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“I forgot to turn my guitar off. A lady passed by, and her dress tail hit the G string. I’ll never forget that. I’ve been doing it ever since”: How Buddy Guy accidentally stumbled upon guitar feedback – a tool that would shape his sound and style

The blues veteran’s approach to playing was changed forever after a random occurrence during an unassuming gig at a Chicago jam night

Though often an accidental and unwanted byproduct, guitar feedback has widely been accepted as yet another expressive tool that players can add to their arsenal in order to inject their playing with some additional color, flair, or personality. Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Pete Townshend are just some of the electric guitar heroes to have adopted feedback as a means to supercharge their performances, as was blues veteran Buddy Guy, who was one of the earliest pioneers of using the noise to his advantage. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt performs with indie rock duo Esme Emerson, and has previously opened for the likes of Ed Sheeran, Keane, Japanese House and Good Neighbours.

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