Live Performances from Classic Rockers

Originally from South Africa and now residing in England, Mike de Jager is a professional guitarist. He has been involved with NWOBHM and played for Judas Priest founder Al Atkins on a 2006 UK tour and on his “Demon Deciever” album, among various other gigs. In June 2006, de Jager brought his love for guitarists to the web with the launch of Guitarist TV.

The low-budget site is mostly a vehicle to showcase the videos, which are categorized into the embedded player’s three channels: performances, interviews, and guitar lessons. The main videos last anywhere from three to ten minutes and consist of one song, performed either in a music video or live at the Birmingham Symphony Hall

in England. The roster of performers includes of heavy metal band members gone solo, as most are introduced with the words, “former lead guitarist for…”. Headlining is Joe Satriani, guitar guru and heavy metal legend. His guitar “scratching” and fret-picking are surprisingly melodic, despite the genre; he even sounds like a jazz musician at times, improvising and carrying his 10-minute solos to new levels of creativity.