Well, turbulent times yet again… On Woodstock, Hendrix performed the national anthem as a solo in the midst of a medley. Lots of distortion, bending and twisting created the unsettling and bombastic sound, almost like war noises: a protest against the violence carried out under his nation’s flag.
It was not the first time Hendrix had performed the Star Bangled Banner: there are nearly 50 live recordings of Hendrix playing the national anthem (about half of these before Woodstock). The Woodstock version was nearly 4 minutes… and it became iconic.
In ‘Woodstock the Story’ guitarist David Aferiat nearly kills his guitar every night to honor this iconic event.
