Steve Steven Guitarist for Billy Idol for 40 Years, had interactions with every member of Van Halen. He shared the stage with Edward Van Halen at The 1987 Namm Jam.
Well, no need to worry Steve, I’m almost 100 years old and when I went to go see Billy, the energy and chemistry you and Billy have, is off the charts. And you made me feel like I was 14 again. You simply rule. 🤘🏼
A guy I know has 2 of the 5150 stacks that Eddie gave Steve. He also has a 3rd 5150 head that Steve owned. They sound PHENOMINAL! Every time he plays them, I seriously get goosebumps. It's not that they sound better than any other amp. To me, it's that they capture a moment in time. That moment is one that I will never forget. That early 1990's 5150 sound is one of my favorite rock guitar sounds. Ed had really pushed the limits on amps at that time. Ive always loved it. As far as Steve's 5150 stacks go, one of Steve's old guitar techs helped my friend locate and purchase them. I think a musician that Steve sometimes plays with also has another one of the heads that Eddie gave Steve. I'm sure that head rocks as well! Steve will always be one of my favorite players. Just his humbleness and history alone is unreal. Guy is a class act and an even better player.
Van Halen 1 was a dividing line. Ground Zero for a once in a lifetime musical shift. I was 11 years old in 1978. I remember to this day hearing "Eruption" for the first time. I remember the "What the f**k is THAT?" I've not had that experience since. Incredible.
Steve is such a great guitarist over so many genres. If you ever get to meet him you will truly realize he is a musicians musician. I hope everyone gets that chance.
Steve Stevens is a phenomenal player. I love the guy. Let's not ever stop remembering EVH and VH as a band. Eddie never got a proper tribute or send-off and probably never will. I suppose I should say the fans never got a proper goodbye. This is the least we can do. Great channel my friend, I'm still learning so much about EVH from the people who knew him personally.
Hearing initial reactions to the 1st VH album from world class guitar players always brings back my own reaction. Jaw dropping and immediately had to turn other people on to it to revel in its impact. It was unreal!😮
Thank you I’m a guitarist but you are the first person that said Alex like he needs recognition cause he does he was Eddie on the drums both were just brilliant thank God we still have Alex hope life is good for ya right now I know you miss your brother all the family do. God bless everybody. I mean everybody.
Van Halen has always been my favorite band. Eddie my favorite guitar player. I have seen Billy Idol every year he comes to Tampa area. Just saw him again few months ago at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Steve’s solos are mind blowing still. Those guys still kick ass at their age! Killer show and super tight. 40 years with Billy! Agree with Steve Fair Warning was just mind blowing and best album period!
Great guest! Stevie Stevens is a legend in his own right…starting with his name, his style, his look. Dude was the total package! And rebel yell is one of those rare albums that kicks ass top to bottom.
Here's my Van Halen story. Summer 1976 Van Halen headlined a small show(about 50 people were there) at the Alhambra VFW Hall,just outside my hometown of Pasadena California. They played Ice Cream Man,and right before Dave explained how they recorded it and presented it to various record companies and were turned down flat. They performed early versions of that first album at all the parties almost every weekend starting in 1974 in Pasadena, San Marino, and Arcadia. Great memories.
@@johnmacbeth4148 I could write a book. I used to attend Pasadena City College with the Van Halen bros back in the day, and Dave Roth was in the campus quad holding kings court,it was Halloween day 1975. I said to Dave," hey Dave it's Halloween ",he says ,"every day is Halloween " then takes a hit off his joint. Dressed in bell bottom Levi jeans,no shirt,no shoes. He was a rock star even back then.
We had the same "DNA" chemistry with Angus and Malcolm Young , impossible to recreate, with Bee Gees too ... Brothers in arms ... same things with fantastic irish family : The Coors, 3 sisters and one brother ! Larkin Poe too . Steve Stevens is a master, and so humble too, thank you from me, from Marseille, south of France ( Eddie died on my birthday ....why ? ) You have a new suscriber ...
Yeah, he looks like a fun guy with both feet on the ground planted firmly on the inside of his cheek whilst noodling around....I love the dude on all levels because of such.
This channel stands out as one of the great tributes to Eddie Van Halen. Congrats on all the success here, and look forward to all your future guests. This is documenting the EVH History.
