The world’s greatest rock guitarist…

by Robert Popper on June 6, 2009 · View Comments

**UPDATE – Have just noticed that the vid I posted below has since been removed. But you can watch Larry Conklin in action here.

Larry Conklin is back again.

BTW 0:49 is a particularly amazing moment of awkwardossity….

I just love the way Conklin talks about the guitar without any real knowledge or conviction. And the closing ‘instrumental medley’ he plays – just a mass of random, slightly out-of-tune chords. Plus those credits – Larry Conklin is listed as ‘Producer’. Man, this is perfection.

{ 20 comments }

1 Nat Saunders June 7, 2009 at 1:07 am

I will possibly watch this every remaining day of my life…

2 dirk June 7, 2009 at 8:17 am

Thank you, it is humbling to witness such true greatness. He must be channelling Link Wray and I will immediately get me a subscription to the dirty channel (see Hot Licks III).

3 beatroute66 June 7, 2009 at 9:08 am

Interestingly if you type ‘Larry Conklin’ into Google, this pops up:

http://www.larryconklin.net/

Hmmn.

And I love the ‘wah wah bar’ – what on earth?!

4 Jen June 7, 2009 at 9:45 am

That was truly painful LOL

5 Dan June 7, 2009 at 10:21 am

Everything about this is so hilarious yet odd. The woman looks like Mel from Flight of the Conchords; the way he says ‘my second best song…I mean my fourth best song’ (realising he’s rubbishing his ‘ballads’ by saying second best)…’I've contacted some people from the music business…’

I wonder if he ever stopped playing…

6 Frank Singgood June 7, 2009 at 8:12 pm

I’m into it. The medley is hilarious.

7 Jim June 8, 2009 at 4:05 pm

‘So Larry, is there anything real soon you’re going to be doing?’.

‘………..no. I think we both know that I won’t be doing anything.’

FIN

8 Guy June 9, 2009 at 11:43 am

Speechless…. the man is a towering genius.

The level of hubris required to make an instructional DVD (when on that evidence he can hardly play) is staggering.

If we all get down on our knees and pray to sweet sweet sweet Jesus to give us that level of confidence in everything we do- then surely nothing can stop us!

I thought ‘whammy bar’ and ‘wah wah pedal’ were different things but no! the mighty LC has put us straight….

Thanks for this, I’m going to lie down in a completely dark room for a few hours now.

9 Cyree June 11, 2009 at 7:32 pm

go with 4th strongest 1st

10 beelay June 12, 2009 at 11:03 am

he’s still better than u2, though

11 John Shepherd June 12, 2009 at 11:14 am

“…. does it take a few months to learn it?”

12 Benn June 12, 2009 at 11:17 am

Where can I get that as-yet untitled opus? That jang-je-jang, je-jaaaang – man oh man. Maybe I should just email the question to his inexplicably numerical address, which sits almost as awkardly on the screen as Mel Conchord’s blank expression sits on her enbloused face

13 suzie June 12, 2009 at 11:19 am

I believe I have a pot of yogurt in my fridge with more life in it than that lady.

Is there a live audience somewhere in that makeshift studio? they both keeping looking shiftily away from each other (oh, that’s because they can see?) and into the pit – or are they trying to work out what the strange man with the Floor Manager badge might mean by running a finger across his throat insistently? If only.

In all likelihood they are checking that the little red light is still on and the powerful vibes of Larry’s guitar haven’t unseated the 55p camcorder from the top of the fridge.

What an inspiration to all those experts out there…

14 Bob Machin June 12, 2009 at 11:38 am

*puts jaw back in place*

I’ll have some of whatever she’s on…

15 Steve Edge June 12, 2009 at 11:39 am

I like the desperate looks to the left of camera where hopefully Jeff Beck is stood desperately mouthing “Whammy bar” and then kicking a runner when Larry spouts alternative shit.

16 John Lambert June 12, 2009 at 12:57 pm

I love Larrys ‘information email’ on the last frame.
Barely readable at a hefty lconklin378799@hotmail.com.
You couldn’t write it.

17 David O'Doherty June 12, 2009 at 7:28 pm

sweet jesus this is good.

Best bit is when he leans across to shake her hand and hits the strings.

18 Phantom Theory June 13, 2009 at 9:28 am

I want to know who “Staff – Stephan” is.

19 Robert Popper June 14, 2009 at 9:51 am

Yo!

20 forked tongue June 16, 2009 at 11:29 pm

She has to be the most dynamic interviewer since Brian Johns on SCTV.

I think my favorite part is when she’s casting around for something–anything–to say about music, and comes up with “like you were saying about Frank Snatcher” (I’m pretty sure she means Sinatra, but it sounds like Snatcher).

“even though he wasn’t a guitarist–”

“Oh yeah, but he was an *excellent* singer.”

High praise from Larry Conklin!

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