Legendary guitarist Steve Vai is the featured guest on the latest episode of “Metal Sticks”, the podcast hosted by Nicko McBrain, the iconic drummer of IRON MAIDEN for 42 years, recently retired from touring, and Modern Drummer CEO David Frangioni. In this episode, Vai shares rare insights into his groundbreaking career, collaborations, deep connection with drummers, and what continues to drive his artistic evolution.
Asked about his early connection to the heavy metal genre, Vai said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Yeah, it’s an odd kind of a thing, ’cause when I was very young, I wanted to be a composer. I wanted to understand how to write. And I learned that; I learned that very young. But then when I was, like, 12 and I was being influenced by the music coming into the house, so my sister was getting [into] ALICE COOPER and KISS and LED ZEPPELIN and DEEP PURPLE and QUEEN. So that energy that’s in metal, it was paramount; I was drawn to it. And on the other hand, I had all this quirky kind of musical sensibilities and oddballness, and my brain mixed it together. But it was definitely the energy and the intensity of heavy metal that had no real substitute. Other things that I really like are beautiful melody — I love playing long, beautiful melodies, songs on the guitar. But, yeah, I was a BLACK SABBATH head as a teenager, and I was always drawn tothe metal that was available at the time. And of course, [IRON MAIDEN] and all was for me more in the ’80s. And once I got into the ’80s, the whole scene changed. The ’80s metal, there was two types — there was the English, British type [with] a lot of integrity to the metal, whereas a lot of the American pop ’80s metal bands were more colorful, sort of more circus-like.”
Referencing the fact that he joined David Lee Roth’s post-VAN HALEN band four decades ago as lead guitarist, Steve continued: “Our shows were just complete over-the-top rock indulgence. So we’d have almost [a] glam-ish [vibe]; there was that kind of thing. And Roth kind of navigated more to almost a glammy kind of a circus kind of a show. And it was great, because you get to wear all these crazy clothes. You get a stage the size of a football field and you’re running as fast as you can and you do crazy things. But we played our asses off. That was one of the things that [then-Roth bassist] Billy [Sheehan] and I and [then-Roth drummer] Gregg [Bissonette] — we were interested in shredding. At the time, shredding was becoming popular, and I was one of those guys that just practiced a lot. I loved playing slow, but I loved shredding. And Billy and I would just put together these wild kinds of duets with all this kinds of shredding, all in spandex pants.”
Vai is a virtuoso guitarist, composer, and producer, considered by many as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. In over 40 years in the industry, Vai has sold over 15 million records, received three Grammy Awards, and recorded with music legends like Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, WHITESNAKE and many more. Vai has also toured extensively and recorded live projects with “G3” (collaborating with different touring lineups, including Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Lukather) and “Generation Axe”, a supergroup Vai formed with Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi. Vai is the author of “Vaideology: Basic Music Theory For Guitar Players” (Hal Leonard),his inaugural music theory book designed to help both beginners and veteran guitar players. He toured North America in support of his most recent studio album “Inviolate” before embarking on the BEAT tour playing the music of 1980s KING CRIMSON.