Here’s a really cool video of Jimi Hendrix on Fire. The dude created a portait of Hendrix using matchsticks, which looks really, really cool – but then he lit them of fire, and the whole thing goes up in flames. Found on YouTube, it’s really cool to watch – plus it has awesome Hendrixy guitar soloing in the background! You can’t beat that.
It’s amazing the impact that Hendrix had on peoples lives that makes them want to make art pieces like this one. If you’re a little younger, maybe you haven’t actually seen the original video of Jimi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 with a can of lighter fluid. At the time The Who were destroying gear on stage at the end of their set, and Hendrix had been playing the song Fire in their set. Mitch Mitchell mentioned it would be fun if he actually played with fire on stage after playing that song, a roadie went to get the lighter fluid and the rest is history. However, this video at Monterey was not the first time Hendrix had done this trick. He had done it before earlier on the tour. This is just the famous time everyone is familiar with.
If you like reading about the life of Hendrix the book Burning Desire: The Jimi Hendrix Experience through the Lens of Ed Caraeff might be for you. I read a lot of musician biographies, and have read quite a few about the life of Jimi Hendrix. I had not heard of this one before, and it has ties to this guitar burning moment at Monterey Pop. You might have seen this picture which appeared on the cover of rolling stone (twice):
That picture was taken by Ed Caraeff when he was only 17 years old. He was sitting on a chair at the side of the stage when Hendrix burned his guitar at Monterey Pop and he snapped this iconic pic. Hendrix liked it so much that asked Caraeff to travel with him and take more photos. Caraeff describes how he went on to take pictures for Iggy Pop, Dolly Parton, The Doors, Elton John, Bob Dylan and more. This is a really cool book because it not only has pictures you’ve never seen before (many from backstage), but the stories and quotes were taken first hand.
I am always surprised how many Hendrix fans have not seen this book (or the pictures in it). This is a heavy 9×12″ coffee table book with over 200+ thick pages of photos – it’s worth every penny.
[atkp_product id=’6396′][/atkp_product]