The Johnny Beane Podcast

On this episode of Exclusively Van Halen on Johnny Beane TV, we talk about the first time Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top saw Eddie Van Halen perform live — and why the experience completely blew his mind.

🤯 Billy Gibbons was blown away the first time he saw Van Halen live in the late 1970s.
🎸 Gibbons had already heard the first Van Halen album and quickly realized Eddie was doing something completely different.
🔥 He praised Eddie’s incredible speed, hammer-ons, ferocious riffs, and technical ability.
⚡ Eddie’s two-handed tapping became one of the defining techniques of the guitar revolution that followed.
🎶 But here’s the amazing part: Billy Gibbons had actually experimented with tapping years before “Eruption.”
📀 While recording ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres in 1973, Gibbons accidentally discovered the technique while demonstrating a bass part to Dusty Hill.
😮 Dusty’s reaction was essentially: “Do that and do it again!”
🎸 Gibbons later acknowledged that Eddie Van Halen took the technique to an entirely different level and helped make it a standard part of rock guitar.
❤️ Gibbons also said Eddie genuinely enjoyed playing, even when delivering some of the most ferocious guitar work imaginable.
🤘 From Gibbons and Eric Clapton to Joe Satriani and countless other guitarists, Eddie’s arrival changed how an entire generation approached the electric guitar.

So who really transformed tapping into a guitar revolution — and did Eddie Van Halen simply take an existing technique and completely reinvent it?

#VanHalen #EddieVanHalen #BillyGibbons #ZZTop

On this episode of Exclusively Van Halen on Johnny Beane TV, we celebrate 40 years of Van Halen's legendary LIVE WITHOUT A NET!

On August 27, 1986, Van Halen took the stage at the New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut, during the massive 5150 Tour. The performance was filmed and became one of rock's most iconic concert home videos.

This was Van Halen's first tour with Sammy Hagar, capturing Eddie Van Halen, Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen at an incredible moment in the band's history.

🔥 40 YEARS AGO TODAY — AUGUST 27, 1986!

• Filmed at the New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Connecticut
• Part of Van Halen's 1986 5150 Tour
• The second night of Van Halen's two-night New Haven run was used for the concert film
• The previous night's recording reportedly suffered from audio problems
• The original home video was approximately 90 minutes long
• LIVE WITHOUT A NET was released on November 24, 1986 by Warner Reprise Video
• It was originally released on VHS and LaserDisc
• The video was later released on DVD in 2004 with 5.1 surround-sound mixes
• The original video featured the new Van Halen lineup with Sammy Hagar on vocals and guitar
• The songs were rearranged for the film rather than presented in the original performance order
• "You Really Got Me," "Dreams," "Good Enough" and "Wild Thing" were omitted entirely
• Eddie's guitar solo and other brief moments were edited
• "Best of Both Worlds" originally included part of Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love"; that section was removed from the home video
• The 1986 MTV Video Music Awards aired "Best of Both Worlds" and "Love Walks In" as one continuous clip, illustrating the different sequence used for the home video
• The performance featured memorable solo spots from Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony and Eddie Van Halen
• Eddie's guitar solo became one of the signature moments of the film
• "I Can't Drive 55" was another highlight of Sammy Hagar's role in the new Van Halen lineup

🎸 CONCERT CONTINUITY & EDITING:

• During Eddie's guitar solo, his cigarette disappears after he throws it away, then mysteriously reappears behind the nut — a classic continuity error
• During "I Can't Drive 55," Eddie's Kramer 5150 broke a string. He switched to his Steinberger 5150 to finish the song and then used it for "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love"

🎬 ORIGINAL LIVE WITHOUT A NET TRACK LIST:

There's Only One Way to Rock
Summer Nights
Get Up
Drum Solo — Alex Van Halen
5150
Best of Both Worlds
Bass Solo — Michael Anthony
Panama
Love Walks In
Guitar Solo — Eddie Van Halen
I Can't Drive 55
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Why Can't This Be Love
Rock and Roll

The complete concert was longer than the original home-video release, and the 2026 5150 Expanded Edition includes additional audio from that historic August 27 performance, including previously unreleased "Good Enough" and "Wild Thing."

📀 HOME VIDEO & 2026 RELEASE:

• Originally released on VHS and LaserDisc in 1986
• Re-released on DVD in 2004 with Stereo, Dolby 5.1 Surround and DTS mixes
• The 2004 DVD contains a hidden Easter egg: a short, silent clip from Guster's "Amsterdam" video, accessible through the DVD's VTS files on a computer
• The 2026 5150 Expanded Edition includes the concert in HD video on Blu-ray

Forty years later, LIVE WITHOUT A NET remains one of the greatest snapshots of Van Halen in the 5150 era. Eddie, Sammy, Alex and Michael were absolutely on fire that night. 🤘

Were you watching LIVE WITHOUT A NET when it first came out in 1986? What is your favorite moment from the video? Let us know in the comments!

#VanHalen #EddieVanHalen #LiveWithoutANet

On this episode of Exclusively Van Halen on Johnny Beane TV, we talk about former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony joining Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening onstage Saturday, August 22, at Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California!

Anthony and Bonham teamed up for two legendary songs — Van Halen’s “Runnin’ With the Devil” and Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.”

