Music is the universal language
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - Luke 2:14
General Interest
“I watched Tony a lot. We became friends. It was emotional – not in a ‘pinch me!’ sense, but realizing how on-point he was – and how much he was not phoning in that performance”: Rival Sons’ Scott Holiday on what it’s like to open a Black Sabbath show
“My dad stepped in to greet the ensemble – and then in came The King”: Billy Gibbons shares the story of the “treasured moment” he sat in on a B.B. King session – as a child
Steel: Dave Biller
On Episode 13 of Steel, we catch up with guitarist and steel player Dave Biller. Based in Austin since the ’90s, Dave’s played with everyone from Johnny Bush and Ray Price to Jimmie Vaughan and Charley Crockett.
There aren’t many musicians who can play a classic country E9 gig in the afternoon, hit a jazz club on six-string that night, and then compose a piece for a chamber orchestra the next day…but Dave can.
We talk about his winding musical path through rock, metal, jazz, and country; his various musical obsessions, including John Coltrane, Jimmy Day, and Django Reinhardt; and the hotel room conversation that led him to spend a decade immersing himself fully in pedal steel.
Read more about Dave and hear some of his music at the links below:
Read more about Dave at the following links:
Steel is brought to you by the Fretboard Journal magazine and is mixed by Armen Bazarian.
The post Steel: Dave Biller first appeared on Fretboard Journal.
“It just never felt like it worked with Queens. There’s something about it – it’s a little too ordinary”: Troy Van Leeuwen explains why Queens of the Stone Age are not a Fender Strat band
The ’70s rock guitarist The Kinks’ Dave Davies calls the “great and underrated guitar player of the time”
The ‘70s played host to no shortage of guitar heroes. But there’s one, Dave Davies says, who stood head and shoulders above the rest.
In a new conversation with Uncut, The Kinks guitarist breaks down some of the albums that have shaped his musical journey, and highlights Mountain’s Nantucket Sleighride (1971) as one such record.
- READ MORE: “I hope we did Rory right”: Joe Bonamassa reflects on “emotional” Rory Gallagher tribute gigs
“Mountain were a great influence,” he says. “They made heavy tones heavier and their sound was innovative: great production and bass by Felix Pappalardi, Corky Laing on drums and Steve Knight on keyboards – all cool.
“Plus Leslie West was a great and underrated guitar player of the time and he really stands out on this album. The song Nantucket Sleighride in particular is a momentous piece of music, a powerful blend of hard rock and melody.”
He goes on: “I never saw Mountain play live, but I did play on a bill with Leslie West in 2001. I didn’t get to know him well and I feel sad about that, but he was very nice during our short meeting. I was sad to hear of his death in 2020. He was rock ‘n’ roll to the roots.”
Last year, Dave Davies made clear his thoughts about AI-generated music, when he caught wind of one such track made to sound like a Kinks song.
“What the fuck is this?” he wrote on X. “This Kinks AI cover is like a horror show, sounds fucking horrible.”
The post The ’70s rock guitarist The Kinks’ Dave Davies calls the “great and underrated guitar player of the time” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“More of the glassy sparkle that Tele neck pickups always lacked”: DiMarzio is determined to make you like the Tele neck pickup position with its new Muscle T set
Can you keep up? 6 minor pentatonic licks that go FASTER!
“The solution to your Tele neck pickup headaches and a fitting farewell for the godfather of heavy metal”: This is all the new guitar gear that has caught my eye this week – and it includes my new dream reverb machine
If I was starting guitar again today, this is the first deal I’d jump on – get $1,000 worth of content for just $125.65 with Guitar Tricks' Summer Black Friday
“I felt like it was going to be a scam but emailed them anyway, signing off as Este Haim”: How Este Haim ended up buying her dream ’70s Fender Precision Bass on Craigslist for a bargain – from one of her favorite guitarists
Guitar World deals of the week: save $850 on a Music Man, get $10 guitar lessons, plus all the best early Prime Day guitar deals
“That’s how we’re gonna know we’ve found the right one”: Gibson steps up the search for the lost Back to the Future guitar – and its discovery hinges on one key spec
Learn to Play Dave Van Ronk’s Freewheeling Take on “The Entertainer” | AG Patreon Song of the Month
“My first reaction was, ‘There’s only one Les Paul.’ I prolonged the conversation”: Gibson spent years trying to convince Warren Haynes to work on a signature guitar – this is what changed his mind
These are the best 4th of July acoustic guitar deals I’ve ever seen – here’s the 9 models I’d buy
“I said, ‘Ted, you can see inside the horn, it's got a maple cap.’ He goes, ‘Shut up’”: Paul Reed Smith says early Les Pauls were all Goldtops to hide a tonal breakthrough from Leo Fender
“I did it the old-fashioned way”: Herman Li squashes the assumption that DragonForce only became successful because of Guitar Hero
![[L-R] Herman Li and Sam Totman of DragonForce](https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Herman-Li-Sam-Totman@2000x1500.jpg)
The inclusion of Through the Fire and Flames in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock brought DragonForce legions of new fans. But according to guitarist Herman Li, it’s a misconception that the band’s success is entirely attributable to Guitar Hero.
