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  1. Music Industry

10 rock star movie cameos

News
By Total Guitar ( Total Guitar ) published 2 November 2011

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Jack White - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

Jack White - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

You’d imagine that Jack White would refuse to appear in a lowbrow multiplex spoof on the basis that it’s not the sort of thing Blind Lemon Jefferson would do, but his Elvis pastiche is actually the film’s sole not-crap moment*.

Oh, how we laughed… until we realised that he could have been making a new White Stripes album instead.

See Jack White as Elvis here.

*NB - at least one member of the MusicRadar team couldn't agree less with this statement and argues that Walk Hard is actually a very funny movie indeed.

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Steve Vai - Crossroads (1986)

Steve Vai - Crossroads (1986)

Crossroads’ tedium is briefly broken by Vai’s turn as a satanic shredder who duels with Ralph ‘Karate Kid’ Macchio. In reality, Ry Cooder played Macchio’s parts, as you’ll inform your girlfriend before realising she’s been asleep for the past hour.

See that guitar duel here.

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
'Big' Jim Martin - Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)

'Big' Jim Martin - Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)

Screw Oxbridge: stick the Bill & Ted University on your UCAS form. This future institution employs time-travelling tutors, such as the Faith No More beanpole, rather than the octogenarian droning on about semantics while you read this on your lap.

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
Bruce Springsteen - High Fidelity (2000)

Bruce Springsteen - High Fidelity (2000)

Woman trouble? You need a hallucinated heart-to-heart with a rock god, just like John Cusack in High Fidelity. To be honest, The Boss is less than helpful, advising Cusack to “just move on down the road”. We’ll get our advice from Gene Simmons.

See Bruce Springsteen in High Fidelity here.

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Scott Ian - Calendar Girls (2003)

Scott Ian - Calendar Girls (2003)

This tale of twilight-years strippers takes a surreal turn when the ‘girls’ are mobbed by the Anthrax man. “I was pretty excited to be in a scene with Helen Mirren,” he says, without apparent sarcasm.

See Anthrax in Calendar Girls here.

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
Slash - Phineas And Ferb: Across The 2nd Dimension (2011)

Slash - Phineas And Ferb: Across The 2nd Dimension (2011)

Despite his assurances that it’s “very rock ’n’ roll, even for a cartoon”, the words ‘Slash’ and ‘The Disney Channel’ should never appear together. This sort of caper is precisely why rock hellraisers shouldn’t be allowed to have children.

Check out animated Slash here.

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
Tom DeLonge - American Pie (1999)

Tom DeLonge - American Pie (1999)

When the puerile Blink-182 collided with Hollywood’s most moronic film, the dumbness was roughly equal to a clown milking a dog on a unicycle. Now they’re grown-up artistes, we assume Tom DeLonge and co are mortified by their involvement in the infamous webcam scene.

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Lemmy - Hardware (1990)

Lemmy - Hardware (1990)

Richard Stanley probably thought the Motörhead legend would bring an edge to his post-apocalyptic flick. Not so much. Lemster turned up, got drunk on a provided bottle of Jack, dropped his prop pistol into the Thames and turned in a performance so wooden that it makes Bowie look like Olivier.

Check him out here.

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
Keith Richards - Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

Keith Richards - Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

Pretty pirate-like anyway, this isn’t so much acting as business as usual for Keef, seeing him stumble around, making slurred threats and breaking strings on his acoustic.

Check out Keef as a pirate badass here.

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Dave Grohl - Tenacious D in The Pick Of Destiny (2006)

Dave Grohl - Tenacious D in The Pick Of Destiny (2006)

His features might imply the lead in a remake of Mister Ed, but Grohl is ace as a horned, potty-mouthed devil. “Yes, you are fucked!/Shit out of luck! Now I’m complete, my cock you will suck!” he roars, but is ultimately beaten and dragged back to Hell. We may have to rethink that ‘rock’s nicest man’ tag…

See the clip here.

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
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Robbie Williams [left] wears a white scarf and a gold sparkled tank top. Tony Iommi plays his SG and wears a shades, a long black leather coat and a gold cross
Robbie Williams drafts Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi to play guitar on his new single
Klaus Meine of The Scorpions, 1991
“Their message of love, peace and rock ‘n’ roll seems more relevant today than ever”: Cast revealed for Scorpions biopic
Jack Black speaks onstage during the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony
“Nope, it’s real”: Jack Black and Keanu Reeves both confirmed for upcoming Weezer movie
Buddy Holly And The The Crickets
“He was a great hero to all of us”: Paul McCartney salutes a rock ’n’ roll legend who influenced The Beatles
Timothee Chalamet
Definitely not a complete unknown: Hollywood star rumoured to be playing a ‘secret’ set at Glastonbury
Sheeran Grohl Mayer
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