Steve Vai's worst gig sounds like an exact description of my worst gig, except without Zappa and all the world class virtuosos on stage and the legendary venue and the historic occasion and the great playing. But the other details were pretty much spot on.
Did you play better being sick? I'm not being sarcastic. Just wondered. I had to do a gig with the flu and it was ..weird.. like I was in some kinda spaced-out zen mode. Everything seemed slo-mo and spot-on. ..weird..
@@tavicotavio To be fair, I don't think he did.. He smirks and looks up while saying it as if to communicate a slight disbelief, not really playing it down. I think Vai is a really humble dude, but I gotta disagree with your statement man :D
One of my favorite things about Steve Vai is that he has such a prestigious sophisticated image of persona from his career track record and style, and when he tells stories in interviews he casually says things like "I was pissing out of my ass" without a hint of shame.
What's the shame about it? We're adult people, we know that all sorts of uncomfortable health issues can and do happen, not that Fluff's audience is a bunch of pre-schoolers who'd be like "hee-hee, he said ass"
@@egork92 It's called "having class". Some people have it, some don't, some try to make excuses for not having by reducing it to pre-schooler humor, and some have it without trying and have no problems describing things in a vulgar way for humorous effect.
@@egork92 not a fan of Vai but he told what he told, if it was true - good - sounds like a real story that you would like to forget and never bringing back) Но мужику похер, видимо он знает что умеет делать что то хорошо - а именно - сочинять и исполнять - и похер на хихикающих идиотов)) молодец)
We hired a young lead guitarist that had been practising to Vais demos and Zappa. He loved Van Halen and adored Page. We need more guitar players like that. Those nerds with an attitude.
This video has completely changed my opinion about Steve Vai. I assumed he was in love with himself . He is a cool, regular guy. Humble. Saying that I love to see Stevie Vai and Steve Morse playing together
I thought the same thing with no context. Assumed he was a virtuosic egomaniac but then you listen to videos and he’s incredibly humble. Made me really like him
The Armadillo World Headquarters was located in Austin, Texas and closed about 1980. It was an incredible venue. I did sadly miss this show but I saw many other great shows there.
You already know, lol. Frank seriously wasn't kidding about any of it. Adrian Belew tells a fucking hysterical story of being with Bowie when he tried to apologize to Frank for stealing Adrian, and the only thing Frank would say to him the entire time was "Fuck you, Major Tom".
Oct 16 1980 Austin Tx I still have the ticket stubs from both shows Armadillo was in Austin Tx.. The ice cream and shakes Frank and Capt Beefart were eating on Bongo Fury came from right across the street at Sandys custard which is still there ! I laughed so hard at this gig my face and ribs hurt for a month....
I had a dream they were...probably so...i just don't like jared...he is constantly talking shit. He in the past has had feuds with stevieT, musiciswin, fluff(remember on that one dickydines thing he was drunk and was ranting about how much of a POS he was) and now lucas Mann...he just seems shady.
Dude that was reportage of a pure rock'n'roll moment, right from the horse's mouth. A story told by a legend about a time before he was a legend, working for a legend. "Hey, sport. You look like a guy who's been on tour for the first time". Gold.
I've read this story before but thank you for getting it on video. I remember Steve said originally that they where playing a difficult track, he'd just finished vomitting when Frank yelled his name for a solo, he said 30 years ago something like 'I played the solo start as another warm wave of diarrhea ran down the back of my legs, the ceiling spun and I thought it was the end.' What a trouper - real talent! :D
That part of the country kinda all looks the same, but yes, Armadillo World HQ was a famous ramshackle old venue down in Austin Texas. I have pissed out my ass a few times in Texas and New Mexico.
Yep, that's Austin. I thought I was at this show because I've been a huge Zappa fan since the mid 60s so I wouldn't have missed it. But I don't remember him puking and pissing on stage but to be brutality honest, I was probably tripping balls and wouldn't remember now anyway. I saw so many great shows there, the best being Bruce Springstein, whom nobody that I knew had ever heard of. We just knew he was some kid from New Jersey. Fuck me! He blew everybody away! And yeah, it could get hot as hell in there. It is Texas, after all. No venue has even come close to the Armadillo though. So many great venues have been lost over the years.
Thanks for correcting Mr. Vai. The Albuquerque date was in a gymnasium on the campus of the University of New Mexico on October 12, 1980 and the Austin date was October 16, 1980.
I love Steve. Never met the guy, but he is such an inspiration! He always comes off as friendly, he doesn’t mind taking the time to share his knowledge and help others. A real stand-up guy, so to speak!
Loool, can you imagine being at that show?? Like u would be to a friend " hey man zappa's guitarist (i guess at that time he wasnt STEVE FUCKING VAI yet) is vomiting and shitting himself up there" and ur friend would be "yeah but his hitting all the notes"
Steve I was familiar with your guitar playing ..but once I got a chance to see your personality shine through with your RUclips post...i have become a huge huge fan...i play guitar at 65 I started lessons again I am 69 and you have inspired me..thank you
My worst gig: we had a 3 hour show at a local rock club on a Friday night. I had to work my day job that day and I missed lunch and by the time that we did the load in and set up I had a raging migraine headache. I took excedrine migraine relief on the way to the load in but it did no good so after load in I took a Sumatriptan, which is a strong migraine medication that makes you feel like the walking dead, and I laid down in the sound man’s closet and waited for show time. My band told me that I didn’t have to go on but I didn’t want to let them down. I was the lead guitar player. 5 minutes before the show started I felt well enough to stand up and walk on stage. When I bent over to plug in to my pedal board the blood rush to my head pounded me like a sledge hammer. I don’t know how I made it thru a hard rock 3 hour set with a pounding migraine but I made it. Sometimes shit happens but you have to work thru it.
