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Written by Carl Parker | Photographs by Steve Vai, Nancy Ranyard, Joe Sombrotto and Mark Cimino. Posted in Riders
Legendary rock guitarist Steve Vai simply launched a brand new bike impressed album titled Vai/Gash. ADVMoto Writer Carl Parker scoops an interview with Steve to speak Music, Bikes and Mojo for ADVMoto Pod #9. We talk about Steve’s driving historical past, the story of “Gash”, his love for the neighborhood, among the cool Harley Davidsons he is owned and what driving has in frequent with music. Additionally, do not miss a few of Steve’s life recommendation on overcoming concern and being the boss!
Tune in to the podcast (ADVMotoRadio.com) audio stream and video beneath. Additionally you’ll want to take a look at the brand new Vai/Gash album story and hyperlinks within the following press launch!
Steve Vai’s Vai/Gash album is FREE to hear or obtain on the following hyperlinks:
• Steve Vai Shares the Story of his Vai/Gash album:
This file was written and recorded in considerably of a stream of consciousness in 1991 inside maybe a 2-week interval as a solution to my want to have a selected form of music to take heed to once I was driving my Harley Davison bike with my mates. It’s paying homage to a sure sort of rock music I loved as an adolescent within the 1970’s. These recordings sat on the shelf for over 30 years and are being launched now in 2023.
Right here’s the story…
Once I was an adolescent within the 1970’s, my older brother Roger, and a selected group of mates I frolicked with on the time, rode Harley Davidson bikes collectively. They have been all powerful “greaser” varieties that partied, fought, and rode laborious, however had huge hearts. The band I used to be in at the moment was known as “Rayge” and we performed driving rock music at yard events, golf equipment on Lengthy Island and any gig we may get. Our membership gigs often was a den of iniquity with my biker mates dismantling most of the venues from the lavatory on up the second we broke into “Born to be Wild”.
Nearly greater than wanting a brand new guitar, I needed a Harley however may by no means afford one. I used to sneak my brother Rogers customized chopper (with a 16” over entrance finish, ape hanger handlebars and a sissy bar increased than your head) and rip by way of cities on Lengthy Island with my greatest buddy Joe Despagni. We should have been 14 when this all began. I may hardly navigate my brother’s beastly bike however a few of my fondest reminiscences are of driving with Joe and our mates.
Being part of this tradition was the spotlight of my teenage years and I feel part of me psychologically froze on the age of 17 as a result of generally I nonetheless really feel like an adolescent… effectively, possibly somewhat greater than generally.
Flash forward to 1985 and I used to be becoming a member of the David Lee Roth Band. I had simply saved sufficient to purchase my first actual bike, a Honda 750. I rode it in every single place however in some unspecified time in the future, it was determined that it might be greatest, for security causes, if I didn’t experience bikes whereas in such an completed touring rock band, so my little Honda sat within the storage for five years.
Each time I handed it, which was a number of occasions a day, the thought that sometime I’d be capable of experience it once more loomed in my thoughts. After which that day got here, and I believed “Hey, I can experience my Honda once more. Hey wait, I can lastly afford a Harley”. I proceeded to purchase 7 Harleys and by 1990 I used to be totally engaged within the Southern California Yuppie biker tradition.
At that time I used to be overcome with a want to tear out what I believed can be a straight-ahead sort of rock file that contained the form of music I want I needed to take heed to once I was that teenager ensconced within the biker tradition.
After which I met Johnny “Gash” Sombrotto.
John was born in Queens, New York and as a youth was an avid bike fanatic. In 1977 on the age of 21 he was out driving his filth bike in some very dense woods out on jap Lengthy Island. After some time, he received somewhat misplaced. He had no compass and with the solar beginning to set, and rain threatening, he knew that he was in bother. Determined to determine his location, his solely hope was to climb a tall electrical tower to get a view on the place he was. At one level {the electrical} present going by way of the wires arced and went by way of him leaving him numb and dangling. His physique caught fireplace and he plunged 30 ft onto a barbed wire fence. One other younger filth bike rider discovered him and so they each managed to hobble to a near-by farmhouse. The proprietor known as 911 and an ambulance took him to Southampton Hospital. Inside hours he was helicoptered over to the Nassau County Hospital Burn Unit in East Meadow. The medical doctors informed his household that he had third diploma burns over 60% of his physique, and that if he even survived, there was a powerful chance that he would lose his proper arm and left leg. Whereas within the Burn Unit, John endured excruciating ache, particularly when given the extraordinary each day cycle of scorching baths for his burns. He soldiered on, and after a month he was lastly discharged from the hospital. Fortunately, no limbs have been amputated. He was, nonetheless, left with a partial left ear and layers of pores and skin grafts over his neck, arms, legs, and whole chest.
