The Latest Breaking News from Nuno Bettencourt

Watch Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt play the Rise solo live for the first time

Spoiler alert: it’s scary clean

Guitar World · May 2, 2023

Nuno Bettencourt says Prince once called him “one of the top three guitar players in the world”

The Purple One witnessed the Extreme guitarist play as part of an Earth, Wind & Fire tribute concert, and ended up dishing out some very high praise indeed

Guitar World · Apr 28, 2023

Is Nuno Bettencourt one of the top three guitar players in the world? Prince thought so

Bettencourt said performing for Prince was terrifying but he left an almighty impression on the Purple One

MusicRadar · Apr 28, 2023

Hear Joe Satriani tap into his emotive prowess and serve up soaring solos in epic orchestral track, All Things Sacred

The song marks the virtuoso's third collaborative effort with composer Kitt Wakeley, and is lifted from one of 2023's most star-studded guitar albums

Guitar World · Apr 17, 2023

Nuno Bettencourt says Eddie Van Halen visited him while he was recording his Rise solo

Van Halen swung by the studio as the Extreme virtuoso was piecing together Rise’s mind-bending solo – but Nuno wouldn’t let him hear it

Guitar World · Apr 17, 2023

Inside Nuno Bettencourt's charmingly weird first meeting with Eddie Van Halen: "other than Elton John, he’s the only musician that kissed me on the lips"

When an overawed Nuno Bettencourt finally got to meet his hero Eddie Van Halen, he could not have predicted what happened next

Metal Hammer · Apr 14, 2023

Hear Nuno Bettencourt tap into his inner Yngwie Malmsteen on a new classical crossover track that stretched his abilities

The Extreme guitarist says playing on Kitt Wakeley’s new opus, Paganini’s Storm, “was definitely a journey I had yet to take on the instrument”

Guitar World · Mar 31, 2023

Nuno Bettencourt reveals the most important pedal in his guitar rig: “I tried playing without one and f**kin’ hated it!”

The unlikely stompbox is integral to the Extreme virtuoso’s searing distorted tone, even if he admits, “Other players think it’s not doing anything and would probably wonder if the battery is dead”

Guitar World · Mar 21, 2023

That story about Rihanna wanting to make a heavy metal album isn't true, despite what you may have read

Rihanna's live guitarist Nuno Bettencourt says that quotes, attributed to him, about the pop star once wanting to re-invent herself as "a heavy rock chick" were "fabricated"

Metal Hammer · Mar 17, 2023

"Don't practice it for too long, because you're going to get tendonitis": Watch Rick Beato break down Nuno Bettencourt's jaw-dropping Rise solo

Go inside the inner workings of the volcanic lead break – the highlight of Extreme's recent comeback single – that has the guitar world abuzz

Guitar World · Mar 17, 2023