TheMeJustMe75 I bet the ones he won’t tell are awesome. Maybe some day if he outlives everyone else and can’t get sued maybe we’ll get to hear some lol
I’m definitely not on Steve’s level but I had the same experience, in Greenville South Carolina, 1987. I had to sit behind the PA with a bucket and a stool for two nights with a stomach virus. That was back when you played 5 to 7 nights a week in clubs on the road, you couldn’t take a sick night because it stopped the whole band from working. Terrible feeling, he was playing WAY harder music.
What a great gig story. I've had my share of playing under the weather, but this story puts things in perspective. What an inspiration and what an icon.
Lol, who else expected him to say stuff like "I played the wrong note", "I was off key", etc. just to find some reassurance about your guitar skills :">
Imagine going to a frank zappa show and seeing that he has a 20yo guitarist, strapped up in jean shorts puking and shitting all over himself and still not missing a note...
I did go to see Zappa's show in the 70s he was the only Guy I knew,the rest of the band were magical beings that played better than anyone I had ever seen
i met Steve at the guitar center in 1999 in Manchester CT he was the nicest guy you would ever want to meet when it was my turn to meet him he signed my guitar and album covers and took pictures with me ,it was the greatest day of my life and he did not try to rush me off he talked with me very cool guy.
I love Steve Vai, such a beautiful person, always takes his time to share and his stories are top-notch and sincere. Always a treat to listen to Steve Vai talk and of course play that guitar. Thanks for the video. Yes, it was good!
I was puking and pissing out of my ass and was so dehydrated I needed to get an IV. I was literally crawling to get into the Med center. The nurse said I looked green. They had trouble with the IV because my veins had all collapsed. I have no idea how in the hell Steve played a single note. That was the only time I wished I was dead. And when the first bag went in my body I felt fine. It was crazy.
Agreed. I was hospitalised with dehydration once and I was so crazy sick I couldn't have unzippered my pants without help. I have no clue how he got through that show. The guy's a badass on top of being a virtuoso \m/
Yeah just casually talking about 1980 while holding a completely new, unannounced guitar. FWIW It's not a Jem, the new guitar is called the PIA, named after his wife.
My worst gig ever was at the Sydney Entertainment Centre with David Lee Roth when he toured Australia in the '80's. Steve Vai was on guitar... he was awesome! He came out on stage playing a double neck guitar... not the usual double neck, but with a neck on both sides of the body. He played both necks, with both hands at the same time, harmonizing with himself, all hammer-on's, no picking, obviously. Truly amazing! I was in the support act. We had a single out at the time with the requisite '80's synth sounds and quite a bit of it was running in sync from a sequencer (google it Milenials!). The drummer accidentally knocked the tempo dial to almost twice the correct tempo and then hit start. We valiantly struggled through the song at this ridiculous pace, as we couldn't stop and start again in front of the packed Entertainment Centre. Absolutely mortifying... I was so embarrassed I didn't even go to the after party!!! Apparently I missed out big time because "Diamond Dave" was in good form that night. We did Brisbane and Melbourne too and Steve could always be heard back stage running scales hours before the shows... already at it long before anyone else got there. True virtuosity isn't possible without true dedication and he has both in spades. I've never forgotten it, which is surprising because most of the decade went by in an alcohol and drug fueled haze!
Steve that was Austin Tx and I was at the show im the one that asked you to comment on this on Rick Beatos channel.... Armadillo was in Austin Tx I thought you ate bad Mexican food in El Paso.. Then got ill in Austin...I was at that show though.. I still have the ticket stubs OCT 16 I did not see you much moreso IKE AND RAY in gold leme outfits matching shirts with matching strats some anniversary model strats .. Frank I think mentioned you got ill.. Vai must have been in the back literally that night figuratively and literally.. I caught the show the following year or two after when Robert Martin was then in the band. I later met you and your Son walking up to g3 and I was there with my family to see Ej at soundcheck. That was near the same location in Austin Very close to Sandys custard where Frank and Capt Beefart had ice cream. Im thinking Capt wrote the song Ice cream for crow there because the birds would bother you for hand outs there if you sat outside and ate.. like phoebes... PS VAI my buddy here in Texas is raising bees and just had some of his 1st harvest and the honey was light gold and delicious.. fine'
Guys like Vai even on their worst night are always worth the price of admission. Great story Steve. Had to play a gig once with the worst flue I ever had. All I could do on break was lay flat on my back behind the drums. At least I wasn't pissing out my ass.
I remember one time live with my old band dropping my pick right in the middle of a sweep picking section of a solo and I had to finish the sweep with just my thumb, and then quickly picking the pick back up while one-handing the incoming next riff, lol. Most people said they didn't even notice, which I took as a compliment :D
It was the Armadillo World Headquarters in AUSTIN, TEXAS. I WAS THERE! HAHA And yes, it was hot as hell. Everyone's was drenched in sweat. You may have been sick, but you still played great. I remember Frank introduced you as "Our Little Italian Virtuoso, Stevie Vai". I was impressed. Frank also gave a little speech about how the Armadillo was just a building - that it was the people that made it all special. Special memories. I saw Frank 6 times over the years, always fantastic. Saw him another time at Armadillo ( a few years before that) with Captain Beefheart. F'ing amazing show! I miss Frank so much.....what a genius.
the Armadillo WHQ was in Austin, TX. It was one of the big venues in town in the 70's & 80's - Palmer Aud was there as was the City Coliseum (Rock The Casbah - some if not all was shot there) Vulcan Gas Company I think was also still there - Sorry if I forgot any of them or seemed to place importance on any particular one
I thought it's gonna be the one when Devin Townsend mimicked farting on the audience with powder-based fire extinguisher and destroyed a bag of Steve's new bought cologne and clothes afterwards because he thought it was a garbage bag.