The tales he informed about his restoration and the excruciating ache concerned have been crushingly intestine wrenching. However he survived, and ultimately thrived once more. He made his manner out to Los Angeles in 1982 and received proper again up on his bike.
I met John by way of a mutual pal, Mark Cimino. We initially bonded over biker tradition, and he select the title “Gash” as a nickname. It’s tough to explain John’s enigmatic character and humorousness. As a descendant of Italian People and rising up in New York, he wore who he was on his sleeve and also you by no means knew what stunning, daring and generally shockingly outlandish issues have been going to come back out of his mouth, and also you had higher be prepared. However there was at all times one thing in his supply that by no means felt like he was attacking anybody, however as an alternative made you snigger.
I’ve noticed many individuals interacting with him on our quite a few bike street journeys and different adventures. At first sight, many individuals may very well be taken by his bald head, scarred neck and burnt-off ear. Wanting as he did and driving a Harley it was simple to imagine he was maybe a tricky, menacing biker with a nefarious perspective, however after participating with him for even a minute, his appeal and magnetic charisma had them laughing of their sneakers and fully having fun with his uplifting presence. He endeared individuals together with his wit, heat, and sparkle.
John hit it off immediately with probably the most unlikely of individuals of all ages, shade, dimension, political or sexual persuasions. He was non superficial and by no means judged individuals. This allowed his participating character and intoxicating appeal to attract you in. Below all these scars was a daring and fearlessly heat coronary heart that may be seen in his disarming and large tender blue eyes.
John was just about fearless when he rode his bike. His confidence was overwhelming, and it was not unusual to see him drive by sitting on the again seat dealing with backwards and waving to you whereas he learn {a magazine}. He was a daredevil of the best order and just about carefree about performing death-defying stunts.
The primary time I heard John sing was on a tape he made imitating his vocal hero Frank Sinatra. No kidding. He had this silky crooner voice that gave the impression of Sinatra. From time to time I’d hear him punch out a Led Zeppelin line or throw out a really rock and roll sounding “ohhh yeah” and I believed… “Hmmm”.
Though I don’t consider he sang rock and roll earlier than, and I had by no means heard him strive, one thing in me needed to get him within the studio and see how he would belt over these biker sort songs I had demoed, however nothing may have ready me for the voice that got here out of his mouth.
I needed to suppose, astray he seems like that as a result of that’s him, assured, genuine, fearless however with a lighthearted intention. This was the voice I needed to listen to wailing over these slamming rock tracks. I used to be shocked.
Round that timeframe I used to be additionally beginning to launch work on “Intercourse and Faith” and hoped to ultimately file greater than the 8 songs I had laid down with John for an alternate mission, however that was confirmed unimaginable. On September seventh, 1998, two days after my father had handed away, the cellphone rang, and it was John’s beloved girlfriend Nancy. Her voice was quaking, and I by some means knew what she was going to inform me. “John was in a motorbike accident and was killed”.
Nonetheless processing the lack of my father, this information made me numb. He had cheated demise so many occasions however his daredevil fearless method to driving had lastly caught as much as him. He would have completely been the best rock lead singer you’ll ever wish to know. All the weather have been in place, however he was gone. Disheartened, I put your complete mission on the shelf, and would take heed to it at the least every year for the previous 30 years, particularly across the anniversary of his passing. Then lately one thing compelled me to wish to put it out now.
I want you’ll have had an opportunity to get to know John. I consider you’ll have cherished him simply as all of us did. For now, he’s “Within the Wind”.
Particular because of Nancy Ranyard, Joe Sombrotto and Mark Cimino for extra photographs and serving to me put the items collectively so this mission may see the sunshine of day.
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