johnson) on "Man of Constant Sorrow".

The character of Tommy Johnson in O Brother, Where Art Thou? is reminiscent of the real Tommy Johnson, who used to talk about how "he sold his soul to the devil" at a crossroads in return for making up songs and playing the guitar. The character plays a number of songs by blues musician Skip James. The character was not based on the better-known bluesman Robert Johnson, as some have speculated."

99% of the music in the movie is bluegrass or country, but a couple of soulful moments are captured when Tommy gets to play his guitar. A solid reminder that the beauty is in the simplicity of life - so few notes, so few words, so much meaning. Another thing for me to aspire to I suspect, as a master of too many words and too many things.

8. School of Rock (2003)


This movie ticks all the boxes - humour, music and good old redemption again. How exactly Jack Black manages to make all those instruments work without alerting the entire school district with the noise is a practical detail I am prepared to ignore.

My favourite scene is where the kids start to jam for the first time - Zach on the Flying V guitar, and Lawrence on keys. I recall the joy of the first time I played an electric guitar, fresh from 18 months ago when Rich Durnall handed over his vintage Strat and said "try this". I have observed the same wondrous look in many people's eyes since - the capacity to make so much noise from just a little strum!

To see Noah actually play in a real-life school of rock right here in Melbourne through 555 Music is a weird bit of life imitating art. And long may life imitate art, I say.