Brian May jams with Alex Skolnick, Bumblefoot and Stu Hamm as an all-star line-up takes on the Hammer to Fall Challenge

As we’ve been happily reporting, Brian May has been a busy man during his self-quarantine, giving lessons on how to play the Bohemian Rhapsody solo, posting “microconcerts” that show the electric guitar player performing Queen classics like Tie Your Mother Down and We Will Rock You and, most recently, “challenging” fans to jam along with him on the 1984 Queen classic Hammer to Fall.

Now that challenge has been accepted once again, and this time by a monster lineup of top-notch musicians, including Alex Skolnick, Bumblefoot, Stu Hamm, Kenny Aronoff and many more.

The all-star Hammer to Fall jam was conceived by Jason McNamara, who runs the LSwFF (Live Stream with Famous Friends) YouTube page. McNamara directed, edited and produced – and also performs in – the clip.

“I had the weirdest dream last night,” jokes McNamara in the video following the epic jam. “They were all there and it was so bizarre.”

The full line up for the all-star Hammer to Fall challenge is Cameron Brown, Bumblefoot and Alex Skolnick on guitars, Stu Hamm on bass, Kenny Aronoff and Marco Minnemann on drums, Debby Holiday, Jeff Scott Soto and Justin Murphy on vocals and James LoMenzo on backing vocals.

And, of course, Mr. Brian May himself adding some riffs on his Red Special.

And a special shout-out to Halestorm drummer and “class clown” Arejay Hale, who can be seen banging along on the garbage cans.

For more information on LSwFF, head to McNamara’s official YouTube channel.

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Richard Bienstock

Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.