THE GUITAR SHOW with Eddie Van Halen 

You nailed it! He has always struggled with social anxiety. The spotlight is painful and he just wants to play and hides behind the guitar. I'm not sure he even knows that he is a guitar genius.

Eddy remained drunk for the next 26 years.. And still nailed every solo. Go figure.

In my opinion, Eddie Van Halen is the absolute best guitarist ever. I’ve been a fan of his work since 1983 when I was 13. Rock on, Eddie! You’re the best!

The smoker you drink, the player you get.

In all fairness I would like to say that I met Eddie and Michael and Alex in 88 i was a big fan in total awe of them it was after the last show of monsters of rock and they were the nicest most down to earth guys.

even when he's high or drunk he can still pull a mean solo

" if i can do it, anybody can do it" well geez ed, i'll keep trying

Eddie is being a clown. If I never heard of Eddie I wouldn't want to be a guitarist. It's nice to see Eddie smile, it also puts a smile on my face. :)

Congratulations to every guitar magazine editor and interviewer in which an EVH article/interview was published, and I have read most of them since May of 1984 GFTPM with EVH on the cover and countless others, I had no idea what writers and editor's had to proof read and edit in order for me to enjoy a cohesive EVH interview. Thank you again. Hang em high !!!

I don't think I ever saw Eddie to an interview when he wasn't wasted or concert for that matter.

i can't believe how clearly he speaks while that high

He's all shy and whatnot wanting the camera to turn off well it's nice to see Eddie smile.

Damn, Eddie is so adorable.

This is how you can act when you have tons of money and don't have to take any shit...

Kramer Guitars are some of the best Guitars I've ever played, Eddie for Kramer back in the 80s was what Les Paul was for Gibson!

There is only one Picasso. There is only one Edward Van Halen.

I love this guy, best guitarist ever!

At about 5:46 when he mimics "somebody do this years ago" it was Jimmy Page. Two of my favorites :D

That was a lot of fun

The real Edward. Great interview. The interviewer is even in a little not sure what to to think shock. What substance? Or just the rock-n-roll.

He's lit.

EVH is and always will be the best badass guitarist who still lives!

Smoke another joint eddie!!!!!!!!!!

My favorite guitarist , for sure!

I think Eddie is just being a genuine human being...

@cobias Ive been a fan since day one and I must say that as much fame and recognition as the band got it should have gotten more,especially in the early days,where they were basically ignored by the mainstream media,and the old guard was threatened by them.As far as eddie ragging on other guitar players,its not like these other cats have been very nice to him.Ive never really heard clapton or beck say anything flattering.Personally i THINK HE BLOWS THE OLD GUARD AWAY INCLUDING HENDRIX

♥.♥ he was so hot

Smashed again Ed..

Eddie said himself that he didnt have anything in the form of a social life during his teens, he was constantly playing guitar. So i guess your right

@aaronbergAPB Very true. Yes, he is NOT comfortable in his own skin. The drinking helped in that area but ruined so much in the process. Imagine if Ed had stopped drinking around this time for good. I think we would have had so much more music from him. I too owe Ed a lot. He is a true genius to me. If he had been born a 100 years earlier I bet he would have been another Debussy/Classical genius pianist. He was born to produce incredible music regardless of the time period IMO. Long live Edward!

Alcoholism is bad mm'kay? Glad he got his stuff together.

now he's with fender

Eddie is a comedic genius! 🤣🤣

The 80's.....the 80's.....

I LOVE YOU, EDDIE FOREVER!!!!

Hagar had to put up with this shit for yrs!!

Stoned out of his mind. Love him, but what a jerk during this interview.

eddie has never said he invented it or tried to start something. he just did it, and made it his own thing which it became his signature sound.

Oh man I've been there before, he's stoned out of his mind.

so much for the door. He's a child in this video. He didn't mention anything about Django and Stanley Jordan doing the hammerons way before him. Duddddd

Methinks Diamond Roth said it best in his autobiography: "Without a guitar in his hands, EVH is a crummy human being"

he smoked weed anyone can tell. I had to laugh about the paraplegic crack. am I awful?

i love him

"Oh he made an inappropriate joke!" "Oh heaven's he's drunk." "Is he smoking?" What a bunch of grandmas in these comments.

2:43 best response to a question I've ever heard hahahaha😂😂

The late actor Michael Landon once [half jokingly] stated, "You're entertained in your home, by people you wouldn't have in your house".

He was just smoked up for that interview, actually I have heard pretty sharp and great advices from him with regards to amps and sound shaping

So sad to see him or anyone else like that.

Kramer shoes! Those are the shit!

Eds never played with many other big names, which fans call genius, and keeping it real and pure, etc.

