Watch Guitar Icons Make Mistakes Live

They weave magic with their fingers, conjure sonic storms with a twist of a knob, and command audiences with riffs that burrow deep into your soul. They are the guitar gods, legends whose names are etched in the pantheon of rock ‘n’ roll.

But even gods stumble, and even legends flub a note or two. The stage, that crucible of adrenaline and electricity, can be a treacherous place, where flawless takes surrender to the unpredictable tango of live performance.

In the video below, watch the light-hearted moments when the six-string sang off-key, when heroes dropped chords like forgotten picks, and the only pyrotechnics were the sparks of nervous laughter.

We celebrate the imperfections, the human cracks in the carefully polished armor of rock royalty, for they remind us that even the divine are wired to err, and that sometimes, the most electrifying music is born not from flawless execution, but from the raw, heart-stopping thrill of recovery.

Even the best fumble once or twice

What you saw are renowned guitar legends, deities whose creations will be forever remembered by generations of rock fans. But even these guitar maestros slip on the six-string.

But how often do they make mistakes live? It isn’t really that rare. In fact, most live performers have experienced fumbling once during live performances. 

From the squeaky trumpet of a middle schooler to the occasional slip-up of a concert hall legend, mistakes are part of the musical journey. What most musical giants honed to near perfection is the most crucial skill a musician can have: the art of recovery.

This skill is what separates the Bachs from the blechs, and the Liszts from the lisps. It’s the difference between music that flows flawlessly and a train wreck of missed notes. With it, you can make your audience hear perfection, even if your fingers stumble. Without it, every hiccup becomes a spotlight on your imperfections.

Some of these mistakes make the headlines

But some mistakes are really way too famous, that nearly no amount of brilliance can cover it up. Paul McCartney, one-quarter of the hallowed Fab Four, had his slip-ups that made the headlines.

Mid-way through his epic 30-song live set in Canada, Macca hit a snag during his usual showstopper, “Live and Let Die”. The ex-Beatle, known for his playful stage presence, seemed to miss a note in a soft section of the song. Glancing at his drummer, a chuckle escaped his lips as he sang the final word of the line, “makes you give in and cry, say live and let die.”

To add insult to injury, the pyrotechnics team, seemingly in a different time zone, launched the grand finale fireworks several seconds late, missing their cue entirely. The intended synchronized spectacle instead landed with a comedic “Live and let d’oh!” effect, leaving the audience and, presumably, McCartney himself, with a mix of amusement and bemusement.

Well, that’s quite tame compared to the fiasco that was his iconic solo performance at the Live Aid in 1985. While playing “Let It Be” towards the end of the Wembley event, the microphone attached to his piano malfunctioned for the first two minutes of the song, making it difficult for fans in the stadium and television watchers to hear him.

And some mistakes make it to the album

Well, forget drunken onstage chaos or the occasional stiff-finger blunders, some of the most glorious mistakes of your favorite rock deities grace actual albums! 

Did that off-key note make it to the final cut? Was that hilarious flub deemed the “best take?” The reasons, from raw energy to hidden chuckles, are as diverse as the music itself. And for fans, the thrill of uncovering a new slip-up is like finding a secret treasure map.

From Ronnie Van Zant lamenting his donuts in “Sweet Home Alabama”, to Ringo Starr’s squeaky shoes in “A Day in the Life”, to that laughter at the start of The Police’s “Roxanne”. These are all mistakes that made the recording, forever etched in the soundwaves of history.

But there’s one that’s really iconically unrepeatable. Metallica’s Kirk Hammett accidentally created a unique musical moment on the band’s 1986 album Master of Puppets. During the solo for the title track, he yanked an E string off the fretboard, producing a distinctive sound that perfectly fit the lyrics “I’m pulling your strings”.