Something incredible happened when Craig Goldy, Vinnie Moore, and Uli Jon Roth came to Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry as part of the Extreme Guitar Tour. These titans of the guitar world turned back time, and transported the entire audience back to the 80’s with their music. Now, being a 90’s kid, I never had the privilege of seeing these guys play when they were selling out arenas all over the world; but that night, it didn’t matter. The show these guys put on had me throwing up the “rock on horns” and head banging my non-existent, flowing blond hair.
Craig Goldy opened the show with his band Black Knight Rising and immediately captured the audience; playing everything from original songs to throwback songs from the band Dio, Goldy’s former band. I knew I was in for something special as Goldy’s performance delivered goosebumps , hitting me with wave after wave of pure musical genius.
The crescendo of incredible music continued when Vinnie Moore took the stage as the second act of the evening. Moore is an incredibly technical guitarist the likes of which the modern music scene is lacking. Almost hypnotic, his guitar playing was perfect for the intimate setting of the music hall. The way Moore conveyed power and emotion through his instrument is something only a true master of the six-string can do.
Closing out the show was legend and former guitarist of The Scorpions, Uli Jon Roth. Seeing him play live reminded me just how much I love music in general. Roth made impossible riff’s seem effortless as his years of practicing and playing converged into a 40 minute set of pure energy. In general, I left the show with a newly restored faith in rock music. I may not have experienced the 80’s music scene in person, but seeing the Extreme Guitar Tour allowed me to sample the best the 80’s had to offer.
Photo credit- Ken Gesualdo
