Mike McCready says Fender used to get “really pissed” at his guitar-smashing habit: “I’ve taken out 70 guitars or something”
Guitar-smashing has long been a controversial yet iconic act in rock music, often seen as embodying the genre’s rebellious spirit, artistic expression, and the raw energy of live performances.
From Pete Townshend’s ritualistic obliteration of axes to the destructive antics of Muse’s Matthew Bellamy, who holds the Guinness World Record for smashing a staggering 140 guitars in a single tour, this practice has captivated audiences and sparked endless debates about its meaning and implications.
Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready recently reflected on his own guitar-smashing history, including how Fender would often get “really pissed” at him for his actions back in the day.
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Speaking on The Rock podcast, McCready looks back on Pearl Jam’s European tour two years ago, during which the band’s frontman Eddie Vedder fell ill, leading to the cancellation of several shows.
McCready recalls the anxiety that gripped him as they faced the prospect of ending the tour on a low note [via Ultimate Guitar]: “I was like, ‘Oh my God, we’re not gonna be able to finish this tour. We’re gonna have to end on not a good note.’”
Fortunately, Vedder recovered in time for their last show in Amsterdam, where McCready’s excitement reached a boiling point. As the band wrapped up their set with a cover of Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World, McCready went to town with his guitar, taking out his pedalboard and amp in the process as well.
“Ed got better, and I was so excited to play our last show in Amsterdam,” he explains. “So, out of excitement, I decided to destroy the guitar and my pedalboard.”
McCready’s history with guitar destruction is well-documented, having smashed over 70 guitars over the decades.
“I have a long career of doing that,” he says. “In my early days, I’ve taken out 70 guitars or something like [that], a lot. Enough [that] Fender Guitars that I originally was with were really pissed with me, because every one they gave me, I broke back in the day… Early on, they had to put them back together, which was a nightmare for George Webb [Pearl Jam’s longtime tech & equipment manager].”
“That was kind of a celebratory [act of], ‘We’re getting to finish this thing on a good note, I’m gonna go crazy.’ And that may happen — you never know when that happens,” the guitarist continues. He says that these days however, he tries to “do it less” because “now I feel more guilt about it, like ‘I should give this guitar to somebody. I shouldn’t break it.’”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
