Nuno Bettencourt Responds to Joe Satriani’s ‘Screwed-Up’ Van Halen Attempt: ‘I’m Pissed’
via The Howard Stern Show / YouTube
Guitar maestro Nuno Bettencourt recently shared his thoughts on Joe Satriani’s daring attempt to play Van Halen songs during a Howard Stern appearance, expressing both caution and a touch of frustration. In an interview with Jeremy White, Bettencourt didn’t hold back, highlighting the risks involved in stepping onto the sacred ground of Eddie Van Halen’s iconic repertoire.
“The one thing that I learned recently of seeing Joe or anybody, me, Joe, anybody, if weโre gonna take a risk and weโre gonna play an Edward anything, especially on Howard Stern or anything like that, where you know you canโt get it back, good luck.”
Bettencourt emphasized the challenge of tackling Van Halen’s catalog, recognizing the difficulty of replicating Eddie Van Halen’s distinctive style, a task fraught with potential pitfalls.
“Thatโs all Iโm saying is good luck. Why? Because youโre going now into hallowed ground.”
The guitar virtuoso extended some understanding to Satriani, acknowledging the pressure of attempting to embody the unparalleled talent of Eddie Van Halen.
However, Bettencourt redirected some of his frustration toward Sammy Hagar for green-lighting the risky venture.
ย “Iโm more pissed at Sammy (Hagar) for allowing him to do it. ‘Cause Sammyโs, like, โMan, thatโs why I got Joe. (https://cashcofinancial.com/) Nobody can do this stuff.’”
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Expressing his disappointment in Hagar’s decision to put Satriani on the spot, Bettencourt emphasized the difficulty of the task and the potential consequences of attempting to replicate Van Halen’s iconic sound.
“And Iโm, like, look, youโre, youโre right there. Youโre already putting him on the spot and doing those things and asking people to play those things. Itโs really difficult. And if youโre gonna do it, man and Joe probably knows this now, โcauseโฆ”
He concluded by acknowledging Satriani’s mastery in his own right, cautioning against attempting to replicate the untouchable Joe Satriani.
“Joe is untouchable as Joe Satriani. Heโs the greatest Joe Satriani youโll ever hearโฆ Nobody can attack you when youโre doing youโฆ”
During the interview, Nuno Bettencourt sheds light on the complexities of attempting to play Van Halen’s music and the delicate balance between paying tribute and risking the ire of devoted fans.
Watch the full interview below:
