Boomers hate it, but the Minecraft video game has taken a generation by storm thanks to its limitless creativity, allowing players to build practically anything they can imagine... such as, apparently, a Gibson Flying V.
Recently guesting on Jimmy Fallon, Jack Black brought such a creation to life, 'shredding' through one hell of an entrance as he made his way to the stage.
Black is the star of the new Minecraft film and wielded the square pixel axe as he made his way to his seat beside Fallon, tapping, playing behind his back, thrusting into it, and throwing out all manner of showboating stops along the way.
Fallon was, unsurprisingly, suitably impressed: “That is how you make an entrance!” he says.
Haters will say the actor and musician mimed – he totally did – and that Kirk Douglas, who delivered a scintillating take on the Sweet Child O' Mine guitar solo during the bit, was the real star of the moment – he totally was.
Playing a Goldtop Gibson Les Paul for the spot (perhaps as a nod to the top-hatted guitar hero who wrote it) Douglas' tight, tasty tone is on point, offering up a pitch perfect, wah-lathered intro before adding some signature flair of his own.
It's a killer solo, and it's a crying shame that the Minecraft V didn't actually get played. It looks the part with a faithful Gibson headstock, two humbuckers and chrome hardware, but whether it makes noise or not is a mystery. Still, that meant Douglas got to strut his stuff instead.
Speaking to Sweetwater, Douglas says seeing a friend's Tobacco Burst Les Paul copy in second grade turned him onto the illustrious appeal of rock 'n' roll, while Eddie Van Halen and church music – often played in his family home – helped him forge a unique voice on the instrument.
Now part of The Roots, both the on-screen version and the stage/studio version, he’s played in Fallon’s house band for well over a decade. During that time, he's seen Joe Perry, Zakk Wylde, and Ace Frehley all sit in with the band.
In that same interview, he revealed how his hero, Vernon Reid, gifted him a Goldtop Les Paul, which may just be the same guitar he used to deliver this white-hot shred-fest with.
In April 2021, Gibson dropped a signature Gibson SG for the guitarist that, packed with features, may just be the most versatile SG on the planet. When you're playing in Fallon's band, you never know what surprises will be in store, so such versatility is vital.
On the show, Fallon has recently been given a loop pedal masterclass from Ed Sheeran and dished out a very silly reimagining of Summer of '69 with Kevin Bacon.