This is why I love RUclips! Where else would you see all these legend artists, Steve Vai, since when did we expect him to tell us a story, this sure ain't MTV. So cool, to see and hear.
I've been a fan of Steve Vai forever. He was playing in the House of Blues in Vegas in 2013 and I was in town for company training and knew I had to go. I left for the show 3 hours early went into the parking garage and traffic was at a standstill and there were no more spots. No one came out to direct traffic and I missed the concert. I was livid beyond belief over missing the show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just finished a 4-Hour gig and just sat down to kickback with a tasty beverage to relax for a minute and this video came up. Made my fucking day! Sweet.
It wasn't even there when Janice was alive Janice played in a place called threadgill's before she moved to San Francisco dreadgills is still there in some capacity
@@BH-cr5uo Actually Janice did play there once, when they first opened as part of the birthday celebration for the old owner of Threadgill's, who was a close friend of the owner of AWHQ, Eddie Wilson. (Armadillo World Headquarters, Eddie Wilson).
@@neddagenhard7597 I think it was Eddie Wilson that admonished the crowd for not paying attention to Willie Nelson the first time he played there in 1972. His words were along the lines of...He's the Bob Dylan of country music you hippie arsholes, show him some respect.
What an awesome story from Steve. I've been in Albuquerque since 1997 and we have some hot ones...but I've never been tasked to nail anything in a 120 degree F environment, let alone masterful works from Frank Zappa. YOU ARE a GENIOUS, a gentleman, a scholar, AND A SOLDIER! Mad love for you Steve. I am fortunate enough to have seen you with Whitesnake in El Paso, TX and also with Satch as well as Petrucci on a G3 flight in Santa Fe, NM. Thanks Riffs, Beards & Gear for this JEM of an interview LOL :)
It was in Austin, TX in case that has not been made clear. The Armadillo World Headquarters was a famous club that was located in Austin, although also in the southwest, not in Albuquerque.
Luckily the Armadillo itself was not the cause of Steve’s nightmare. It was the most famous concert hall in the south, akin to the legendary Fillmores. It was home base to such diverse acts as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson, Freddy King, and the only venue Zappa would play in central Texas.
Stevie " we all live and learn matey" if we didn't make mistakes we can't better them, nobody's perfect man but it's good to seek perfection, thats what makes us who we are . Much love man.x
Being a non-native english speaker myself, I have to crack up at how inherently outright FUNNY the english language is and its capacity to make words on the fly, like "projectile vomiting". That made me spill my coffee, thanks I was needing that. That kind of thing I don't think can be easily translated to other languages, or maybe just mine, who the fuck knows. I just felt like saying that. Back to the shadows. Nevermind me.
Frank Zappa was one of the most demanding musicians of his era. In addition to being a comic genius he was a music genius as well. While he never had extensive formal training in music theory, he understood the concepts as well as anyone trained in them and expected his band to as well. His material could be highly complex and it was common for Frank to change songs right in the middle of live performances.
If you define "complex" as throwing a bunch of atonal notes around in odd time signatures that don't make any kind of sense at all just for the sake of it, good for you. Zappa, the "edgy boy". So edgy.
@@FeelingShred It was atonal ON PURPOSE genius. It's called thematic development but you probably wouldn't know that because you're too preoccupied with trolling comments.
I did a show with a band I was in and I had a Pancreatic’s attack . The pain was so severe I went stage left and played laying down for a whole set. Thank god a guy from another band we know and I let him play the rest of the night. I was able to drive to a nearby hospital. I had 3 or 4 attacks of that and they finally quit. Your still our favorite Gunslinger, Thanks for doing the 2 Cellos video, those 2 are the most amazing duo ever.
On the road, eating at "poison palaces" recommended by the guy at the last gas station, and then you have to go on stage and pretend you are having the time of your life. Made me always vote for the 'chain restaurant' that was hopefully at least survivable.
I am not familiar with eating out in new places or drinking, but is there a chance he was talking about being hung over and with some sort of alcohol poisoning? I got the feeling that "not eating well, not sleeping well, in my 20s" is code for I was drinking all day every day and eating bad.
So here is my Steve Vai story..Hope you folks like it. It was a cold night many years ago in Pittsburgh Pa. It was at the historic Stanley Theater I had just witnessed one of most amazing concerts ever......Frank Zappa.....as an added and unforseen bonus....part way through the show.....this long haired skinny guy pops out of the stage surrounded by an ominous green glow. He then continues to rip the guitar to shreds and plays a long intense guitar solo. After the concert was over.....I didnt want to leave.....the energy of the show was still inside of me. I was expecting someone to kick me out.....but no one did. As I'm standing in the aisle.....I see this dark haired guitar player walking up the aisle toward me. Keep in mind .....This is about 40 years ago and I had no idea who his guy was...I sure know now. His hair was pulled back ....he had a heavy coat on and he was really bundled up..Well....I calmly stopped him.....and said something like..."Holy Shit....you played great......to which he smiled and said....." Thank you Steve said......."I appreciate that especially considering IM SICK AS A DOG" This video reminded me that Awesome winter nite in Pittsburgh Pa. Hope you liked the story.....
