The 2024 Olympics closing ceremony in Paris's Stade De France managed to straddle the Atlantic with some AAA artists, but two players and their electric guitars captured our attention for very different reasons.
We now know the full details of one of them: H.E.R's new Arctic Pearl White Fender Strat she used to perform the US national anthem was custom-built by luthier Brian Thrasher – who has also worked on one-off Starcasters for Blink-182's Tom DeLonge.
Fender has revealed it features the kind of sculpted rear contours for "enhanced playability" that we've seen the company explore on its Ultra range. The maple neck is a Modern D with a satin finish and a 10-14" compound radius fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets.
Pickups are Ultra Noiseless Vintage single-coil pickups and the Strat also boasted a mirrored gold pickguard with matching hardware for a winning Olympic touch.
"I've never been so nervous and so excited at the same time," H.E.R wrote on Instagram after the performance. "Can't believe this really happened." The musician also revealed she was wowed by Tom Cruise abseiling into the festival as she and the band jammed.
But elsewhere it was a silver aluminum guitar that had us asking questions…
The guitar in question is a Veleno – the same brand the late Steve Albini owned examples of and loaned one in particular to Kurt Cobain for tracking parts of In Utero. Builder John Veleno made around 200 guitars in the 1970s before he passed away but the brand is now back and selling models for around $8,500 with the first two runs already sold out. But who was using one at the Olympics to perform a spotlight solo?
We don't know – they were hooded, cloaked and masked when they appeared after home country heroes Phoenix, Kavinsky and a guest appearance with Angèle and Cambodian rapper VannDa. With the incredible opportunities for exposure being offered to these artists in a ceremony watched by a global audience of millions, it seems strange such a moment would mask only one musician.
But in the clip above certainly looked cool after VannDa's verse and featuring tapping alongside some Slash-y legato, before Air's more chilled-out performance with Phoenix.
However, as the internet has killed off the age of rock mystique, it didn't take long for the identity of the masked Veleno avenger to be revealed.
It was French guitar player and frequent and Phoenix collaborator Noé Efira.
“Those at Warfield yesterday have seen the best live version of Funky Squaredance [from the album United] yet thanks to out childhood friend Noé," wrote the indie band on a social media reel of the performance above. “He was the one who played the guitar solo on the album version back in 2000.”
You can give Noé Efira a follow over on his guitar Instagram account, Noe's Garage Jams.
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“I was thrashing that guitar to pieces, and I don’t play like that anymore”: Prog rock legend Steve Howe of Yes reveals what he’s learned in 60 years of playing
“I hope the future guitarists who acquire these items are able to move closer to the genius who played them”: Over 130 of Jeff Beck’s guitars and amps headed to auction, including his Tele-Gib, Yardburst Les Paul and 'Blow By Blow' Oxblood Les Paul
