Steve Vai Interview on DLR

[Seshmeister]

I met Steve Vai at Washington Music Center (Chuck Levins) in Wheaton Maryland in the early 90s. I was there with a chunk of a girl I was dating picking up my RG550 and Peavy Bandit 65. Yea, I had no cash. The guitar was cool. Steve was standing by the checkout area near the exit door. My amp was brought to the door then the guitar. I opened the case and showed it to him and he picked it up and looked it over and said it was cool. It was the fluorescent green color. It was essentially a baby JEM made in Japan. Decent guitar I thought.
Anywho - he was really cool. The shop gave me t-shirts for me and the chick, guitar cable and tons of picks. If I had a brain I would have had Steve sign my guitar or something but didn't think of it. I did tell him I heard Viv Woman and other tune from Flex-Able.. he was good with that.

Any way, my brush with VAI.

Nothing wrong with a good Jap made RG550, I play one a lot.

Also I'm maybe a bit weird but I don't care who they are I wouldn't want someone writing all over my guitar.

That shit is for collectors or bar owners, I buy guitars to play.

[ashstralia]

Steve has always come across as a thoroughly decent man. Remember folks, in 1990 he was turning 30. If someone offered me a mil for an album and tour at 30, I'd have jumped at it too. Art AND commerce, right?

Momshell, please ask him whether he received ash's birthday card in 1990...

[Seshmeister]

Mick Sweda is way underrated as a player...dude's good.

I've heard other people say that. I'm like most people and only ever heard the solo to Smooth Up which was either very original and adventurous or atonal shit depending on your point of view.

[Seshmeister]

Steve has always come across as a thoroughly decent man. Remember folks, in 1990 he was turning 30. If someone offered me a mil for an album and tour at 30, I'd have jumped at it too. Art AND commerce, right?

I don't blame him at all for taking the money and launching his solo career on the back of Whitesnake, I just thought he could have been a little more honest about it especially now 20 years later.

[ashstralia]

What's to be gained by admitting 'yup, I did it for the $$'?

We all know that anyway.

[ELVIS]

It's similar to Dave's "Do you think anything I do from the waist down is for the guys?"

[howie]

Although Vai was great live (in spite of some of the gayness) , Becker was amazing on the ALAE stretch and put everyone else to shame in the solo years from what I saw.

John 5 live would have been great too I'm sure but we'll never know...too bad

The worst one I saw was "Rocket Richotte" on the dirty mouth tour....he just fucking sucked and bumbled his way through the whole evening - I was embarrassed for him...

[jasonA]

Although Vai was great live (in spite of some of the gayness) , Becker was amazing on the ALAE stretch and put everyone else to shame in the solo years from what I saw.

John 5 live would have been great too I'm sure but we'll never know...too bad

The worst one I saw was "Rocket Richotte" on the dirty mouth tour....he just fucking sucked and bumbled his way through the whole evening - I was embarrassed for him...

You do realize that Becker never toured with Dave, right? Joe Holmes played on the ALAE tour.

[DONNIEP]

Yeah, Rocket Richotte pretty much sucked when I saw Dave on the '94 tour. Missed cues, couldn't keep up with set list and basically looked like a dork. There's just no comparison between that band and Ray, Bryan, James and Toshi - now that was a fucking great band.

[Seshmeister]

You do realize that Becker never toured with Dave, right? Joe Holmes played on the ALAE tour.

I didn't rate him either although the gig I saw was the opening night of the tour and I don't know how much notice he got.

[binnie]

Saw Joe Holmes with Ozzy years ago and I thought he was astonishing. Much better the Zakk Wylde (who I''m a fan of, BTW).

[vaijuju]

Yeah, Rocket Richotte pretty much sucked when I saw Dave on the '94 tour. Missed cues, couldn't keep up with set list and basically looked like a dork. There's just no comparison between that band and Ray, Bryan, James and Toshi - now that was a fucking great band.

The first time i heard him it's was for this show!

DAVID LEE ROTH
HOLLYWOOD,CA:HOUSE OF BLUES
6/29/94

A very good sound ! Radio FM! , Rocket used a lot of wha wha! different but cool !

[bru87tr]

I loved hearing him talk about "Damn Good".

I love that song, always have. I remember when it forst came on the radio, I was blown away. Could you imagine hearing SV come to you with that ? It was cool to hear Dave say how he loved it. I would love to hear Dave comment on the lyrics. I am glad SV doesn't shy away from that time in his career. Some guys would!

[Seshmeister]

The YFLM tour should have been called 'The average wedding band tour'.

[VHscraps]

I didn't rate him either although the gig I saw was the opening night of the tour and I don't know how much notice he got.

Was it Glasgow by any chance? I walked out at around song 4 or 5. Seemed to me Dave was on the back foot - what with the journeymen players who weren't part of the team who made the record. When DLR has to self-consciously work at the show too much, my feeling is his performance drops 'cos he's not 'in the zone', so to speak. I thought it was bullshit.