The Armadillo World Headquarters was in Austin Texas! We use to have the sign that was out front: No Pets, No Camera's, No Antisocial Behavior!~ My wife and her two sisters had a booth all their own!~ But those days are gone~ Long live the Good Old Day! RIP Stevie Ray Vaughn!~
It’s hard to pick my worst gig… here’s a couple memorable ones: We got booked at a social club called The Rifle Club. We were an Americana rock band. I knew we were in trouble when a patron came up to us between songs and asked us to play Anne Murray songs.😅. Then the manager kept having us turn down until I could actually hear the mechanical picking of the guitar strings over the amps. I had to switch to brushes. Another bad gig was one that didn’t even happen- we had all our friends show up to an out of town gig only to get there and find the front doors of the club padlocked and a message from the IRS saying “Venue Closed Due To Unpaid Taxes”! 😮😮😮
His worst gig was losing to the Karate Kid in Crossroads even with the Devil’s help behind him.
Lol 😆
Well, yeah. But BESIDES that.
Hahaha
Btill comment!
To be fair though. He still won, because he was really playing against himself.
Steve Vai's worst gig sounds like an exact description of my worst gig, except without Zappa and all the world class virtuosos on stage and the legendary venue and the historic occasion and the great playing. But the other details were pretty much spot on.
Did you play better being sick? I'm not being sarcastic. Just wondered. I had to do a gig with the flu and it was ..weird.. like I was in some kinda spaced-out zen mode. Everything seemed slo-mo and spot-on. ..weird..
@@jcb355 No I was utterly useless
@@stringtheoryguitars4952 LOL
Shit that's funny n sounds familiar
lol xD
I never thought in my entire life I’d hear Steve Vai say “I was pissing out of my ass.” That made my day
😂😂😂
He says it in such a classy way, lll
He should have just left it that he was as sick as a dog. T.M.I.
I couldn't stop laughing when he said that.
So did he seriously take a dump on the stage?? I've heard Zappa gigs were wild, and I love Vai, but.....
Is there like footage of that?
Steve Vai's worst gig ever:
"I played great"
Steve Vai's worst gig is a regular joe's dream gig.
I think the whole pissing out the ass thing was the worst part he means.
Hahaha..
Omg this guy's ego has just infected my computer
@@michalwlosik3544 what video did you watch?
"I was 20 year old and on tour with Frank Zappa"
He says it in such a humble way
@@johnwayne8114 the way he just casually said it like it was just another normal small gig
Humblebragging got you huh?
"I was 19 when I was on Headbanger's Ball with Steve Vai" Devin Townsend
ruclips.net/video/Lp7ewS9UUBc/видео.html
ignore this. Devin's literally eating boogers throughout the whole thing. I really never noticed that before but now it's unseeable kinda
@@tavicotavio To be fair, I don't think he did.. He smirks and looks up while saying it as if to communicate a slight disbelief, not really playing it down. I think Vai is a really humble dude, but I gotta disagree with your statement man :D
One of my favorite things about Steve Vai is that he has such a prestigious sophisticated image of persona from his career track record and style, and when he tells stories in interviews he casually says things like "I was pissing out of my ass" without a hint of shame.
Well, shit happens. Quite literally sometimes
What's the shame about it? We're adult people, we know that all sorts of uncomfortable health issues can and do happen, not that Fluff's audience is a bunch of pre-schoolers who'd be like "hee-hee, he said ass"
@@egork92 It's called "having class". Some people have it, some don't, some try to make excuses for not having by reducing it to pre-schooler humor, and some have it without trying and have no problems describing things in a vulgar way for humorous effect.
@@egork92 not a fan of Vai but he told what he told, if it was true - good - sounds like a real story that you would like to forget and never bringing back) Но мужику похер, видимо он знает что умеет делать что то хорошо - а именно - сочинять и исполнять - и похер на хихикающих идиотов)) молодец)
He just dont give a fuck what anyone thinks.
When Steve dropped his pick,
I felt that...
That pick is now in an alternate universe
@@diekkrid1207 Sounds about right.
I read this at the exact moment he dropped it lol it’s funny when comments work like that.
@@DanielRodriguez-eh1qd That's amazing, lol.
3:58 That thing hit the ground with such a thud. That at first I thought that it must be like Thor’s hammer or the Excalibur.
Fluff is really making moves out here. Steve Vai is a legend and it's insane you got to interview him. Well done!
We hired a young lead guitarist that had been practising to Vais demos and Zappa. He loved Van Halen and adored Page. We need more guitar players like that. Those nerds with an attitude.
It’s really nice to see fluff giving smaller musicians an outlet to get their name out there
😂😂
Moon Man I didn’t realize this was a Fluff video until I read this 😂
@TIME TRAVEL dude are you ok?
This video has completely changed my opinion about Steve Vai. I assumed he was in love with himself . He is a cool, regular guy. Humble. Saying that I love to see Stevie Vai and Steve Morse playing together
Always been this way. Class act and fabulous cat.
I thought the same thing with no context. Assumed he was a virtuosic egomaniac but then you listen to videos and he’s incredibly humble. Made me really like him
@@callmeej8399 There's an interview he did where he credits Dave Lee Roth for giving him stage direction and confidence......
To be fair he was very pretentious in the beginning but he got humble.
The Armadillo World Headquarters was located in Austin, Texas and closed about 1980. It was an incredible venue. I did sadly miss this show but I saw many other great shows there.
I was about 10 seconds away from calling my older 'OG Austin' buddy when I saw this comment. 'Dude, was there an Armadillo in ABQ too?'
ATX for sure my friend. I remember the 1st 30 min of the show. Kinda. Amazing shows at the Dilla. Big Love out to Steve!
Frank Z: "If he dies, he dies."
This ain't Dolph Lundgren
You already know, lol. Frank seriously wasn't kidding about any of it. Adrian Belew tells a fucking hysterical story of being with Bowie when he tried to apologize to Frank for stealing Adrian, and the only thing Frank would say to him the entire time was "Fuck you, Major Tom".
