“Absolutely fearless”: Teenager shredding Bon Jovi’s You Give Love a Bad Name at her valedictory goes viral

A student's nonchalant shredding has gone viral after she nailed Bon Jovi's '80s hit You Give Love a Bad Name during her valedictory.

Erin Phelan showcased her musical talents in front of a hall full of her schoolmates during the farewell ceremony, for which she played what looks to be Fender's Nebula Noir 70th Anniversary Player Strat. Slick tapping, screaming whammy bar harmonics, and lyric-imitating licks are all a part of Phelan's trick bag, and the video has since gathered widespread attention.

The clip was posted on her school’s official page and has gained over 41,000 likes and nearly 1,000 comments. Her showcase was part of a school leavers' event, with the school drawing attention to the “iconic moment” the teenage shredder provided.

What’s perhaps most impressive, beyond the superlative showing of what she can do on an electric guitar and a pretty tasty tone, is just how at ease she looks while doing that. Phelan is locked in.

Some commenters have described her as “absolutely fearless” and praised her “great phrasing”, while another writes, “This kid does not know how good she is, and that's why this is so good.”

The future of shred guitar looks to be in safe hands. Alongside Phelan, 10-year-old Bay Melnick Virgolino recently made waves on America's Got Talent this year, and he's been benefiting from the coaching of ex-Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro. Youngster Maya Neelakantan – who has been praised by Adam Jones – also made a serious name for herself on the show in 2024.

There's also a nine-year-old who can play arpeggios at insane speeds despite being smaller than his electric guitar, while Tom Morello's son, Roman, has been melting faces on the road with his dad.