🎸 Steve Vai Unveils 📖 Untold Stories from His David Lee Roth Band 🎤 Days! **NEW

[@TheMeJustMe75]

Steve Vai is just an awesome human being, period. During the lockdown he did live chat with people just so they had outside contact. He talked life and sometimes music. He really showed his humanity during that time. He truly has a heart for people.

[@jeffbauer3425]

Stop saying that word, "Lockdown".

[@donnieolaughlin1758]

Gregg bissonette was a drummer on that album and he's got a koukie personality too. I just love his interviews and the way he approaches music and explains it so fast he makes so much sense out of every word he puts into it I really enjoy great Bissonnet entirely from his playing to his instructional personality I believe I believe Ray jamborcic Jim barczak currently of corn played with David for a while too. Both great drummers.

[@PtotheMtotheK]

@@jeffbauer3425 Why stop saying Lockdown?

[@-ZIO]

I saw the band David Lee Roth with Steve Vai at Madison Sq Garden (Eat Em And Smile tour) and that crowd was so bloody loud. The energy in the Garden was like nothing I have ever experienced and never did again. Dave paused at one point to just smile and soak up the crowd. The band sounded so good. You knocked it out of the park Steve. It was EPIC.

[@michaelvaughn64]

I was there. And you're absolutely right. The Garden was nuts! The band was incredible!

[@-ZIO]

@@michaelvaughn64 You too??!! It was epic :) What a show :) I still have the ticket stub. I remember the A train from Queens into the city that night was literally and figuratively "electric" ! Steve Vai was just amazing with his talking guitar. I'll never forget it. God Bless

[@bgandjsco1]

I was at that show too. Infact i saw them 3x on that tour, and VH twice on the 5150 tour,and i can saw that the crowds were much crazier at the DAVE concerts.

[@guinn2415]

Eat Em & Smile is still one of my fav albums ever

[@ron3676]

Eat' em and smile was AWESOME when it came out, AND STILL IS. Players like You Steve Vai / Joe satch/ Eric Johnson/ Patrucci AND PLENTY MORE are REALLY LOVED by all of us guitar players BECAUSE WE LOVE GUITAR TOO........ R.I.P EDWARD VANHALEN.

[@brianborstein8456]

David Lee Roth solo was my 1st concert. Steve Vai, Billy Sheehan, and Greg Bissonette blew me away. Being a guitar player, I was mostly focused on Vai. It was a mind blowing experience.

[@droppinlikefliesBand]

Not just one of the all time Greats, but also a true soul and amazing man. So smart and Contributed so much to Music.

[@scottstringham8723]

The world is a better place with Steve Vai in it! Such a wealth of talent, and a great human to boot.

[@PooNinja]

🤘🏽

[@gcruishank9663]

I could listen to Steve Vai for hours and hours, he seems like such an honest, humble guy and yet one of the greatest, most unique guitarists ever. Fascinating guy.

[@WickedSativa]

Steve is a humble guy, a living legend.

[@Oncewasgolden]

I think this was Steve’s best period. Every good guitarist needs to be in a band. That keeps them in check. When they are in their own band and have total control, they tend to go overboard with the “Hey, look at my cool licks!” stuff. I like the Skyscraper album the best.

[@majikmuzik8036]

Steve Vai and David Lee Roth are masters of life. A lot to learn from both of them, in addition to the music. Eat Em and Smile is blistering.

[@JohnCunningham-sy5ug]

Steve is one of the most accomplished fret board Ripers of all time. So humble to his craft and to mention Frank Zappa as an influential mentor that's class. STEVE YOU BE YOU . God bless.

[@ajshap4546]

As a kid I really loved Van Halen and hated them disbanding. But I absolutely love Eat ‘‘em and Smile - an amazing record. And Steve Vai was absolute genius on that album - amazing , distinct bad ass guitar!! Watching this interview, the dude is incredibly humble about his work

[@bgandjsco1]

Me too ,but i can't believe how radically different Skyscraper was. Don't get me wrong i liked it too,but it was a complete opposite of Eat em

[@harrisonandrew]

Accepted? I lapped it up. Steve’s playing on Dave’s records was nothing short of miraculous. Those records are unique, I love them.

[@harrisonandrew]

@2216sammy Check your ears mate.

[@davidkerslake267]

Eat em and smile’ ........ still play it now, it knocks it out the park. Rock at its best 😀

[@Kinger1625]

Listening to Vai talk about growing as a human and a musician….I truly have a huge respect for Vai and man…what a player!