In a new conversation with Lee Anderton on the Andertons YouTube channel, Li recalls the journey DragonForce – which he founded in 1999 alongside co-guitarist Sam Totman – had prior to Guitar Hero catapulting their fame to new heights.
“I did it the old-fashioned way,” he asserts. “So, my demo CD, I would go and harass record label people backstage at festivals – at Wacken [Open Air] festival – I did it the old-school way.
“And we did our shows, and I would show videos of our live shows. Because you [still had to] show that part back then.
“So in 2004, on our first album, we got to Japan already for Halloween. It was like, ‘Wow, this show is my dream come true, I can’t believe it. I’m playing Japan, doing a tour!’
“It kind of went pretty quickly. In 2004, we did an Iron Maiden tour in Europe. And we did our own headline shows, too, playing in front of 200-300 people.
“And then when the third album came out [2005’s Inhuman Rampage] – about a year before Guitar Hero, probably a year and half actually, it kind of already blew up. We did the Ozzfest on the main stage – first time ever.
“Before that we had sold out a US tour without ever releasing an album. So it was kind of blowing up, and then they wanted to put us in Guitar Hero.”
The interview also sees Herman Li showcasing his brand-new PRS Chleo signature model – an ultra-limited design loaded with Fishman Fluence pickups, dragon inlays in place of the classic PRS birds, glow-in-the-dark side dots and a range of voice options.
Limited to only 200 units worldwide, the Chleo is said to be the result of four years worth of R&D.
Learn more at PRS.
The post “I did it the old-fashioned way”: Herman Li squashes the assumption that DragonForce only became successful because of Guitar Hero appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“People laughed at us, saying, ‘Why are you playing guitar solos? This is so lame.’ We thought, ‘Let's go even faster’”: Herman Li on how Guitar Hero helped make guitar solos cool again – and why grunge killing off the shred scene wasn’t a bad thing
“Oz said, ‘Let’s just do Free Bird twice. That should take up an hour!’” Zakk Wylde on Tony Iommi’s genius, Black Sabbath’s immeasurable influence – and Ozzy’s unlikely Back to the Beginning demands
Tony Iommi is signing two Gibson SG Standards backstage at Back to the Beginning – here’s how you can get one
How would you like to be the proud owner of a new Gibson SG Standard, signed by Tony Iommi backstage at Black Sabbath’s forthcoming Back to the Beginning farewell show?
Well, you’ll probably be competing with thousands of others, but with a new auction – the proceeds of which will go to charity – you’re in with a chance.
- READ MORE: “I hope we did Rory right”: Joe Bonamassa reflects on “emotional” Rory Gallagher tribute gigs
The guitars – donated by Gibson – will be signed by the Godfather of Heavy Metal backstage at Sabbath’s swansong show, which will take place tomorrow (5 July).
Along with the last ever performance from the original Sabbath lineup – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – Back to the Beginning will see support from a who’s who of metal’s elite, including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Gojira, Lamb of God and many more.
The guitars – one in black and one in Cherry Red – are being auctioned via ozzyauction.co.uk until 10pm UK time on Sunday, 6 July. All proceeds will go to three charities chosen by the Osbourne family: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Credit: Gibson
“It’s an honour to pay tribute to Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath, and it’s back to the beginning for me as well,” reflects Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian.
“I started playing guitar because of Black Sabbath and Tony’s riffs. Tony is ‘the rifflord’ and the bands paying tribute to Black Sabbath on this epic day owe a great deal to them for paving the way for heavy metal.
“I am deeply honoured to call Tony my friend, my adopted godfather, and to have had the chance to collaborate with him at Gibson and on the single Deconstruction, co-written with [System Of A Down’s] Serj Tankian.”
He concludes: “I wouldn’t be at Gibson without that moment when I was 10 years old, when after discovering Black Sabbath, my life in music unfolded from that point onward.
“All of us at Gibson are proud to be playing a part in this epic last show and going back to where everything began for Black Sabbath!”
Alongside the guitar auction, Gibson will be present backstage at the event with a selection of guitars and interactive experiences, including a photo booth with Indian Motorcycle “as part of the unforgettable backstage environment available for the performers, VIP guests and industry legends.
Learn more at ozzyauction.co.uk.
The post Tony Iommi is signing two Gibson SG Standards backstage at Back to the Beginning – here’s how you can get one appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Pages
