Steve Vai: Life Is A Highway
In the early 90s, Grammy Award-winning guitar virtuoso STEVE VAI discovered a unique talent in the most unlikely of places. While biking across the USA with a rabble of fellow motorcycle enthusiasts, a very special project was born.
“There was this big motorcycle culture in the late 80s and early 90s – it seemed like all the yuppies were going out and buying motorcycles,” says Vai, “and I was one of them!”
Among the free-living bikers that STEVE VAI cruised around with, he became fast friends with a larger-than-life character by the name of Johnny “Gash” Sombrotto. The biker earned his wince-inducing nickname due to a horrific injury he sustained during one of his many misadventures on the open road. “When he was 21, he was riding his motorcycle along these power lines and he got lost,” recalls Vai. “And in order to find his direction, he climbed the power tower. The electric arc went through in one end of his body and out the other and it just cooked him! He fell 30 feet onto a barbed wire fence and he caught fire. 60% of his body had third-degree burns but miraculously his face was untouched.“
While spending time cruising the freeways with Gash, STEVE VAI made an incredible discovery – the boisterous New Yorker possessed a natural talent for rock and roll vocals. The discovery sparked inspiration in Vai. Despite being known for his never-ending soloing and incredibly technical rhythms, he had always wanted to create a straight-up classic rock record, the type to blast at full volume while bombing along at 80mph on a souped-up Harley. “I had this pull to go and record a bunch of songs that we could listen to on our motorcycle rides that I wanted music that sounded like the way we felt when we were riding,” he says. “It needed to be simple, very uplifting, real powerful, empowering, and just rocking! But primarily it had to have that good melody. I just ripped out in like a week’s time. I just went into the studio and laid it all down.”
The record that Vai and Gash produced together all those years ago encompasses all those feelings and then some, harkening back to the heyday of classic rock groups like AEROSMITH and GUNS N’ ROSES. What’s most striking about the eight tracks are Gash’s vocals – joyful screeching roars that are every bit as melodious as they are rebellious. “I couldn’t believe what came out of his mouth. It was just this very authentic, confident, swag. Yeah. And, you know, and it had such an energy to it. And I’m listening to it and I’m thinking yeah, of course. That’s Johnny.”
But unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. Not long after the album was recorded Gash was tragically killed in an accident. Grief-stricken and disheartened, STEVE VAI let the record sit on the shelf for more than 30 years, occasionally returning to it to enjoy the work they had produced together way back when. “I started listening to it maybe 20 years ago and it brought back that preciousness that I had,” reminisces the rock legend. “It’s just a record of simple rock music but it just represented something and I love the way it makes me feel.”
Now, more than 30 years on, the record is finally out, so fans can feel the wind in their hair just like Vai and Gash intended. For the present though, SEVE VAI is laser-focused on his next tour, which will see him bring his noodley material from his 2022 album Inviolate to mainland Europe. No doubt the tour will see the three-necked Hydra slither out of its cave, and perhaps fans could look forward to a snippet of his recent collaboration with virtuosos-of-the-moment POLYPHIA (author’s note: Steve did not confirm this!). The song, Ego Death, has been a smash-hit in the alternative music space, earning over 12 million YouTube views since its debut in September 2022.
“I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve been able to witness various generations of guitar players evolve into the scene,” says Vai. “They were able to allow their unique guitaristic intentions come through. They’re trendsetters, they’re innovators.”
“It’s easy to become a virtuoso,” he continues. “I can tell you how to do it. Just start practicing all day, every day. Start really slow. Make sure you’ve got great tone and that your fingers are connecting, and then slowly get faster and faster and faster and faster. You’ll be playing wildly fast, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be an effective musician. But those POLYPHIA guys are pooling their creativity and I was really impressed.”
For now, STEVE VAI fans can sink their teeth into Vai/Gash, and with his shredding skills very much still on form, fans can surely look forward to more traditional STEVE VAI output in the not-too-far future.
Vai/Gash is out now via Favored Nations/Mascot Label Group.
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