[@Jim-g2m]

Steve Vai is awesome in every sense of the word, as a guitar player, songwriter, sound engineer, and human being.

[@worldssickestmedia2713]

There's been and still is a whole lot of phenomenal guitar players. Not taking anything away from anyone. Especially in their physical abilities to perform. But Steve Vai is hands down the greatest rock n roll guitar players of all time. Not just in his physical abilities. But in his knowledge of theory and the mechanics of music. I mean the man started out as a kid transposing Zappa note for note. Vai is just on a whole other level of musician.

[@bradleyforde1787]

How fortunate people like Steve Vai and so many others were to have that ability to have the direction and focus

[@scottstanford3832]

I revere Eddie, but to me, DLR Band with Vai was even better... and wow, what a good guy!

[@LawDude777]

On point!

[@mattc.]

Great interview with a Humble and nice-guy Mister Vai is❤❤❤❤

[@rickeymedlock6281]

Steve, I saw you guys live after hearing the record and you were incredible! (Rickey Medlocke, Lynyrd Skynyrd)

[@larrydanadavid2435]

I’m not even a fan of this genre of music, but Steve Vai is a great interview and comes off as a humble dude with a lot of talent.

[@BigBass-xf5yi]

I absolutely love Steves solo work. Slong with all his other offerings. So legendary.

[@neilschlemeel5751]

I love both those DLR/Vai albums

[@jimblackbird5678]

Old hard rock fan in my mid sixties loved DLR work after VH and I already knew of Steve Vai. Thought you guys were awesome. Nice little change in the midst of all of “rockdom”. Still into it all.

[@DoobTube71]

I was in the audience about three feet from Steve Vai and DLR at the Eat'em And Smile tour in WV at the time. Skyscraper the next year or two, also. Incredible energy!

[@rivertimeable]

it was great steve.......your playing is always GREAT...

[@ericreitzel2155]

Ladies Night in Buffalo. Just grooves and has some killer licks- love SV on this. Guitar magazine did a tab on it. great great great

[@majikmuzik8036]

I remember wanting to be dubious, but fell for Steve Via in about 38 seconds. Got turned on to Flex-able at the same time, so... 3 giants Vai, Roth, and King EVH

[@mht525]

I was lucky enough to Steve live very early in his career just before Eat em and smile. 🙏 Vai and DLR . With The drummers drummer Gregg Bisonette on drums ✌️🤘🎸 🥁🏴🇦🇺

[@alessandrorossini8704]

Dear Steve, we are the same age and I'm a musician too (but a very "obscure" one from a little italian town), I listened to Flexable not so long after it came out and I still clearly remember I had to hold my jaw the whole time... I just couldn't believe my own ears... it was such a joy, such a surprise, so exciting! It was just instantaneous and unconditional love from then on to these very days. Thank you for all the emotions and the great pleasure you gave me with your music, your guitar, your words and your life teaching.

[@pcl8993]

Steve, just looked like he was having a "good" time with all of the band. Including DLR! 👍

[@Greg-w9j]

Dave had a good friend in Steve.

[@esotericsoundlab]

Good timing I was just watching some 80's live footage with DLR.

[@lena19191]

Yeah agree , I look back today at DLR and he’s an entertainer to the max !

[@yippy327]

As a teen guitar player in Vai's early days, I was probably fascinated by his playing, like others were with Hendrix, back in the day. And then learned that he learn from Satch! Wow! And as mentioned by others, seems like such a good soul. Peace & Love

[@dimebag6384]

Was devastated when DLR left van halen but eat em and smile i loved....5150 i just couldn't get into and gave up on van hagar

[@williamturk2330]

Amazing talent from all three band members.

[@alisterfolson]

I remember seeing the bassist's 2-necked bass on the wall at Sydney's Hard Rock Cafe around '06. That was an excellent album

[@rudybigboote3883]

Steve Vai’s entire career was full of “badassery!” One of the true all time great guitarists.

[@michelealfo9058]

Love him🥰

[@iliafigueroa4820]

Zappa Alcatrazz Dlr Whitesnake G3 What more do you want?! Met him and he was TOO nice!

[@Plymouthmusicschool]

At that time, Steve was already very beloved by a lot of of Guitar players out there already having established himself people were extremely accepting of his contribution. I personally think it was the best contribution to anything solo David Lee Roth.

