(MUSE) Matthew Bellamy - Imagine - The Story of the Guitar


c. 2008

MATTHEW: I suppose the real thing that made me pick up the guitar in the beginning, was seeing Jimi Hendrix, I think. I think I was probably about eleven or something. I remember seeing him set fire to his guitar, and I thought 'Well come on, you know, that's got to be the way forward hasn't it', you know?'. Any instrument that you are allowed to set fire to, when people actually cheer you on, that's got to be an instrument worth playing.
(Footage of Muse walking backstage to the stage)
MATTHEW (cont): My dad was in a band called 'The Tornado's'. He did mostly instrumental music in the late 50s, and he had like a big hit with a song called 'Telstar', which was produced by Joe Meek. And my dad was a guitarist in that band.  
(Footage cont)
MATTHEW: I would hear stories of what my dad was like. I think he did a gig with when it was him, Rolf Harris and like The Beatles were playing in some venue in Manchester, and there were so many girls screaming and trying to get in, that the riot police actually ended up with the band in the dressing room. Like the women were fighting the police. So, those kind of stories I sort of grew up with, and I think that always sort of made me, I suppose, excited by the world of touring, you know...for obvious reasons.
(Footage cont)
MATTHEW: The guitar was, I suppose...the guitar was the first thing that made me have the courage, if you like, the first thing that made me stand up and do a performance, and play in front of people, you know. I'm not sure, maybe I'm a sort of naturally shy person or reserved person, or I was particularly back then...and I think that something about the guitar is like you sort of conjure, you're sort of conjuring something up out of yourself, that you can launch out into the guitar, and out into the crowd...and it sort of gives you some kind of freedom. Maybe not to be someone else. But at least bring something else out inside of you that hasn't had the chance to come out yet. You know, I definitely found that through playing the guitar on stage.  
(Footage cont)
MATTHEW: I think I definitely wouldn't be a stage performer, or playing in a band without being able to play the guitar. I think it was that that made me want to get into bands, and be on stage, you know. 


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