A dream to listen to, a nightmare to interview..

Inside the talent!!

Hes hilarious

I dunno, I laughed. Maybe it's because I joke around like that too.

haha i love it how he's high in an interview he turns all funny and shit.awesome guitarist.

@CrowaX High, or drunk or both, this is the start of pretty dark time for Ed.

I'd rather hear him play than talk...

I LOVE Eddie!! He is the DON.

Comments are 90% hate 10% compliments

Lmao i fucken love this human being! Its like he makes being a musician seem so damn easy, kinda like mozart did! :0 eddie man thanx for all the music and thanx for such a bad ass album for the new millenium! Good luck the rest of the way! \m/

what a funny guy i love eddie always so jokes :)

He is BLAZED

1985, best year ever ! back to the future was in theaters when this interview was happinin.

THAT is a ROCK STAR

Watching this video I just felt sorry for the interviewer and the guy from Kramer. I love EVH he is the reason I play guitar today, but as I've followed his career and personal life for the last 30+ years I find that as a human being he really is lacking. I feel if I ever got to meet him in person and spend any time I would leave disappointed and let down by someone that I held in "hero" status for much of my life.

hes my douchiest hero

Man, this interview reminds of the film Amadeus! Imagine the interviewer being Salieri and Eddie (of course) being Mozart, blowing raspberries and playing piano upside-down. I mean, for fakk's sake, he even plays the guitar as a piano here!

Meanwhile, Ed & Alex were conspiring to replace Dave.

Is there supposed to be a point to this interview??

Classic case of someone that is not funny at all but is so worshiped that people would laugh at whatever he says. I mean, I love his music and Eddie was probably my biggest influence growing up playing the guitar, but as far as personality goes...... damn! This was indeed painful to watch.

he wasnt sober. haha. hes a nice guy. hes just fucking around here

eddies such a beast

GENIOUS!!!!

haha holy shit EVH is hilarious

The 80`s !! The best time in my Life !! Movie`s, Music.....Great.

Vh is my favorite band. But, i can see that dealing with Eddie must be a f@cking nightmare!

love Eddie. he's just a normal bloke who loves a drink and a smoke..... who plays his arse off. but you kind of get the feeling that he's tired, tired of the 80's trappings, tired of the shite state of guitar in 86. but seriously... watch the last 30 seconds when he plays the Kramer on his lap... like a piano....... he's a fucking wizard!

pride really does go before the fall...

Stoned and drunk is fantastic!

Apparently Dave saw this interview and said "What's Steve Vai's number?"

trail blazer

Also, was this interview after Dave was gone? After Sammy was brought in? Some time between the switch? Just curious.

He probably looks back on this now and says, "man, I can't believe I acted like that!". I know I have!

He's gonna poke someone's eye out.........

4:00 thats a helluva racket! lol

Don't do drugs.

whoever pays eddie the most money, that's how lmao.

You have to remember Eddie had a HUGE problem with alcohol back then, he is obviously drunk here. I know I have been an ass plenty of times when drunk. He has since quit drinking, had a child, battled cancer, had a hip replacement and seems to have grown to be a thoughtful, respectful person. I met him back stage in Montreal last year after a show during which someone stole my jacket. Eddie took off his hoodie and gave it to me to wear home. We had never met before. He's a good guy.

Damm Eddie had one of the best hairs in the day...that look is the shit!!

my man is most definitely high or drunk or maybe both in this interview. but it did put a smile on my face!

It's cool to see him young, and playing around. Still a kid at heart. Gotta love him!!!!

If there was ever anybody put on this earth with the sole purpose of playing guitar, Eddie Van Halen is that person.

There a few guitarists that can play faster than eddie but there is no one more musically clever than him. And he did it with the cheapest shit. It's all in the hands.

Eddie was just trying to be funny. There are much worse artists with mean intentions!

Eddie's such a badass. Can you really imagine going to numerous interviews and being asked the same questions twenty times? Get real, if I were him I'd go to my interviews half in the bag too.

Outside of him being stoned, he said something I always thought, Jump is Panama, only on the Piano

that somebody that he saw was the legend Jimmy Page

People need to give Eddie a break. A lot of the great musicians have been known to be shy and nonsocial introverts. There's even a theory on how many of the great inventors/innovators of the world portray autistic symptoms. I think it's a gift, and as Dave once said when asked about Ed's awkwardness compared to his charismatic attitude: "You have to have your yin and yang." Not everyone is good at everything, but Ed sure is damn good at what he does best, and that is, play guitar.

THATS OK EDDIE , I WAS BAKED ON THAT DAY TOO

Drunk, high or not Eddie is consistent. He has always prefered non-finished oiled necks instead of painted or varnished