As if it wasn’t enough that Waleed Aly is a qualified lawyer, a human rights advocate, a lecturer at Monash University, the host of The Project, a writer for Fairfax, and a Gold Logie winner, he can play a mean guitar solo too.
Aly plays lead guitar for Melbourne rock band Robot Child. You may recall their appearance at the 2015 Walkley Awards when they performed a cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Comfortably Numb’, with a wicked and widely praised guitar solo from Waleed.
Despite his no doubt ridiculous schedule, the multi-talented Waleed found the time to attend the Reclink Community Cup over the weekend. The community football match pits local musos against local broadcasters to raise fund for arts and sporting initiatives.
After the Rockdogs took home the gold yet again, Dan Sultan took to the stage with Aussie rock veterans Regurgitator and they convinced Waleed to join them, helping out with a rendition of Regurg’s ‘! (The Song Formerly Known As)’.
However, it was the impromptu supergroup’s performance of the Prince classic ‘Purple Rain’ that has the internet going nuts. What’s more, Waleed nailed that famous solo in front of a crowd that included Aussie rock royalty like Tim Rogers, Daddy Cool’s Ross Wilson, and Spiderbait’s Kram.
“As soon as [Regurgitator] asked me if I wanted to play… they didn’t need to get to the end of the sentence,” Waleed told Fairfax. “I’ve always loved their sound, always loved what they’re able to create and the range of sounds they can get, so it’s exciting.”
Check out footage of Waleed’s killer chops below.