@TIME TRAVEL is this how you people are coping with Trump losing?
@@isetta4083 He clearly pointed out the absurdity of the made up political dualism. I don't know how you could equate that with him taking sides.
@@isetta4083 I see Trump is still living rent free in your head.
I love when Steve Vai talks about Zappa, I wish he’d do a like 3 hour podcast of just talking about him
Zappa's family would probably try to sue him😂😂
Oct 16 1980 Austin Tx I still have the ticket stubs from both shows Armadillo was in Austin Tx.. The ice cream and shakes Frank and Capt Beefart were eating on Bongo Fury came from right across the street at Sandys custard which is still there ! I laughed so hard at this gig my face and ribs hurt for a month....
This was in AUSTIN TEXAS my hometown - Armadillo World Headquarters on Barton Springs Road. 1980 yes~
I lived at 500 south congress in 1980. Shared parking lot with AWH. A guy got shot there one night.
Steve Vai on his channel is a flex move vs Jared
@Sam .....again? What happened?
fighting?
I had a dream they were...probably so...i just don't like jared...he is constantly talking shit. He in the past has had feuds with stevieT, musiciswin, fluff(remember on that one dickydines thing he was drunk and was ranting about how much of a POS he was) and now lucas Mann...he just seems shady.
Dines? That scrub isn't worth a shit particle in a Steve Via fart cloud.
who is jared
Dude that was reportage of a pure rock'n'roll moment, right from the horse's mouth. A story told by a legend about a time before he was a legend, working for a legend. "Hey, sport. You look like a guy who's been on tour for the first time". Gold.
And Vai just responds with agreeable seal noises, lol
Diarrhea makes you focus.
Sith proverb?
Lol
Murray C 😂
Ultimate concentration!!!
This comment made me throw my head back and laugh out loud, thanks.
Always love the honesty from Steve Vai.
I've read this story before but thank you for getting it on video. I remember Steve said originally that they where playing a difficult track, he'd just finished vomitting when Frank yelled his name for a solo, he said 30 years ago something like 'I played the solo start as another warm wave of diarrhea ran down the back of my legs, the ceiling spun and I thought it was the end.' What a trouper - real talent! :D
Armadillo World Headquarters was in Austin, not Albuquerque.
That part of the country kinda all looks the same, but yes, Armadillo World HQ was a famous ramshackle old venue down in Austin Texas. I have pissed out my ass a few times in Texas and New Mexico.
Yep, that's Austin. I thought I was at this show because I've been a huge Zappa fan since the mid 60s so I wouldn't have missed it. But I don't remember him puking and pissing on stage but to be brutality honest, I was probably tripping balls and wouldn't remember now anyway. I saw so many great shows there, the best being Bruce Springstein, whom nobody that I knew had ever heard of. We just knew he was some kid from New Jersey. Fuck me! He blew everybody away! And yeah, it could get hot as hell in there. It is Texas, after all. No venue has even come close to the Armadillo though. So many great venues have been lost over the years.
Thanks for correcting Mr. Vai. The Albuquerque date was in a gymnasium on the campus of the University of New Mexico on October 12, 1980 and the Austin date was October 16, 1980.
Amarillo to Austin is 7 and a half hours. Who names these things?
That should tell you how sick he was. Didn't even know where on the planet he was.
I love Steve. Never met the guy, but he is such an inspiration! He always comes off as friendly, he doesn’t mind taking the time to share his knowledge and help others. A real stand-up guy, so to speak!
Loool, can you imagine being at that show?? Like u would be to a friend " hey man zappa's guitarist (i guess at that time he wasnt STEVE FUCKING VAI yet) is vomiting and shitting himself up there" and ur friend would be "yeah but his hitting all the notes"
Steve I was familiar with your guitar playing ..but once I got a chance to see your personality shine through with your RUclips post...i have become a huge huge fan...i play guitar at 65 I started lessons again I am 69 and you have inspired me..thank you
WOW! That either builds your confidence or ruins you. Thankfully, he went forward. That's a great story to have shared.
My worst gig: we had a 3 hour show at a local rock club on a Friday night. I had to work my day job that day and I missed lunch and by the time that we did the load in and set up I had a raging migraine headache. I took excedrine migraine relief on the way to the load in but it did no good so after load in I took a Sumatriptan, which is a strong migraine medication that makes you feel like the walking dead, and I laid down in the sound man’s closet and waited for show time. My band told me that I didn’t have to go on but I didn’t want to let them down. I was the lead guitar player. 5 minutes before the show started I felt well enough to stand up and walk on stage. When I bent over to plug in to my pedal board the blood rush to my head pounded me like a sledge hammer. I don’t know how I made it thru a hard rock 3 hour set with a pounding migraine but I made it. Sometimes shit happens but you have to work thru it.
Yup, Zappa knew that any musician who could get through a gig like that was the real deal.
I wouldn't fire a guy who performed under those conditions! what a trooper!
@@MobiusBandwidth Agree!!!
Anybody that would play thru the pain of pissing out of their ass 🤮😣,is my Bro 4 life!!👍😁
I could listen to Steve for hours. His stories are always entertaining and interesting. His stories about David Lee Roth are epic.
TheMeJustMe75 I bet the ones he won’t tell are awesome. Maybe some day if he outlives everyone else and can’t get sued maybe we’ll get to hear some lol
Wow, this Steve Vai guy is so lucky to have gotten a chance to hang out with Fluff!!!
I hope he makes it big someday!
Who's this guy, and what did he do to Fluff?