Always been a huge fan of Steve Stevens. Total pro and what a class guy. Loved his memories of the 1992 tour cuz thats how I felt about it. Great interview.
Good discussion. It’s true about the Alex symbiosis. When listening to raw Eddie tracks, they are of course, perfect. And actually too perfect, meaning, in isolation he’s right down the middle timing wise. It takes Alex’s subtle counter rhythms to give it life. Just discovered this.
Steve Stevens. The atomic Playboy has timing like an atomic Such an overall good person. Such an enjoyable storyteller and such a great interview. humble, down-to-earth, and you can see why he's been with idol for 40 years +. Thank you
Steve Stevens was a true Phenom when he debuted as Billy Idol's guitarist. It was like only Billy Idol could find someone like Steve. His sound and style was like tight punk mixed with those space sounds, nobody could figure out how he made them. His hair was super long, right down to his guitar! The shiny black PVC outfit just topped it off. Everyone was like, "Who's that dude who plays for Billy Idol?!"
Steve is the only one who can nail Poundcake note for Note. Everyone else cannot Get that chord progression after Sammy's verses. Check it out he played it with Sammy somewhere. 🤙🙏✨💫🆒 Great channel
Steve is a damn alien…I can NOT get the Rebel Yell intro to save my life - anywhere close to the crazy tempo he hits anyway…the same issue I have with Eddies ridiculous Little Guitars split brained/hands intro…just a couple geniuses that are normal guys - another great episode Jeff
I met Steve Steven’s at a NAMM show around 87 -88 , such a nice cool guy! So gifted amazing guitarist , I had his first solo cassette which was a “lesson” tape ,,, amazing! I’m a bassist, I was on a little gig traveling and met their manager around 86 , the manager asked to audition for Billy because their “bass player feel off the wagon” then he asked to do some blow with him! Wow! lol, any way God bless Steve , a genius and still humble,
Thank you FRtv! Thank you SS for mentioning Alex VH and, I have also said for years, that a *single* hit to his snare is immediately Alex VH signature - that wood _plunk_ just brilliant. Speaking of brilliant, SS Rebel Yell acoustic - heard that on the juke box while my cover band was setting up - bought the CD the next day and "force" it on all my friends LOL - cheers!
In L.A. there was a band called “A La Carte”. I hear a lot of influence from them in Van Halen, especially with the Vocals, Phrasing of the Lyrics and Melodies.
Wow! Blown away Jeff and Steve! This is amazing! Thank you both for this incredible interview. These stories are so important to record for the history of Rock music and EVH! I love the way Steve expressed himself at the end about the kids. I feel the same way. I had forgotten about the Top Gun theme! Had to go look it up again. One of my fav movies and an epic soundtrack. Going to watch Steve play Poundcake. And Jeff, I love the jump video you've tacked onto the end. Brought a tear. Thank you so much guys!! 🎸 ❤🤍🖤🤘
I’m very critical when your guests or discussions aren’t really Van Halen centered, so hopefully when I do heap praise, it really means something. Loved this! Excellent interview!!!!
Steve Stevens also did a great job on the Randy Rhoads tribute, Crazy Train with one of Randy's students, Janet Robin and the String Revolution, flamenco Crazy train
Incredible interview, wonderful insight! I have known Steve's work since Idol but I really got the sense of the broadness of his work through the Vince Neil record. I thought he was genius on that record. I had no idea he was that close to Ed.
The video I think you are mentioning wasn't EVH's father. It was another incredible player but the person who posted it was kidding. The real dad played clarinet. Probably extremely well
The other really fun fact about the guy is he's completely at home in most known styles, he's a ton of fun to observe in any setting for sure...most of the hero players usually only operate in one or two main gears 99.9% ...he is exceptional among only a few for sure.
Steve is 65 years old next year, he looks great apart from the lip jewellery. Atomic Playboys album is in my top 10 of all time great albums, Beau Hill gave steve unlimited time to record that album which i believe took nearly 2 years. Wish they had done another album and Steve could have easily took Vai's part in the Eat em and Smile band.
I was at The Namm show where Eddie showed up drinking Malt liquor out of a can at a booth at the show, it was amazing to see him. Then later that night I think at The Hilton hotel near the Namm show Eddie tried sneaking into the show with Valeria and a friend trying to hide Eddie between them but I saw it was Eddie and said "Hey Eddie" He said hello and then he went into the show room very drunk. The show started and we had passes and Eddie comes out drunk and high and starts jamming with the host of the show a comic who makes noises (Michael Winslow) he was making guitar sounds and Eddie just jammed away it was very strange TBH but seeing a legend so close I'll never forget.
