Gates brings out a 'Guitar Hero' ringer: Slash

[FunkyMonkey]

CES: Gates brings out a 'Guitar Hero' ringer: Slash

Posting from Las Vegas ... It's a Consumer Electronics Show tradition to trot out celebrities in an attempt to dazzle the crowd, and Microsoft didn't disappoint in that regard during Bill Gates' keynote here tonight.

The night ended with Microsoft executive Robbie Bach challenging Gates to a "Guitar Hero" duel. After Bach brought out a "Guitar Hero" champion to stand in for him on the old Guns N' Roses tune "Welcome to the Jungle," Gates said he had a ringer, too: Slash, the former Guns N' Roses guitarist.

Earlier in the night, Microsoft showed a video spoofing Gates' retirement plans, featuring a long list of celebrities and political figures, including Jon Stewart, Bono, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, George Clooney, Steven Spielberg and others.

Photo/story: http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/128920.asp?from=blog_last3


Gates and Guitar Hero

Tonight, Bill Gates gave his last CES keynote before retiring from Microsoft. (Prediction: he'll give a keynote again, but probably not next year). Though entertaining and occasionally educational--Windows Live Photo Gallery got some well-deserved spotlight time for its panorama feature--there wasn't much about digital audio in it.

However, the final set piece featured a Guitar Hero III battle between Gates and Microsoft Entertainment and Devices President Robbie Bach. Each brought in a ringer--Bach got a Guitar Hero championship who shredded the introduction to Guns N Roses "Welcome to the Jungle." Gates, never to be trumped, brought in Slash, who played the real thing on his Les Paul through a pair of Marshall half-stacks.

As you might expect, the Hero version actually sounded a lot more like the original.

http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13526_1-9842704-27.html

Edit:
Video: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/ces/default.mspx   At about 63:00

[coolman78SLASH]

the joy of having to much money.....  Anyone knows where to find a decent video of this?

[coolman78SLASH]

nevermind I found it! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljiiy5BCQKA

[SpiritDave]

This keynote was excellent and this was the tip of the iceberg hehe ... Awesome shit.  Funny stuff.  Good humour in this year's speech.  Bill Gates is cool and of course ... he's got a lot of friends.

[Smoking Guns]

Fucking killer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Loved it. 

[hartman]

Awesome ! I hope Slash will continue playing many GNR songs in the future.

[Killingmachine]

Awesome ! I hope Slash will continue playing many GNR songs in the future.

Yeah man!!, He was born for that....
Slash has a presence scenic magical magic 

I have a question, Man next to Gates is Jim Breuer?

[FunkyMonkey]

I wonder how much it cost Gates to win the $20? 

[williambailey]

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=90128

Are Microsoft looking to expand into The Wiggles market?  Nice sweaters guys!

[Ines_rocks!]

haha now you made me laugh! 

[FunkyMonkey]

A photo caption for a shot of Slash and Bill Gates:

Slash (L), guitarist for the band Velvet Revolver, plays next to Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates onstage during Gates' keynote address for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 6, 2008.


They needed to indicate which was which.

[FunkyMonkey]

TipperQueen discusses her appearance at CES 2008

RMN: What was it like meeting Bill Gates and Slash?

Kelly Law-Yone: I got to talk to Bill briefly backstage about Guitar Hero, which was pretty awesome. He seemed really impressed when he learned that people used their right hand to tap notes on the fretboard. He was really easy going and was always cracking jokes when something didn't go exactly right.

I only got to meet Slash briefly before the show started, and it was hard to recognize him without the shades and the hat, haha. I didn?t even know he was going to be there until I arrived in Las Vegas. I was more nervous about Slash watching me during my performance than anyone, because after all ? he's the one playing this on a real guitar. I didn?t want to mess this up, and I didn't!

Bill Gates and TipperQueenAfter the show, I got to take a picture with Robbie Bach and Bill Gates, which was simply amazing. I couldn't believe it was really happening, because I?ve always wanted to meet Bill ever since I was a kid. I also got a picture with Slash and congratulated him on a great performance and he said the same to me! I only wish I had the chance to play him on Guitar Hero 3.

[r3dhawk6]

I wonder how much it cost Gates to win the $20??

Well, if anyone can afford it he can.

[FunkyMonkey]

Some photos of Slash at a CES party...

http://www.wireimage.com/SearchResults.aspx?igi=299343&s=slash&sfld=C&vwmd=e

[leatherebel]

the joy of having to much money..... 

Gates and Slash are so much alike....