The thing is... I'm not saying he's lying, but his recollection seems a little streamlined. Because given the version of HAND they played at that awards show pre-album release as well as the first version from the first album version had different lyrics and a different riff, it's very unlikely to be true that John Shanks played "that riff" (which he also hummed) and that Jon's take we hear on the record is from "the very day we wrote the song".