🎸 What Happened?
Michael Anthony joined Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening for a special guest appearance.
The pair performed “Runnin’ With the Devil” by Van Halen.
They followed it with Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.”
Anthony and Bonham previously shared the stage in Sammy Hagar’s The Circle and the Best of All Worlds Band.
Fan-filmed video of the performance was uploaded by Todd Norris / MusicVault on YouTube.
Jason Bonham left Hagar’s band in 2024 and was replaced by Kenny Aronoff.
Bonham later explained that he had to step away while caring for his mother following her stroke.
In 2025, Bonham said he was initially upset about his departure from Hagar’s band, but still expressed his love and respect for Sammy, Michael Anthony and the years they spent together.
Bonham and Anthony have remained close, with Bonham saying they speak every week.
Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening features vocalist/guitarist James Dylan, bassist Dorian Heartsong, lead guitarist Akio “Mr. Jimmy” Sakurai, and rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Alex Howland.
Bonham originally formed Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience in 2009 as a tribute to his late father, legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.
The band later changed its name to Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening after the Led Zeppelin camp requested use of the “Experience” name for an archival project.
Jason has also performed with the surviving members of Led Zeppelin on several occasions, including the legendary 2007 Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert at London’s O2 Arena.

🔥 What a combination — Michael Anthony playing Van Halen and Jason Bonham playing Led Zeppelin!

QUESTION: Would you want to see Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham team up for a full Van Halen/Led Zeppelin tribute show?

#VanHalen #MichaelAnthony #JasonBonham #LedZeppelin

On this episode of Exclusively Van Halen on Johnny Beane TV, we take a deep dive into David Lee Roth’s controversial 1988 album Skyscraper—and why Billy Sheehan believes Roth could have been hailed as the “genius of the century” if the gamble had paid off.

After leaving Van Halen in 1985, Roth assembled an incredible lineup featuring Steve Vai, Billy Sheehan, and Gregg Bissonette. Their 1986 debut, Eat ’Em and Smile, was a massive success, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and establishing Roth as a major solo rock star.

Then came Skyscraper.

Instead of simply repeating the formula, Roth pushed toward synths, programmed beats, keyboards, and more dance-oriented sounds, while still featuring Steve Vai’s explosive guitar work.

🎸 Billy Sheehan on the Risk

Sheehan says Skyscraper may have been caught between two worlds:

🤘 Rock fans weren’t necessarily looking for dance-oriented sounds.
🕺 Dance fans weren’t necessarily interested in a rock band.
🎹 Roth was deliberately experimenting with a very different sound.
🚀 If it had completely worked, Sheehan believes Roth would have been celebrated as a musical genius.
🎲 Instead of playing it safe, Roth took a major creative risk.

And Sheehan respects him for it.

“If it would have been successful, then Dave would have ruled the world.”

🎧 Why Skyscraper Felt So Different

Sheehan also remembers the recording process being dramatically different from Eat ’Em and Smile. Instead of the band creating the record together, Skyscraper was assembled piece by piece, with more programmed and sequenced elements.

That difference is especially obvious on “Just Like Paradise,” one of Roth’s biggest solo hits.

Steve Vai later explained how the song was built around keyboards and sequencing, with his guitar parts added afterward—including a solo from an earlier demo that ultimately became the version used on the finished record.

🔥 The Big Question

Was Skyscraper a brilliant creative move that was simply ahead of its time—or did David Lee Roth alienate both the rock and dance audiences he was trying to reach?

And would you rather have seen Roth stick with the Eat ’Em and Smile formula, or are you glad he took the risk with Skyscraper?

#VanHalen #DavidLeeRoth #SteveVai #BillySheehan

On this episode of Talking Guitars on Johnny Beane TV, we take a look at Charvel’s brand-new Pro Plus Dinky DK24 models—four metal-focused guitars loaded with serious firepower, including Seymour Duncan Nazgul pickups, Floyd Rose tremolos, stainless-steel frets, and killer new finishes like Zombie Fade.

Charvel has expanded the Pro Plus Dinky DK24 lineup with four new models designed for speed, precision, and heavy music. While these guitars are built for shredders, the pickup and hardware combinations make them especially interesting for modern metal players.

🔥 What’s New?
🎸 Three HH models feature Seymour Duncan Nazgul bridge and Sentient neck humbuckers.
⚡ The HSS model uses a Seymour Duncan Full Shred TB-10 at the bridge with Custom Flat Strat SSL-6 single-coils.
🤘 Two HH models come equipped with Floyd Rose 1500 Series double-locking tremolos for dive bombs and extreme whammy-bar work.
🎯 The HH HT model features a Charvel HT6 string-through hardtail bridge.
🌳 The hardtail is the only model with an Ash Dinky body; the others use Basswood.
🏁 All four guitars feature 24 stainless-steel jumbo frets.
💀 New finishes include the seriously metal Zombie Fade, along with Amber Tiger Eye, Crimson Eclipse, black, white, and other options.
💰 Prices range from approximately $1,199 to $1,399, putting these models in an attractive mid-price range.

These are also significant as the first new Charvel models released since the death of company founder Wayne Charvel. His influence on the Superstrat and modern custom-guitar movement continues to be evident in guitars like these.

Which one would you choose—the Nazgul-loaded HH with a Floyd Rose, the hardtail, or the HSS model? And would YOU take the Zombie Fade finish? 👇

#Charvel #GuitarGear #MetalGuitar