He's Steve. Good player, talented, guitarist, maybe once he's gonna be as good as Fluff, who knows. Time will tell.
Trolling around
@@JanSzedlak i dunno man, he only plays a million notes / sec. and has no feel.
@@gergoretvari6373 and with that old, scratched, beaten, weird ibanez guitar with hole in it. Poor guy cannot afford new guitar.
Its fluff, 25 years into the future.
Armadillo World Headquarters was in Austin, Texas. Now I’ll never look at where it stood the same way again.
He should have had an armadillo down his trousers & it would have been fine!
Saw Iron Butterfly there in '75 - them was the good-old days!
I was 15, living about 20 miles from Austin at the time. I came THAT close to convincing my parents to let me go to that exact show.
the Armadillo was in Austin, Texas
Good night Austin Texas wherever you are!...Girl, you thought he was a man but he was a muffin.....
@@AndreaAustoni I like Man With The Woman Head better. LOL
Off course. I realized that after the interview. Thanks for pointing it out.
"at the Armadillo in Austin Texas (her aura) or did someone build a place or leave a space for such a thing to land"
I’m definitely not on Steve’s level but I had the same experience, in Greenville South Carolina, 1987. I had to sit behind the PA with a bucket and a stool for two nights with a stomach virus. That was back when you played 5 to 7 nights a week in clubs on the road, you couldn’t take a sick night because it stopped the whole band from working. Terrible feeling, he was playing WAY harder music.
I never get tired of hearing him talk about Zappa. There's such marrow deep respect there, but there's also clearly a ton of love
Steve Vai looks like my mum’s friend Bev.
That's pretty cool
Nah ur mums friend looks lile steve vai
@Realism I huh? I dont get it
These are the comments I scroll for
She single?
What a great gig story. I've had my share of playing under the weather, but this story puts things in perspective. What an inspiration and what an icon.
Lol, who else expected him to say stuff like "I played the wrong note", "I was off key", etc. just to find some reassurance about your guitar skills :">
at 3:57 he reminds us that he's just like the rest of us.
I laughed incredibly too hard at that 🤣😂
That's just a cover up.
I still doubt it
Of course he is just a person. How old are you?
Its an Eminance Front
Imagine going to a frank zappa show and seeing that he has a 20yo guitarist, strapped up in jean shorts puking and shitting all over himself and still not missing a note...
..idk, all i can think is, how badly did they need the money ???
I did go to see Zappa's show in the 70s he was the only Guy I knew,the rest of the band were magical beings that played better than anyone I had ever seen
i met Steve at the guitar center in 1999 in Manchester CT he was the nicest guy you would ever want to meet when it was my turn to meet him he signed my guitar and album covers and took pictures with me ,it was the greatest day of my life and he did not try to rush me off he talked with me very cool guy.
Armadillo World Headquarters was in Austin, TX.
Eric Tasaico texas sucks
I love Steve Vai, such a beautiful person, always takes his time to share and his stories are top-notch and sincere. Always a treat to listen to Steve Vai talk and of course play that guitar. Thanks for the video. Yes, it was good!
I was puking and pissing out of my ass and was so dehydrated I needed to get an IV. I was literally crawling to get into the Med center. The nurse said I looked green. They had trouble with the IV because my veins had all collapsed. I have no idea how in the hell Steve played a single note. That was the only time I wished I was dead. And when the first bag went in my body I felt fine. It was crazy.
Agreed. I was hospitalised with dehydration once and I was so crazy sick I couldn't have unzippered my pants without help. I have no clue how he got through that show. The guy's a badass on top of being a virtuoso \m/
This is probably the best interview and rock story I've heard my entire life🤣😄
Not many musicians are self-assured enough to tell a story like this that will live on social media FOREVER 🤣🤘
3:57 I'm so relieved that even Steve Vai drops his plectrum. Although when his lands, it sings with great clarity. Mine just thumps.
3:57 Steve's pick teleports to another universe :D
Great video, Fluff!! I saw Vai on a G3 tour a long time ago. It was an amazing show. What an cool road story!! Good times, man!!
Armadillo World Headquarters was also the home of the Guacamole Queen mentioned in Inca Roads.
Thank god. Someone else uses the term “pissing out my ass” and it just so happens to be Steve.
Lol ok
Steve Vai: strums muted strings
Me: 😍😍😍
Jeez, i've been sick like that and i could barely move, let alone play on stage for 5 hours. This guy is hard as nails!
Are we not going to talk about that Jem?
Yeah just casually talking about 1980 while holding a completely new, unannounced guitar. FWIW It's not a Jem, the new guitar is called the PIA, named after his wife.
There's a new video that came out on Steve's channel where he introduced it!
Its his new model, not the JEM, its called the Pia, and he has a video up here: ruclips.net/video/tjAo6B7KFIY/видео.html
PIA
You’re gonna pia your pants when you see the price.
My worst gig ever was at the Sydney Entertainment Centre with David Lee Roth when he toured Australia in the '80's. Steve Vai was on guitar... he was awesome! He came out on stage playing a double neck guitar... not the usual double neck, but with a neck on both sides of the body. He played both necks, with both hands at the same time, harmonizing with himself, all hammer-on's, no picking, obviously. Truly amazing!
I was in the support act. We had a single out at the time with the requisite '80's synth sounds and quite a bit of it was running in sync from a sequencer (google it Milenials!). The drummer accidentally knocked the tempo dial to almost twice the correct tempo and then hit start. We valiantly struggled through the song at this ridiculous pace, as we couldn't stop and start again in front of the packed Entertainment Centre. Absolutely mortifying... I was so embarrassed I didn't even go to the after party!!! Apparently I missed out big time because "Diamond Dave" was in good form that night. We did Brisbane and Melbourne too and Steve could always be heard back stage running scales hours before the shows... already at it long before anyone else got there. True virtuosity isn't possible without true dedication and he has both in spades. I've never forgotten it, which is surprising because most of the decade went by in an alcohol and drug fueled haze!
