"If Slash jumps up and he’s got to play a clean intro to Rude Boy, it ain’t happening.” Nuno Bettencourt explains why playing guitar for Rihanna is way harder than you might imagine

Rihanna and Nuno Bettencourt perform on stage together

While many know him as the axe-slinging lead guitarist in Boston rock veterans Extreme, plenty of other fans know Nuno Bettencourt from a totally different role - playing guitar for pop icon Rihanna. The Portuguese virtuoso joined RiRi's live band in 2009 and has performed with her on every world tour since, but if you think it makes for an easier way to make a living than his 'day job', think again. As it happens, the man himself is happy to confirm that playing guitar as part of a major pop show has plenty of challenges.

“When somebody like Rihanna reaches out to you to perform everybody thinks ‘oh, that’s cute. It’s a pop artist, whatever,’” Bettencourt tells Planet Rock.