Rabu, 24 September 2008

My blog is black and white

Steve Vai



They're fantastic guitarist

Interview With "Steve Vai"

Kim: I know that you haven't done a ton of endorsements, but, without naming any names, are there any endorsement decisions that you've made that you regret?

Steve: The major endorsements that I've made, the guitar, Ibanez and the amp, Carvin, have been my only guitar and my only amplifier endorsements. I work with Morley and they make wah-wah pedals that are very nice. That's the only time that I've ever endorsed those. I've been asked to do endorsements from the top to the bottom ... everybody. The only company that I ever endorsed that I changed, after about a decade, was strings. I went from Dean Markley to Ernie Ball. You know, I don't go to bed with a lot of these companies. I want to have the freedom to do different things, but by the same token, I usually find what I like and I stick with it. Now, the problem is that a lot of times people send you equipment. I mean, everybody's always sending me free equipment. The minute that I accept it they think that it's OK for them to use my name in ads and in magazines. The next thing you know, you open up these magazines and you look like an equipment whore. I don't like that. I allow certain companies to use my name if I'm using their product for like a one-off or something like that. I don't regret the companies that I've endorsed, not at all, but I regret what some of the other companies have done with my name without my permission. That's unfair.

Kim: Why did you switch strings?

Steve: I met Sterling Ball and we became very good friends. He's a really interesting, engaging, funny, personable guy and I really didn't know anybody at Dean Markley. They were very good, and they supported me, but I developed a personal relationship with Sterling. For anything else that was the reason. The products were both very good. I guess one of the reasons why I switched also, was when I was a kid, I used Ernie Ball strings. I guess it was a nostalgia kind of thing.

Kim: On stage it looked, from where we were, like you had an Ebo by your pickups.

Steve: No, it's a Fernandez Sustainer. How do you know about Ebo's?

Kim: My husband's a guitarist.

Steve: (laughs) Well, there you go. It's called a sustainer and it's built into the neck position pickup. I have it in my flo guitar and also it's in the fretless neck of my triple neck.

Kim: Is there any kind of a friendly rivalry with the guitarists on the G3 tours that you've seen on a show by show basis?

Steve: I don't experience that. I wouldn't even say that it's a competition. We push each other to do our best. You can't really compete with these guys. I can only speak for myself here, but I would be a fool if I tried to compete with Yngwie's speed or Joe's funny riffs and stuff. What they do is what a professional does, what a real, driven artist does. They push themselves. And being with those guys and in the company of those guys, I'm inspired to push myself and my technique harder and harder. And you know, you want to deliver and you want to make sure that everybody in the audience is enjoying everybody.

Kim: Is there any guitarist out there that you haven't recorded with that you would like to record with?

Steve: Carlos Santana.

Kim: Last question here, and if you can beat Joe's answer I'll be floored. Is there any closet song that you like, that you're embarrassed to admit you listen to?

Steve: Who me? (laughs) Oh, there's a lot. I could go on and on and on. There's tons. What genre? You'd be surprised at the stuff that I like. You know what I heard and I couldn't believe how cool it was? You ever heard "She Bangs" by Ricky Martin? That's a great song. I love that track. I didn't even know it was him when I heard it. I just thought "man, this is a cool track". What was Joe's answer?

Kim: I understand that you and Yngwie are singing a lot of Sponge Bob Squarepants tunes for Joe.

Steve: (laughs) Oh yeah! Joe's got his Sponge Bob Squarepants underwear. What was Joe's song that he liked?

Kim: He said that it was the Sponge Bob theme and then he told me the story.

Steve: How can anybody beat that? Now people are going to start throwing Sponge Bob Squarepants up on stage.

Kim: Oh, that will be rich!

Steve: (laughs) Well, listen, thank you so much.

Kim: Thank you. It was great hearing you and it's been great talking to you.

The Used



They're good band

A Box Full of Sharp Object

It's our time to shine through the down
Glorified by what is ours
We've fallen in love
We've fallen in love
It was the best idea I ever had

Today I fell and felt better
Just knowing this matters
I just feel stronger and SHARPER
Found a box of sharp objects what a beautiful

TODAY I FELL AND FELT BETTE
JUST KNOWING THIS MATTER
I JUST FEEL STRONGER AND SHARPER

Found a box of sharp objects what a beautiful THING

Today I fell and felt better
Just knowing this matters
I just feel stronger and SHARPER
Found a box of sharp objects what a beautiful THING

Do you want a song of glory
WELL I'M FUCKING SCREAMING AT YOU

It's our time to shine through the down
Glorified by what is ours
We've fallen in love
We've fallen in love
It was the best idea I ever had

Today I fell and felt better
Just knowing this matters
I just feel stronger and SHARPER
Found a box of sharp objects what a beautiful

Today I fell and felt better
Just knowing this matters
I just feel stronger and SHARPER
Found a box of sharp objects what a beautiful thing
Found a box of sharp objects what a beautiful thing
Found a box of sharp objects what a beautiful THING

Story Of The Year



They're band njobo

Anthem of our dying day

The stars will cry
the blackest tears tonight
and this is the moment that i live for
i can smell the ocean air
           and here i am
           pouring my heart onto these rooftops
           just a ghost to the world, that's exactly
           exactly what i need
from up here the city lights burn
like a thousand miles of fire
and i'm here to sing this anthem
of our dying day
           for a second i wish the tide
           would swallow every inch of this city
           as you grasp for air tonight
i'd scream this song right in your face
if you were here
i swear i won't miss a day
cause i never
never have before



Rabu, 10 September 2008

My Only One

Broken this fragile thing now
and i can't, i can't pickup the pieces.
And I've thrown my worlds all around,
but i can't, i can't get you a reason.
I feel so broken up,
and i give up,
I just wanna tell you so you know
Here i go,
scream my lungs out
and try to get to you
you are my only one
I let go,
there's just no one
that gets me like you do
you are my only, my only one
Made my mistakes, let you down
and i cant, i cant hold on for too long.
Ran my whole life in the ground
and i can't, i can't get up when your gone
and something's breaking up
i feel like giving up
i won't walk out until you know
Here i go
so dishonestly
leave a note
for you my only one
and i know
you can see right through me
so let me go
and you will find someone