[@John-kw3nd]

Steve Vai is very down to earth and intelligent, similar to Bruce Kulick

[@rcjr.7725]

Steve Vai is the epitome of the humble caring compassionate heartfelt human being the man is a better human than he is a guitar player and it should say a lot because he is a phenomenal musician

[@drumz700]

BEST IN THE BIZ..AND HUMBLE! GREAT COMBINATION

[@brianasher7390]

My second favourite guitarist. But Steve is such a down to earth genuine guy. Love this guy for more than just his guitar skilk's.

[@jergervasi3331]

Leave it to Steve to be so humble about one of the landmark rock albums!

[@xtimator]

Eat'em & Smile was the best strait ahead Rock n Roll guitar work of the 80's. I'm still learning riffs & licks from that album! 🤘

[@winthorpe6594]

are you kidding? best guitar work of the 80.s.....delusional

[@garo52]

Steve did well by sticking to his style which is very identifiable ...💯🔥💥...super talented guy

[@Boethius4748]

A friend turned me on to Flex-able back in the 80s and I was a die hard fan of Steve after that. When I found out he was on Eat Em along with Billy Sheehan (one of my bass heroes since I first heard Talas) I couldn’t wait for them to tour. I went. It was as outrageous. Teenage me’s mind blown. To this day, still one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. I had an opportunity to speak with Billy briefly around 10 years ago. What an awesome, welcoming guy. Steve seems to be the same.

[@yhwhsozo3680]

What a thoughtful and humble dude that oozes talent and passion!!!

[@RickHawkDavison]

Met Steve in 83. Awesome, spiritual man.

[@Magik1369]

Steve is a good man and is honest and humble. Truth be told, me and my teenage guitar buddies were copping Edward Van Halen's licks and then Stevie came and blew our minds away with his Flexible record. Passion and Warfare astounded us it was such an incredible album...we never heard anything like that...even from EVH. I put Steve, Edward, and Joe Satriani at the same level. They are the 3 greatest guitarists of our time....each great in his own unique way.

[@LawDude777]

Once again it only shows who was the brains of Van Halen- David Lee Roth. DLR leaves Van Halen and Eddie V. and Sammy Hagar produce bubble gum love rock! Vai Rocked!!

[@michaelmiglino6512]

I strongly feel no other guitarist in that 80's era would have been able to play on such an Album like "Eat'em and Smile" with such humour, personalty, coupled with elements of jazz, blues, metal, funk, country, and super chops like the way Vai did. In my opinion, he did a more than stellar job filling EVH shoes without sounding much like him. Vai obviously came from an incredibly strong background from working with Zappa, replacing Yngwie in Alcatrazz, performing the duel guitar parts in Crossroads, working on the PIL project etc. He was by far the right candidate!

[@slappywag7210]

The eat em and smile tour was my first concert. It was an amazing show and as a guitar player, I was instantly a Steve Vai fan.

[@josephno1347]

Vai always delivers, rock music is much richer as a result

[@John-kw3nd]

God that album was great, 5150 was good but when Eat em and smile came out it was like " Holy Fuck" 1000% more than I expected, still sounds great !!!

[@mc5869]

Well put !!

[@jonbonnici275]

I love this interview, and I luv Vai’s attitude to push the bar I think in the 80s replacing EVH would have been the hardest job in the world, your an absolute Chaaaampion VAI !!

[@shaymanking]

Loved the Eat’em and Smile era. I was lucky enough to see them play at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin in the late 80’s with Poison opening the show. Dave road the surfboard across the arena and over the audience to a boxing ring that was lowered from the rafters. 🎸🌊🥊🤸‍♂️🏄‍♀️

[@fredkeele6578]

Saw Steve Vai at Mississippi Nights, in St Louis yearsssss ago. After DLRs band. Also saw DLR Eat em tour. Actually was an awesome show.

[@5150pearl]

very sweet man

[@Fugettaboutit]

One of the real good guys in Rock N' Roll.

[@hope4all562]

I've said it before and I will say it again. That was some of Steve's best work The music he created with David Lee.

[@comfortablynumb9342]

Eat'em And Smile is one of the greatest RnR albums ever, still love it. I was in the 6th or 7th grade at the time it came out and it helped turn me into a longhair for life. It was the first tape I ever bought, I made copies before that. In my opinion Steve smoked EVH on that disc. He's also a cool guy who would never say anything ugly about EVH. His story of becoming friends with Ed is pretty cool. I saw him on a G3 tour from the 2nd row. He and his band were incredible live, super extra tight. Seeing him jam with Joe Satriani was awesome too, and they both burned Kenny Wayne Shepherd to the floor.

