The reason I know how to use a guitar

I don't think it's possible to overestimate the impact the performance in this video has had on my life.

The first CD I ever bought with my own money - I must've been very young, maybe ten or eleven at most, was the Knocking on Heaven's Door single. One benefit was that it taught me how to spell 'Knocking'. I also distinctly remember getting a fault in an English exam in school for inserting an apostrophy (because of heaven-'s-) where there should not have been one.

All of which pales in comparison with the real impact the video - which was the reason I bought the CD, as the clip from this performance - with the intro always and the audience participation bit almost always edited out - was what the band used as the music video for the song - hours of waiting for MTV to show it. If only there had been YouTube then..., anyway, the real impact of the video was to change my life.

Many, many years later I read in a credible but unremembered interview that the band considered this performance (Freddy Mercury Tribute Concert at the old Wembley Stadium) to be its collective high point. For more videos from this fantastic gig click here. Having just seen GnR's current pathetic formation at the Hammersmith Apollo, I feel like I've been jilted by the only girl I ever truly loved (sorry Zeppelin, but you were just too old - actually, GnR could never touch your musicianship, but then they were Guns N Fucking Roses - say no more!!! It's like you won a Pullitzer, but they know how to suck cock...sorry mum.Hihi). Granted, Axl's voice is on top form, but come on: all true GNR nutters know it's fake at the first solo...

But at the time of this performance... Name me anybody else who could have stepped into these shoes. Click here and wait until the middle bit ends. Axl Rose at the peak of his powers.

Well, I could go on for hours. Trust me, I really could. But all I want to say is

Slash

Despite all the growing up and parallel reservations I've developed since those days, make no mistake, I saw this video and I remember always lying on the floor in my house in Munich, inches from the screen, glued, and it just being so mind-blowingly obvious that this is what I wanted to do when I grow up.

And it hasn't lost one bit. I was once chided at Guitar school for saying: Who needs a girlfriend when you've got a guitar??? The rest of the class booed (but they all knew that the school princess thought I was by far the best... just saying, you know...) anyway, look at it. I still can't help be unsure if it is not just a tad cooler even than the girls...

...so the reason why I know how to play guitar - if I may say, relatively well even - is the second solo in the above clip. No doubt about it and enough said!!