Dream Theater Drummer Talks Eddie Van Halen - Ultimate Guitar

**James in New York** · 02.09.21, 06:37 AM

Dream Theater Drummer Talks How Eddie Van Halen Behaved When Band Was Fronted By Least-Known Singer, Recalls How Steve Vai Treated Eddie

During an appearance on The Mistress Carrie Podcast, Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini talked about Van Halen while looking back on his 1994-1996 tenure in Extreme.

In 1996, Extreme singer Gary Cherone joined Van Halen for what became a three-year tenure that resulted in 1998's "Van Halen III" album.

When Gary was in the band, we would typically have the same weeks off.

I was off with Steve Vai [Mangini was in Steve's band 1996-1999], and he was off too with Van Halen.

So up at 5150 Studios, it was at the point where Eddie gave me the codes to the gate, I came and went as I pleased - could you imagine that?

Pulling up and getting the codes to the gate? I've got some stories from then, oh my gosh, what fun that was.

I was speaking to him, because at one point, I was just there talking to Gary all the time, and we would go to the studio and hang out, and then Eddie was generous enough to give me [access to] the studio.

I had no place to go to practice for two weeks before a tour, and he said,

'Here, take your stuff, put it in there, and just go and play.'

It was amazing. What he said to me one day was, 'Yeah, Nuno [Bettencourt, Extreme guitarist], how does he do that? How does he sound like that?'

That is what he said to me.

Does Nuno know that story?

After the conversation he and I had a few weeks ago, obviously talking about the immeasurable loss of Eddie Van Halen, but also for Nuno who holds Eddie at the top of his Mt. Everest. I bet it would floor him if he knew that Eddie was asking how he did something on an Extreme record...

Yeah, more like, 'I can't sound like that - how does that happen?'

And it's a vague memory - I don't know what Eddie said specifically, but he mentioned [Extreme's] 'He-Man Woman Hater,' something like, 'I can't do that!'

I don't remember the specific words, but, 'I can't do it,' or, 'I don't do it,' or whatever.

But it was like, no, he doesn't sound like Nuno, whatever the exact words were. I'm just trying to be careful these days.

It's amazing that that mutual respect from a guy like Eddie, who was held in such high regard by a guy like Nuno that Eddie also recognized Nuno's ability, and that Nuno was so quick to give the credit right back.

Steve Vai did the exact same thing.

He spoke about Eddie and Nuno like they were from another planet; Steve was so kind and generous, but he would be specific and say things so amazingly, so kind.

And one day when we were - I don't remember what I was doing, when I was with Steve in his band, I might have been recording [1999's] 'The Ultra Zone' record or something.

I don't even know what it was, but I was in the studio and somehow Eddie was on the phone with me.

I think what happened is I would have called Gary or try to get to him and Eddie picked up - he was living there, Gary was living on the property -

and I'm sitting there yapping to him, and I remember Steve was like,

'Would you get off the phone? Who are you talking to? Hurry up.'

"I was like, 'Well, it's Eddie.'

'Eddie who?'

'Eddie Van Halen.'

He goes, 'What?!'

Anyway, the point being is the same thing - it's like the trifecta of greatest guys ever speaking these wonderful words about each other, so it's just great, and me, in the middle of it all.

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