Steve Steven's??? is without doubt, one of the very few still on the old mud ball, to actually spank the plank properly across several styles....no point in arguing about it.
So cool, Steve brought up Stray Dog...I was guitar player with Alan Roberts, bass player in Stray Dog...in the 90s..very nice guy..that band should have been huge...
Steve Stevens is imo the absolute definition of a guitar player whose guitar style services the song. Talented creative and such excellent guitar work. And, ya the songs were good too lol.
SS and Eddie Van Halen had the same guitar tech in the 80s. If memory serves me his name was JT. Very nice guy. Met him at Giorogios' Oasis studio in 1987. Also befriended Billy there in November that year. I made it on his charmed life album doing handclaps w/Keith, Mark and Art plus the assistant engineer on a track and the wanker gave my credit to another persons name. BTW: RIP Brian Reeves. The fastest razor editor this side of Katmandu.
I remember those guys opening for Van Halen, the crowd wasn't responding that much. I was telling my buddies WTF, that's Vince Neil and Steve Stevens !!!!
This man is a national treasure. I always thought billy idol would of been a great replacement for dave of sam didnt take it. The version of jump they do is amazing. Billy and steve love van halen like us
My cousin and I who grew up together had that kind of Eddie/Alex thing going on...I mean NOT anywhere NEAR that kind of talent but he was a drummer and I was a guitarist and we just KNEW instinctively what the other was going to do....we played in bands since we were like 14 and had played together since we were 12...so yeah I completely understand a connection like that...just a look or hand movement and you know what the other means....
Awesome interview as usual. Absolutely love ur channel and content Jeff. You should try and get an interview with Marc Diglio.....he seems be back on the scene and I'm sure Ed was a big influence on him. Such a great player.
I think people really forget how crazy VH was back in the club days. Eddie would stop in the middle of his featured solo act and look at his own hands as if he doesn't know himself how he can play! He would turn them side to side and shake his head in wonderment. Then go back to playing. The Crowd would go absolutely bonkers. All other bands just couldn't top that at all. VH ruled so much. Eddie was only 20yrs old playin in the Clubs.
Steve is amazing guitarist. Used to crank Whiplash Smile album on heavy rotation. Steve should jump in for a night with Sammy Michael Jason and Joe during Sam's tour in 2024!
at 27minute marker while talking about "Fair Warning" being 'the guitarist's favorite album', 'prog rock-ish' from VH camp, more gritty, a departure from SoCal sound/attitude.. and not selling as much as the 3 previous records.. and in response to that is "Diver Down" a return to radio spins with pop covers bc enough new originals were largely not ready to record.... all that to say, the band itself as a brand, a business, a 'live performing act' was Extremely popular/profitable for the band members, to the "butt's in seats" reference. the inside rub, they were real big actually, sold out arena concerts, a few nights per city in fact, but the record sales were not as high. but that too is perspective. 'Fair Warning' was platinum not gold for crying out loud. but not as big/fast selling as earlier records? so the hell what? so, this is a Warner Bros. issue. bc nothing on the record can go to radio and help sell the record. but the biggest American rock band since Kiss is selling lots of concert tickets/butts in seats. So, the band/company pays record stations to play songs from FW to increase sales. ok. then what? it's business. if VH had to do that then I'm certain every other band does too. What the hell on Back in Black can go to radio in '80/'81? or Moving Pictures? or anything by other hard rock/metal bands.. ?
