2.07.2009

Shred Mania

So I just know you want to be transported to the 80s guitar shredding period of music through some modern day weird Japanese TV game show.

So here you are:



Marty Friedman vs. Paul Gilbert on Rock Fujiyama.

3 comments:

Hex said...

From what I understand, this is a show that Marty Friedman hosts (along with the other two or three folks). His wife is native Japanese so after he quit Megadeth he moved there, learned the language, and then sort of capitalized on their love of shredder culture by starting this show.

Gilbert lived in Japan for a while too, but it's funny -- because most of the rest of the clips of the show feature guitarists who can't speak Japanese at all, and are clearly put off by all the weirdness going on around them.

I also think it's telling that when Slayer's Kerry King is on, none of that stuff happened at all.

I actually love that little game idea where you name the band, name the guitarist, and then have to play a song by them -- but I'd probably lose instantly because ..um, who cares who the guitarist for Foghat was?

All that aside, there's something funny about the way the show is sort of a live-action manga/anime, complete with ninjas just "hanging out" and captions on the screen for awkward moments.

Green shots, ftw.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, the funny thing is Fiedman's Japanese is marginal, but Gilbert's pronunciation isn't too bad.

The game is fantastic. Not only do you have to know the band, the guitarists name but you have to know the the beginning lick (or identifiable lick).

The ninjas are hilarious. I would totally watch this show, but Paul Gilbert won a fan.

Hex said...

If you're not a total shred-head, Gilberts music can leave you pretty cold (despite the fact that he's an amazing guitarist), but the simple truth is that he's one of the most likeable guys in that small community (case in point, Yngwie Malmsteen is reportedly an a-hole of legendary proportions who once punched an old lady on an airplane -- I am not making that last part up).

It's amazing he's such a jovial guy though, because apparently all he ever does is practice.

I consider him something akin to Tony Hawk, who is admittedly much more famous, but also an amazingly likable guy who is tied to a largely unlikable community.

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