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So I just watched this cover of Blink 182’s All The Small Things on a Kalimba (ft cute dog), and now I’m deep down a YouTube hole of rock song covers on unusual instruments. (thread)
First up, the ukulele. Admittedly not an unusual instrument, but this is a pretty incredible cover of Muse’s Invincible
But the ukulele isn’t unusual enough. Jumping right to the opposite end of the spectrum, how about a traditional Tuvan throat singing version of Numb by Linkin Park
Sticking with traditional, there are LOTS of covers of rock classics using medieval instruments. Some of them are wild. System of a Down’s Toxicity is particularly good.
As is Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters
Metallica is a popular band to cover in different ways it seems. Harp covers are pretty common, although this cover of One with two harpists and one harp is excellent.
(Forgive me for including a second harp link, but I had to also include my favourite song. Plug In Baby by Muse)
Sticking with excellent guitar solos, how about The Eagles’ Hotel California solo on the sitar?
Sitar not your cup of tea? Try AC/DC’s Back in Black on the Gayageum instead.
Ever wondered what heavy metal would sound like in the hands of Worzel Gummidge? Look no further than Lamb of God on the Hurdy Gurdy
Similarly awful sounding instruments include boomwhackers, seen here murdering Green Day.
What if you don’t have an instrument to hand? Not even a boomwhacker? Well, just make one.
Rage Against The Machine but on a guitar made from an old shovel.
Rage Against The Machine but on a guitar made from an old shovel.
Not feeling crafty? Well, just use some toy instruments instead. Killing In The Name never sounded so adorable.
If your only toy available is a dog toy, then it could still work. Toto’s Africa on a chicken.
More technologically minded? Sure. Just use your phone.
Or if programming is your thing, grab a bunch of old floppy drives: System of a Down’s Aerials played on eight floppy drives.
You can add in everyday household objects as percussion as required: Secen Nation Army on floppy drives and random household shit.
If you have ancient computers lying around, then plug them in and boot them up. Bohemian Rhapsody on some old electrical equipment.
If you were one of those people who wrote ‘boobies’ on calculators at school, just look at what you could have achieved if you’d really stuck at it.
Not a rock song, but Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy on a door entry key pad is wild.
Or literally on grass.
But of course, topping everything, and concluding this thread that absolutely nobody asked for, nor wanted…what could beat Smash Mouth’s All Star played on melons?
(Special mention to Taylor Swift’s You Need To Calm Down on panpipes)
(Extra Special mention to the guy who created an entire orchestra of Furbies, and subsequently a very special kind of nightmare hellscape)
END. Thank fuck.
