Cock rock: watch plucking rooster play guitar

A rockin' rooster has been caught playing his own brand of cock rock on an acoustic guitar at a charity shop in Southampton - a real-life case of chicken pickin'.

In the video above, Cooper - named after Alice Cooper, natch - displays some mean beak picking skills before attempting a few speedy Chickenfoot licks. Joe Satriani would be proud.

Rumour has it that the rooster's nylon-strung acoustic is from a limited run of instruments produced in the late-'50s - making it rare as hen's teeth.

The cluck 'n' roller is owned by Wendy Jarvis, who manages the Second Chance charity shop in West End, near Southampton, and regularly entertains customers with his hand-pecked setlists.

Following the residency, Cooper is set to embark on a tour of coops nationwide with a covers set that includes the likes of Rooster by Alice In Chains, Garth Brooks's Dixie Chicken and, of course, Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Tickets are on sale now for a poultry fee - but that's only if Cooper doesn't chicken out first.

Michael Astley-Brown

Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and 15 years' experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. His writing also appears in the The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.