Johnny Depp’s latest Instagram guitar jam, posted without commentary or hashtags, was meant to be just a short studio moment.
The critique
A wave of social-media replies — particularly from younger users — mocked the clip as “just showing off” and suggested his playing looked like an actor pretending to be a band-stage regular.
The implication was that Depp was aiming at rock credibility rather than expressing craft.
Then a musician who works closely with Paul McCartney stepped in publicly — and changed the tone of the conversation in a single sentence.
“I jammed with Johnny at Abbey Road studios last week — he played the ‘Blackbird’ riff better than I did. Bad? He just got invited to perform at the 2026 Grammys, and those who criticize him probably just like it!”
It was not just support — it was credentialled support.
The location matters too: Abbey Road — a place where instrumental exaggeration is filtered through decades of technical heritage.
Depp’s music is not a side project
Depp’s guitar work is not new.
He co-founded Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry — and has recorded and toured globally with the group. He has also collaborated repeatedly with McCartney himself, appearing in “My Valentine” and “Early Days.”
Why this moment matters culturally
Online criticism spreads quickly — especially when a public figure switches fields.
But this episode is a textbook example of how two worlds can deliver very different verdicts:
Anonymous public comment: “looks like he’s pretending”
Professional peer observation: “he’s good enough to be invited to perform at the Grammys”
That 2026 invite is not an opinion.
It is an industry outcome.
The pattern behind the headline
Depp is not the first actor-musician to draw more scrutiny than credit in online spaces. But here — his defence didn’t come from his own publicist.
It came from someone who had just shared a music stand with him.
And the response wasn’t emotional — it was empirical.
A respected working musician heard him play — at close range — and said:
the playing was good.
good enough for Abbey Road.
and good enough for the Grammys.
