Legendary guitar shredder Steve Vai recently revealed that he plays a part in the forthcoming Foo Fighters horror-comedy movie, Studio 666.
But it’s not a role viewers would necessarily spot without the rocker’s help.
That’s because Vai lent a hand to the film’s production in a way that mostly obscures his identity — but not his guitar chops — as the musician shared in a Twitter thread on Thursday (Feb. 17).
“Last night I attended the premiere screening of the new [Foo Fighters] movie Studio 666,” Vai began. “What a hoot! The movie is just off the charts gory and funny. Our favorite Foos are cast in a haunted house where Dave becomes possessed and starts doing strange things.”
Vai continued, “There’s this one scene where Dave is trying to explain to the band what he wanted them to play, but he is half out of his mind and starts wailing wildly. Dave doesn’t actually shred as a guitar player, and I actually live a 3 minute walk from where they were filming.”
He added, “So Dave called me and asked if they could shoot my hands and shredding for the scene. It was a glorious blast of demonic shred pleasure and when I saw it in the theater, I had to throw my head back and laugh out loud.”
It’s not the first time Vai has lent his talents to a movie without showing his face. In 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, the musician provides the various guitar riffs played by characters in the film. He also contributed to the movie’s official soundtrack album.
Vai also famously played the Devil’s henchman guitar wiz Jack Butler in the ’80s film Crossroads, not only lending his skills to his own character’s playing but dubbing some of the guitar for Ralph Macchio’s composition.
Studio 666 opens only in theaters on Feb. 25. Vai recently postponed his touring for the year due to injury. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Foo Fighters recently released the movie song “March of the Insane” and added dates to their 2022 North American tour.
Watch the Studio 666 trailer beneath Vai’s tweets.