loved this one . . . seen Steve on the Rebel Yell tour, and THANK THE GODS right around that time also seen the 1984 Van Halen tour hit edmonton with my brother one thing that Eddie doesn´t get enough credit for, is for getting amazing electric guitars available to art punks like me man, even still, you can walk into some popular music stores and 98% of the electric guitars are shit, except for the EVH ones how could it be, that the electric guitar necks were absolutely forgotten after the 1960´s and all this crap came out for so long ? . . . and the pickups ? . . . and then along came Eddie to insist that quality guitars are available again to the general public anyways, even, in 1989, I got a "Kramer Striker 100 St" from a local store, I think for 420 CAD, still have it, still love it, now I have an EVH Wolfgang neck on a crazy strat copy left handed strat body, that a neighbour here in the trailer park on an insanity pension gave me FUCKING AMAZING GUITAR !!!! I put the EVH Frankenstrat pick up in, and it sings all fkn day and night it was because of Eddie that I decided after a year of making noise at the age of 17, to switch from playing right handed to left handed, in theory, to get the right hand on the fret board is what ended up happening, was I got my right hemisphere psychic intuitive creative brain stronger, giving a back seat to that boring old left brain educated hemisphere anyways, ONE LOVE to the Van Halens !!!!!!!!!! . . . and all those inspired by VH to up their game and love life more ! . . . Yeah Man !, and to Dave´s Art Teacher mother, for the Art he brang too !!
PLUS !!!! . . . the whammy bar ! . . . Eddie popularized the Floyd Rose, and HOW SWEET IT IS to drop down and go into such big waves of power dimensions, and then pop right back up IN TUNE !!!! that was also unheard of before Eddie !!!! . . . the little tuning circles, right on the bridge . . . with a long range radio, there´s no stopping the wildness infection, even the cats come out of the weeds to smell the guitar . . . God Bless Eddie´s sobriety too . . .
Steve Steven, such a great guitarist and so underrated. Run across your channel from watching Phil X and your interview with him showed up in the feed. What a great channel you have, for the 4 hours I've been watching so of course I had to smash that subsrcibe button so wouldn't miss any of you ROCKIN' content! Good stuff keep it coming!! Ohhh and btw where did you find the VH necklace I like it better than the ones I've seen online, very cool! -5150
I HAVE SEEN A FEW OF THESE OF VIDEOS LATELY AND I NEVER HEAR YOU TALKING ABOUT EDDIE AND ALEX"S EARLY CHILDHOOD YEARS WHEN THEY BOTH WENT ON PAID LIVE PERFORMANCES WITH THEIR FATHER ON CRUISE SHIPS IN THE SUMMER. BOTH ALEX AND EDDIE WERE THEIR FATHERS BAND! ALEX PLAYED BASS AND EDDIE PLAYED DRUMS AND THEY WOULD SWITCH. EDDIE WANTED TO BE A DRUMMER. HE LOVED THE DRUMS. IT WASNT UNTIL THEY WERE OLDER AND EDDIE GOT HIS DRUM SET AND ALEX GOT HIS GUITAR, THAT THEY BOTH SOON LEARNED THEY WERE EACH BETTER AT THE OTHERS INSTRUMENT. SO THEY SWITCHED! HOWS THAT FOR THINGS BEING MEANT TO BE. ALSO I DONT KNOW IF YOU ARE AWARE OF IT OR NOT? BUT EDDIE PLAYED ON A MOVIE SOUND TRACK IN THE EARLY 80s FOR A MOVIE WITH CHRISTOPHER PENN ( SEAN PENN'S YOUNGER BROTHER, CALLED: " THE WILD LIFE". THAT WAS THE NAME OF THE MOVIE AND THE SOUND TRACK EDDIE DID. ONE OF THE SONGS HE DID I REALLY LIKE, CALLED: "DOUGHNUT CITY" YOU NEED TO HEAR IT IF YOU HAVENT YET. AND EDDIE ALSO DID AN INSTRUMENTAL FOR THE MOVIE "TWISTER" CALLED: " RESPECT THE WIND" WHICH IS PRETTY GREAT! AND THEN, THIS ONE IS A REAL HIDDEN GEM THAT MANY PEOPLE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT! EDDIE DID A VIDEO AND SONG FOR A PORNO MOVIE CALLED : CATHERINE! IF YOU DIDNT KNOW? YOU HAVE SEE THIS! THE VIDEO AND THE MUSIC, IT WAS GREAT. I SENT EDDIE AN E MAIL ONE TIME STRONGLY SUGGESTING HE MAKE A FULL INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM! BECAUSE MOST GUITARISTS LOVE HIM AND WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HEAR HIM DO A COMPLETE GUITAR INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM.. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWESOME ( WAIT UNTIL YOU HEAR THOSE INSTRUMENTALS I JUST MENTIONED ) PUT YOUR SEAT BELT ON! AT THE END OF THE DAY THOUGH, EDDIE VAN HALEN WAS SIMPLY, JUST.... HIMSELF! EDDIE VAN HALEN!
