“One time, David Bowie and I sat in my living room, just the two of us, and drank coffee and played ‘Heroes’ on acoustic guitar”: Moby on meeting his idols
“The countryside freaks me out – there’s not enough noise”: Martyn Ware on how the sound of the city encourages creativity
“I broke down in tears, sobbing like a baby. I was sobbing, like wailing, sobbing, and I couldn’t believe it”: Dave Grohl reveals how jamming with AC/DC reduced him to a blubbing wreck
“Billy Idol went, ‘Bloody hell, that’s David Bowie!’ And as he says ‘Bowie’, he barfs. Vomits all over the place”: Nile Rodgers recalls his embarrassing first meeting with the Thin White Duke
“I was so nervous. My hands were shaking. I see these guys in the front row thinking I’m going to give up”: Michael Angelo Batio recalls the first time he played his two-neck ambidextrous guitar – in front of 23,000 people
“I heard this melody. I said, ‘Who’s that singing?’ and someone said, ‘No one. That’s him playing slide’”: Buddy Guy on the most under-appreciated blues guitarist, the problems with his early records, and learning rhythm
“Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix are great guitar players, but Johnny influenced a whole generation who realized you don’t have to play that great to be great”: Why Johnny Ramone was a different kind of guitar hero
“He plugged into one of my amps. Me, Steve and John Petrucci were just stunned”: Joe Satriani and Steve Vai on what happened when Billy Gibbons and Brian May played through their rigs
“After tracking with Ozzy, I’d drink until 6am, walk back to my room, pick up my guitar and start writing. By the time Ozzmosis was finished, I had Book of Shadows written”: Zakk Wylde on the power of acoustic guitar, tonewood myths and Pantera’s future
Mick Jagger gives Sam Fender the seal of approval as he covers a Rolling Stones classic for the John Lewis Christmas ad: “I think he’s done a great job with it”
