Joe Perry spoke about his five-decade career in a newly-released interview with Guitar World and shared a piece of advice from Keith Richards that affected his live performances during Aerosmith’s early years.
“I found that when I get on stage, I tend to want to squeeze the neck and tighten up,” the guitarist recalled. “I didn’t realize that, but I found myself really getting excited and I’d stiffen up and make it so I couldn’t play as fluid as I was, say, 15 minutes before in the dressing room.”
“I’m not sure what it was… but I read an interview with Keith [Richards] in 1980 or something, and he said, ‘Play with a light touch.’ That’s when I realized I was holding on too tight. You never know… sometimes it takes a word or a lick, and a lightbulb will come on.”
Since his debut with Aerosmith in the 1970s, Perry has tried various gears and tones with his guitar. Different artists including Peter Green, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix also influenced his style through the years.
The Aerosmith founder’s sound had one key element, which he explained, “Not too much distortion: I don’t like too much distortion because it takes away from the actual tone of the guitar. I don’t want to squash the sound. I’m really conscious of really getting clean tones. But if you’re striving for really distorted sounds, you’re gonna lose the tone of the guitar.”
“If you pile overdrive on, it’s all gonna sound the same no matter what guitar you use. But if that’s what you want for your style and what works, go for it. I like a sound with some definition and some of the guitar’s tone. I lean toward a cleaner sound,” he added.
Last year saw Perry on stage with Hollywood Vampires, featuring Alice Cooper, Tommy Henriksen, and Johnny Depp. After that, the guitarist was set to return for Aerosmith’s ‘Peace Out’ tour, but plans changed due to Steven Tyler’s vocal injury.
Tyler fractured his larynx during a September 2023 performance in Elmont, Long Island, leading to the cancellation of future dates. The band later announced that they could no longer get back on the road as the vocalist’s voice couldn’t fully recover.