Johnny Marr invites fan on stage to play guitar on This Charming Man… and he only goes and nails it

(Image credit: Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage/Getty)

Johnny Marr had a surprise at a recent gig when he let a fan up onstage to play electric guitar on The Smiths classic This Charming Man - only for his guest to absolutely nail it.

Marr was gigging at Exeter’s Lemon Grove when he noticed a sign held by eager fan George, who requested he come up and play the iconic track.

“What’s that, you want to play This Charming Man?” asks Marr. “What if it’s terrible?”

“Let’s put it to the test. I’ve got a feeling this is going to end up very, very bad.”

“First off, have you got a guitar with you?” the indie titan joked, before giving up his signature Fender Jaguar.

“Second off, why can’t you play [Marr’s solo tracks] Easy Money or The Tracers, dude?”

From there on, George goes on to do an impressive job of tackling Marr’s intricate guitar parts - especially with the man himself watching over him.

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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.