Throughout his career, blues virtuoso Eric Gales has collaborated with a huge range of electric guitar heroes. Just two years ago, for example, he partnered with Joe Bonamassa for I Want My Crown – one of 2021’s standout blues tracks.
Aside from that, Gales’ collaborative credits include Gary Clark Jr., Eric Johnson, Santana and many others, but now the blues guitar titan has publicly called out the musician he wants to perform with next: John Mayer.
Taking to social media, Gales issued an open invitation to Mayer to join his long list of collaborators, saying he would “love” the opportunity to take to the stage with him “soon”.
“I have played with a lot of my friends and idols over the years and very lucky to do so,” Gales wrote. “I’ve shared the stage with Carlos Santana, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Johnson, Gary Clark Jr. and many others.”
“But one doode I have never played with is John Mayer,” he added. “I would love to do that soon. Where you at, John Mayer? Let’s do this. I’ll come to you.”
Mayer, of course, is no stranger to Gales-esque blues himself, having rebranded himself from a out-and-out pop singer-songwriter into a bluesman of notable skill when he tapped Pino Palladino and Steve Jordan for his 2005 blues trio live album, Try!
Since then, the blues has been the beating heart of Mayer’s playing, so the prospect of him sharing the stage with Gales – quite possibly the most accomplished and soulful blues guitar player of his time – is bound to get guitar fans excited.
Having said that, Mayer’s calendar is currently quite full, and so any potential link-up between him and Gales might be a ways off. At the time of writing, Mayer is busy with Dead & Company’s final tour, after it was announced the supergroup would disband in 2023.
The tour kicked off on January 14 – which saw Mayer wield a limited prototype replica of Jerry Garcia’s Wolf guitar – and is set to continue through to July 16. Between now and then, Mayer’s availability looks highly limited.
Likewise, Gales himself is also navigating a hectic schedule, and has live dates planned throughout February, March, April and August.
However, judging by his post, Gales is pretty desperate to get this off the ground, and we imagine Mayer would be equally keen to trade licks with the Magneto signature guitarist, so never say never.
Keep your eyes glued to Gales’ Instagram account for any potential announcements concerning what would undoubtedly be one of the best blues link-ups of 2023.
Other high-profile collaborations from Gales' career include a stint on stage with Carlos Santana at the 1994 Woodstock Festival, a guitar duel with Bonamassa during the release party of his latest album, Crown, and a guest cameo with Gary Clark Jr., during which he turned in one of 2021’s most astonishing live solos.
