Watch Stevie Ray Vaughan Tear It Up at the Tornado Jam in May 1980
Recetly, the good folks over at Legacy Recordings posted some unbelievably rare footage of a young Stevie Ray Vaughan in action with Double Trouble.
Head to the bottom of this story to see a 25-year-old Vaughan perform May 11, 1980, at the first Tornado Jam in Lubbock, Texas, an outdoor event.
The incredible six-minute-long clip starts off with the mid-section of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing." Then, at 1:01, we get a decent look at SRV's 1980 amps.
At 1:13, as the cameraman focuses on a bikini-clad fan standing in the front row, Vaughan starts to introduce Double Trouble; that's Jackie Newhouse on bass and Chris Layton on drums.
After Stevie takes a quick break backstage (clearly visible to the crown), he grabs his Strat and launches into a smoldering set that the Lubbock fans simply can't seem to get enough of. He kicks things off with "Collins Shuffle," which also can be heard on Live at Montreux (the 1982 disc).
Not to state the obvious, but it's very rewarding, fun, cool (insert your own adjectives here), etc. to see SRV, a native Texan, perform in front of an appreciative Texas crowd—back when he was still a locally known yet rising star.
Damian Fanelli is the online managing editor at Guitar World and Guitar Aficionado. His New York-based band, the Blue Meanies, has toured the world and elsewhere. Fanelli, a former member of Brooklyn jump-blues/swing/rockabilly band the Gas House Gorillas and New York City instrumental surf-rock band Mister Neutron, also composes and records film soundtracks. He writes GuitarWorld.com's The Next Bend column, which is dedicated to B-bender guitars and guitarists. His latest liner notes can be found in Sony/Legacy's Stevie Ray Vaughan: The Complete Epic Recordings Collection. Follow him on Facebook,Twitter and/or Instagram.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
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