Steve that was Austin Tx and I was at the show im the one that asked you to comment on this on Rick Beatos channel....
Armadillo was in Austin Tx I thought you ate bad Mexican food in El Paso.. Then got ill in Austin...I was at that show though.. I still have the ticket stubs OCT 16 I did not see you much moreso IKE AND RAY in gold leme outfits matching shirts with matching strats some anniversary model strats ..
Frank I think mentioned you got ill.. Vai must have been in the back literally that night figuratively and literally.. I caught the show the following year or two after when Robert Martin was then in the band. I later met you and your Son walking up to g3 and I was there with my family to see Ej at soundcheck.
That was near the same location in Austin Very close to Sandys custard where Frank and Capt Beefart had ice cream.
Im thinking Capt wrote the song Ice cream for crow there because the birds would bother you for hand outs there if you sat outside and ate.. like phoebes... PS VAI my buddy here in Texas is raising bees and just had some of his 1st harvest and the honey was light gold and delicious.. fine'
Guys like Vai even on their worst night are always worth the price of admission. Great story Steve.
Had to play a gig once with the worst flue I ever had. All I could do on break was lay flat on my back behind the drums. At least I wasn't pissing out my ass.
I remember one time live with my old band dropping my pick right in the middle of a sweep picking section of a solo and I had to finish the sweep with just my thumb, and then quickly picking the pick back up while one-handing the incoming next riff, lol. Most people said they didn't even notice, which I took as a compliment :D
It was the Armadillo World Headquarters in AUSTIN, TEXAS. I WAS THERE! HAHA And yes, it was hot as hell. Everyone's was drenched in sweat. You may have been sick, but you still played great. I remember Frank introduced you as "Our Little Italian Virtuoso, Stevie Vai". I was impressed. Frank also gave a little speech about how the Armadillo was just a building - that it was the people that made it all special. Special memories. I saw Frank 6 times over the years, always fantastic. Saw him another time at Armadillo ( a few years before that) with Captain Beefheart. F'ing amazing show! I miss Frank so much.....what a genius.
Armadillo World Headquarters is (was) in Austin, Texas. Long gone now...
Good night Armadillo World Headquarters, where ever you are
the Armadillo WHQ was in Austin, TX. It was one of the big venues in town in the 70's & 80's - Palmer Aud was there as was the City Coliseum (Rock The Casbah - some if not all was shot there) Vulcan Gas Company I think was also still there - Sorry if I forgot any of them or seemed to place importance on any particular one
I thought it's gonna be the one when Devin Townsend mimicked farting on the audience with powder-based fire extinguisher and destroyed a bag of Steve's new bought cologne and clothes afterwards because he thought it was a garbage bag.
Art Hazard he’s clearly just sealed the trauma that is Devy from his memory
That probably haunts Dev waaay more than Steve
That story is gold!
r/suspiciouslyspecific
This is why I love RUclips! Where else would you see all these legend artists,
Steve Vai, since when did we expect him to tell us a story, this sure ain't MTV.
So cool, to see and hear.
Fluff moving up in the world 🙏🏽🙏🏽💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾
I've been a fan of Steve Vai forever. He was playing in the House of Blues in Vegas in 2013 and I was in town for company training and knew I had to go. I left for the show 3 hours early went into the parking garage and traffic was at a standstill and there were no more spots. No one came out to direct traffic and I missed the concert. I was livid beyond belief over missing the show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Always good to see people that are able to laugh about themselves. Very entertaining video, made me smile!
It's always good to hear Steve Vai talking.
I am a simple man i see Steve vai i click!!!
Just finished a 4-Hour gig and just sat down to kickback with a tasty beverage to relax for a minute and this video came up. Made my fucking day! Sweet.
Armadillo World HQ was in Austin. It’s where Janis got her start!
It wasn't even there when Janice was alive Janice played in a place called threadgill's before she moved to San Francisco dreadgills is still there in some capacity
@@BH-cr5uo Actually Janice did play there once, when they first opened as part of the birthday celebration for the old owner of Threadgill's, who was a close friend of the owner of AWHQ, Eddie Wilson. (Armadillo World Headquarters, Eddie Wilson).
@@neddagenhard7597 I think it was Eddie Wilson that admonished the crowd for not paying attention to Willie Nelson the first time he played there in 1972. His words were along the lines of...He's the Bob Dylan of country music you hippie arsholes, show him some respect.
@@fintanoclery2698 Yes lol! I love that line.
I hope there would be a longer version of this. Listening to Steve Vai interviews are always interesting.
I never get bored of listening to Zappa stories
What an awesome story from Steve. I've been in Albuquerque since 1997 and we have some hot ones...but I've never been tasked to nail anything in a 120 degree F environment, let alone masterful works from Frank Zappa. YOU ARE a GENIOUS, a gentleman, a scholar, AND A SOLDIER! Mad love for you Steve. I am fortunate enough to have seen you with Whitesnake in El Paso, TX and also with Satch as well as Petrucci on a G3 flight in Santa Fe, NM. Thanks Riffs, Beards & Gear for this JEM of an interview LOL :)
Armadillo world headquarters was in Austin, tx.
It was in Austin, TX in case that has not been made clear. The Armadillo World Headquarters was a famous club that was located in Austin, although also in the southwest, not in Albuquerque.