[@ricogomez4020]

No.

[@comfortablynumb9342]

@@ricogomez4020 yes

[@comfortablynumb9342]

@2216sammy Vai is too humble to say anything negative about EVH. They all respect EVH. I guess it depends on how you measure "better".

[@joedirt902]

GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL IN 85 MEANS ONE THING GUITAR, GUITAR AND MORE GUITAR. GREAT TIME.

[@bobdooggie]

I saw the Eat ‘em Smile tour at the La Forum. Cinderella opened. It had all the energy that the 5150 tour should’ve had

[@jasonb.7609]

same tour, cant remember cow palace sf or oakland arena..haha, good times! Show rocked!

[@bkh0525]

@@jasonb.7609 I think it was the Cow Palace!

[@jasonb.7609]

@@bkh0525 Indeed and thank you! memory a bit fuzzy haha, yes,that was a great show! Saw some good shows there. It was Motley at the Oakland Colisium for Girls Girl Girls then two nights in a row for Dr Feelgood at Oakland arena couple years later! Miss those days! Take care and thank you!

[@bkh0525]

@@jasonb.7609 YES! I saw Mötley Crüe and Ozzy at the Cow Palace, but yes, Mötley Crüe at the Oakland Coliseum for “Day On The Green” with Whitesnake and Poison, was awesome!

[@jasonb.7609]

@@bkh0525 right on! sounds like you saw Motley for ‘shout, withOzzy, lucky! I had a ticket for memorial auditorium in Sac but couldnt go haha, then no money for theatre, finally for Girls! Then Feelgood two nights in a row, held Nikki up in SF at a theatre for corabi tour, he stage dived and I was holding him up under his back..haha! then a half empty cow palace show for ‘swine, then all of the crue fest tours and the final tour, but not this last one, Im pissed at them now..haha, anyways, we were probably at many of the same metal shows back then!

[@vikkiorlando54]

Eat em and smile!! Awesome show!! 😲

[@roberthearn6110]

David , Steve & the rest of the band were thrilling to rock out to, they were as good as it gets if you were cool😂👍

[@Coolhand14]

You and Billy Sheehan were a wonderful team. Made that band so much fun! The good ole days!

[@richardgardner90125]

People struggled to accept Hagar but Vai was welcomed with open arms in terms of Roths bandmate

[@stepanbandera5206]

Many of us never did accept Hagar. He belongs in Montrose.

[@steveeckert8396]

Eat Um and Smile was seen as a follow up to 1984. Everyone loved it. 5150 was a left turn for VH. Ed got to release a bunch of stuff he couldn’t with Dave and take the band in a new direction. That pissed a lot of people off. Via and Sheehan quit DLR after the second album and VH continued on until EVH’s drug addiction became too much.

[@angryagain3801]

You clearly live in some alternate universe Hagar was instantly accepted 5150 outsold Eat Em and Smile. Van Hagar albums. Four of them went multi platinum. Roth has TWO platinum albums . That's all. People didn't struggle to accept Sammy Hagar in VH.

[@johnpinna]

I think the difference was Hagar was already an established artist and many people knew him from his solo career so seeing him in Van Halen was a little odd at first. I know that's how I felt. Not as many people knew Steve from his previous efforts with Zappa, Alcatraz, etc. - so when you saw Steve play with David Lee Roth at first - you didn't have any prior conception of him. He's also was amazingly talented and one hell of a showman - so it fit perfectly with David's personality.

[@casperguylkn]

No, not exactly. Those who were fans of VH with Sammy, they said, Steve isn't Eddie, or as good, etc. There certainly were critics back then of Roth and Vai. Maybe not as many but they existed.

[@taylormesa]

It is a CRIME that there is not a pro video of the Eat ‘Em & Smile or Skyscraper concerts… that is one of the best dream team bands in rock history!!

[@NEntv58]

Easy to overlook that behind these hero genius superhuman performers are actual real people.

[@ampersandmcvinegar5681]

1986 Houston, Texas. Eat 'em and Smile. My buddy knew I hated Motley Crue and LOVED the Beastie Boys, turned me on to this. I will forever love/hate him for making me a guitarist.❤😂😢😅

[@tuberider2077]

Vai was HUGE at that time , I thought he was just as good an Ed Van Halen.

[@tuberider2077]

You had to be around 1986 @2216sammy

[@hanknyc]

What a modest and humble guy!

[@IsaacVeronneauFamily]

There is a KZbin video of Vai playing a solo on Zombie Woof / Zappa that imo is outstanding.

