In a recent interview with São Paulo’s 89 FM A Rádio Rock radio station, Nuno Bettencourt, the esteemed guitarist of Extreme, delved into his remarkable experience performing alongside Paul McCartney, the legendary icon of The Beatles, at the 57th annual Grammy Awards in 2015. Bettencourt, visibly awestruck by the collaboration, shared his profound admiration for McCartney and the incomparable status of The Beatles and Led Zeppelin in the realm of rock and roll.
As reported by BlabberMouth, Bettencourt acknowledged the bands that he and Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone hold dear, such as Queen, Aerosmith, Van Halen, and The Who. However, when pondering the cornerstone acts that define the essence of rock and roll, Bettencourt asserted that The Beatles and Led Zeppelin occupy the front and back pages of the book, while all other bands reside within the vast expanse between them. He characterized The Beatles as the embodiment of the pop side of music, with Led Zeppelin embodying the raw power of rock and roll.
Expressing his profound admiration for the legendary musicians, Bettencourt highlighted the enduring mystique surrounding McCartney and The Beatles, elevating them to an almost mythical status. He admitted that the experience of being in the same room as McCartney during the three-day Grammy rehearsal was surreal, prompting him to remind himself that it wasn’t just a dream. He would tell himself, “It’s not real. It’s not really him. It’s just a hologram. Don’t get too excited.” Yet, when faced with the undeniable reality of performing alongside McCartney, Bettencourt was transported into a realm that felt like an extraordinary, albeit bizarre, dream.
The encounter with McCartney, where they sang and played together, left a mark on Bettencourt’s memory. It was a moment where the lines between reality and fantasy blurred, where the sheer magnitude of sharing a stage with one of the greatest musical minds in history overwhelmed him.
As fans, we can only imagine the awe and wonder that must have accompanied Bettencourt throughout those extraordinary three days.