Luckily the Armadillo itself was not the cause of Steve’s nightmare. It was the most famous concert hall in the south, akin to the legendary Fillmores. It was home base to such diverse acts as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson, Freddy King, and the only venue Zappa would play in central Texas.
Stevie " we all live and learn matey" if we didn't make mistakes we can't better them, nobody's perfect man but it's good to seek perfection, thats what makes us who we are . Much love man.x
Being a non-native english speaker myself, I have to crack up at how inherently outright FUNNY the english language is and its capacity to make words on the fly, like "projectile vomiting". That made me spill my coffee, thanks I was needing that. That kind of thing I don't think can be easily translated to other languages, or maybe just mine, who the fuck knows. I just felt like saying that. Back to the shadows. Nevermind me.
That's called some serious dedication. Steve Vai you are the Man. Great story
Frank Zappa was one of the most demanding musicians of his era. In addition to being a comic genius he was a music genius as well. While he never had extensive formal training in music theory, he understood the concepts as well as anyone trained in them and expected his band to as well. His material could be highly complex and it was common for Frank to change songs right in the middle of live performances.
If you define "complex" as throwing a bunch of atonal notes around in odd time signatures that don't make any kind of sense at all just for the sake of it, good for you. Zappa, the "edgy boy". So edgy.
@@FeelingShred It was atonal ON PURPOSE genius. It's called thematic development but you probably wouldn't know that because you're too preoccupied with trolling comments.
This guy always wears a honest smile. I dig it !
Armadillo World Headquarters was located in Austin, TX.
Fact.
I've heard this story so many times, and I had to wait for the "Hey Sport" line 😂
This unknown guy is pretty good, I would say he's going to make it big soon.
Steve IS ALWAYS SO FRIENDLY, OPEN AND GENUINE. AWESOME DUDE. 😎
Steve is the man !! please do more of these fluff with different guitar players
@RiffsandBeards. this is great. Love this video. "Hey sport, you look like a guy who it's his first time on tour."
I think "dolly" was the word you were looking for :)
I did a show with a band I was in and I had a Pancreatic’s attack . The pain was so severe I went stage left and played laying down for a whole set. Thank god a guy from another band we know and I let him play the rest of the night. I was able to drive to a nearby hospital. I had 3 or 4 attacks of that and they finally quit. Your still our favorite Gunslinger, Thanks for doing the 2 Cellos video, those 2 are the most amazing duo ever.
The Armadillo world headquarters was in Austin.
Steve seems so soft spoken. Id love to have a coffee with this man and listen to his tales
“🎶Once upon a time, it was in Alberquerque New Mexico...🎵”
There were these girls that worked at the college
@@theoneofus1079 They were really cool... well they thought so anyway.
He told me later the stuff in the bottom was like....punching an eclair
@@seanjenkins4654 Some of you might find this weird, well it's not exactly normal but what the fuck?
@@RastaSaiyaman so there snorting it
Awesome Fluff, making friends like there's no tomorrow!
On the road, eating at "poison palaces" recommended by the guy at the last gas station, and then you have to go on stage and pretend you are having the time of your life. Made me always vote for the 'chain restaurant' that was hopefully at least survivable.
I am not familiar with eating out in new places or drinking, but is there a chance he was talking about being hung over and with some sort of alcohol poisoning? I got the feeling that "not eating well, not sleeping well, in my 20s" is code for I was drinking all day every day and eating bad.
I remember Steve telling this story in a total guitar magazine in the day. Brilliant!
He said my Name 🤗 I’m still fan boying out so hard
Pia peek 😀
poo ninja?
Captain Simon haha 😂 yes Muhahaha
Congrats man 🤘
Talk about dedication, that's insane
So here is my Steve Vai story..Hope you folks like it. It was a cold night many years ago in Pittsburgh Pa. It was at the historic Stanley Theater I had just witnessed one of most amazing concerts ever......Frank Zappa.....as an added and unforseen bonus....part way through the show.....this long haired skinny guy pops out of the stage surrounded by an ominous green glow. He then continues to rip the guitar to shreds and plays a long intense guitar solo. After the concert was over.....I didnt want to leave.....the energy of the show was still inside of me. I was expecting someone to kick me out.....but no one did. As I'm standing in the aisle.....I see this dark haired guitar player walking up the aisle toward me. Keep in mind .....This is about 40 years ago and I had no idea who his guy was...I sure know now. His hair was pulled back ....he had a heavy coat on and he was really bundled up..Well....I calmly stopped him.....and said something like..."Holy Shit....you played great......to which he smiled and said....." Thank you Steve said......."I appreciate that especially considering IM SICK AS A DOG" This video reminded me that Awesome winter nite in Pittsburgh Pa. Hope you liked the story.....
Great story, thanks for posting it👍
The Armadillo World Headquarters was in Austin Tx. Its now a parking lot mores the pity.
The Armadillo World Headquarters was in Austin Texas! We use to have the sign that was out front: No Pets, No Camera's, No Antisocial Behavior!~ My wife and her two sisters had a booth all their own!~ But those days are gone~ Long live the Good Old Day! RIP Stevie Ray Vaughn!~
It’s hard to pick my worst gig… here’s a couple memorable ones: We got booked at a social club called The Rifle Club. We were an Americana rock band. I knew we were in trouble when a patron came up to us between songs and asked us to play Anne Murray songs.😅. Then the manager kept having us turn down until I could actually hear the mechanical picking of the guitar strings over the amps. I had to switch to brushes. Another bad gig was one that didn’t even happen- we had all our friends show up to an out of town gig only to get there and find the front doors of the club padlocked and a message from the IRS saying “Venue Closed Due To Unpaid Taxes”! 😮😮😮