[@davidbuswa9425]

The host should've asked Steve if there is a possibility of a sequel to "Crossroads" to be filmed like the recent "Kobra Kai" series. "Crossroads II: The Wrath of Jack Butler". "This time it's personal"(in movie trailer voice over). LOL!

[@DColcla]

SV is so humble about his place compared to EVH. I saw him in an interview many years ago and he had the same stance (Min 3:28+). SV is a powerful influencer and equal to many of the greats (IMHO). What puts him over the top is how humble he is about his craft and himself. Plus…. Hes’ got a really cool name!!!

[@gilllawson2214]

Got to see Steve with DLR and Poison in the Birmingham Jefferson Civic center. Good stuff

[@rcjoe406]

Well said Sir ...your a very humble man 🙌

[@jerrybrady7997]

Humble guy

[@jamwayofaiken-augustarockb7643]

There are two shows that I can consider to be the greatest shows I've ever seen one of those shows was Eatem and smile the guitar and bass battle between Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan was absolutely the coolest thing I ever did see the other fantastic show I saw was rush and I just have to say Neil Peart put on just as great a show totally Blown Away by Rush

[@aspenessis]

Eat um and smile was a masterpiece ! !

[@jeffreyedwards767]

Go steve go °•°•°•°•°•

[@realdealio1]

Vai is a BEAST.

[@donnieolaughlin1758]

Honestly when I heard Steve I played with David Lee Roth band I was just like all makes sense they basically got the best guitarist in town you know like they really went top tier. I like his humble approach too I hear a lot of towns are different St Louis is always been a really supportive town like I mean we'll literally when people are cables or you know somebody's ample cut out and the headliner usually will support you embarrassing stuff but I hear I'm getting off track here but I'm just saying it's nice to hear how humble he is about the whole project and yeah my initial reaction was just like oh well you know if I was in the band is a drummer as a drummer I am a drummer and Dave's like hey you know Steve is coming in I wouldn't be disappointed at all you know they're kind of is a point where you hit a tier. He may have this point of view on the shoulder of giants where he's blending in but to me my point of view on the I was born in 81 I became a Zappa fan around 98 99. I stumbled on Project object with Ike Willis and I actually mistaken their lead guitarist for Steve Vai and I thought holy shit how did I see Steve I in such a small venue I later learned that it was a cover band with with Ike Willis who is one hell of a guitar player again let's do another Inception of guitarists if somebody walked in and said hey Steve's not coming in today but Ike Willis is coming and playing guitar I would be just as happy. And him and Dweezil played great together in 2006

[@pc2908]

Stevie is so wonderfully politically correct in this interview, as usual. Such a humble soul. Go Stevie Go❤

[@stevew6910]

Im sure working with Dave back then was a great time, The good thing is Dave loves the spotlight,, Push him out in front of the cameras and follow him to the parties LOL

[@ondrejstedry6480]

Steve is a f nice guy

[@jonathanbuckley1174]

he plays here in NZ this week 🔥

[@benjaminchartier6458]

Steve vai really brought umor to Alcatrazz too. Anybody remember the video for,"God bless video?" Hilarious!

[@Perrydog101]

David was an incredible front man and creative lyricist. I was too young to appreciate Sammy Haggar and was bummed at the switch. But now, many years later, Van Haggar was a beast of a different flavor and legit in its own lane. Both versions were and is magic.

[@kajem575]

Those of us who already knew who you were AND followed DAVE out of his break with VH were not surprised at all. Obviously, from a professional/career standpoint you must be careful what you say,so I'll do it. You and DLR BAND wiped the floor with VH with those two albums. RINGO sez...✌️❤️

[@fredkeele6578]

Give me a glazed donut, and a bottle of anything... To go!

[@SJUCityBoy]

Eat 'Em and Smile OU812-Oh You Ate One Too Van Halen's response to DLR

[@Lengsel7]

I really would've liked to see a lot more of his what was it Jack Butler? character/persona outside the movie Crossroads.

[@RobertNoone-u7r]

I saw Dave solo and was great but unfortunately none of the eat and smile guys were there except Greg was for the a little ain't enough tour with Cinderella.i am surprised they never reunited, would have loved to see.

[@oldnikix]

Steve Vai should be a role model for all budding musicians.

[@portopottybreath9375]

The David Lee Roth band was great. Not VH, but great on it's own. Eat em and Skyscraper are great records.

[@johnnyeskew4703]

Then everybody wanted to play like steve!