Ian Anderson on electric guitar

[Progatron]

How often did this happen? It's kind of a rare sight... All the times I saw Tull live, Ian never played an electric. I know in the Teacher video they are just miming anyway:



... but he did actually play it on stage during the Crest and Rock Island tours, for example:



... does anyone know of other instances? It looks so strange to me - even stranger than Martin Barre playing flute on stage, which I've seen a little more often. Now, had Martin played flute while Ian played electric guitar, well that would really be an alternate universe!

[Mister Triscuits]

Off the top of my head, Ian plays the electric rhythm part on "Locomotive Breath." The record sleeves generally credited Ian with acoustic and Martin with electric, but they did both switch-hit now and then.

As for onstage switching, I remember on the Passion Play tour one moment where Ian took over the organ while John Evan cavorted around the stage.

[Progatron]

Off the top of my head, Ian plays the electric rhythm part on "Locomotive Breath." The record sleeves generally credited Ian with acoustic and Martin with electric, but they did both switch-hit now and then.

Interesting... I'm not sure I ever knew that, or I've forgotten it. I know Martin played second flute part on Bouree, but I didn't realize Ian had actually put down electric guitar parts on an album.

[pb2015]

On some tracks from Benefit Ian and Martin both play electric guitar, such as "To Cry You A Song" (John Evans played Ian's part on organ live).

For onstage instrument switching the instrumental break from "Seal Driver" in 1982 had Ian playing on Peter-John Vettese's keyboard rig while Peter went out front with a portable synth (at 2:16).