OK so the producer I apprenticed for (the said asshole from my previous Drifters' story) was Tina Turners' live tour band leader back in the Private Dancer days... He had this enormous house in the Hollywood Hills... Typical "rockstar" lifestyle... Everyone and their mother partied there. He kept the Jack and Coke(not pop) flowing in his words...
One night a typical star studded bash. David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen show up... Eddie is in typical form.. Small gig amp slung around his body plugged into his guitar just social butterfly noodling around the room. David is typical Dave. Loud, drunk, covered in whores.. (how he hasn't gotten a deathly VD is beyond me) anyway... My bosses house had this enormous recording studio. During those days he had the top board you could by. I'm talking a Mackie that went on for days! So Dave decides he wants my boss to show him his new state of the art console... My boss says no. No partying in the studio. He was like that even when I worked for him... He was the only one allowed with food or drink in the studio... Anyway Dave being Dave says "f*ck you man I wanna see the new board!" And proceeds to head thru the doors... With a bottle of champagne.
My boss goes in after him and they start arguing. Daves all lighten up its a,fucking board. My boss is like my house my rules. One thing leads to another (like the fixx says!) and Dave ends up shaking the champagne bottle up and SPRAYS HIS ENTIRE BOARD DOWN! I mean straight drenched it! He destroyed his board. There was no fixing it. Every compressed air can in the world couldn't help it. $25,000 Mackie that was hours old in install... Just done.
Needless to say Dave was hauled out of there by the back of his neck and pants... Eddie was beside himself...
Apologizing and saying he'll make it right.. Well safe to say that party was over...
Next morning... My boss awakes to Eddie at his door with a delivery. You guessed it. Brand new $25,000 Mackie! Still in the box! Lol
Moral of the story. Well two morals... Champagne and sound boards don't mix lol (pun intended) and DLR is an ASSHOLE. LOL but EVH TOP NOTCH DUDE! So next time you listen to a VH song rest easy that Eddie is indeed as cool as they come. And DLR is a wack job!