The Johnny Beane Podcast

Mike Dirnt Is Selling Green Day’s Most Iconic Tour-Worn Gear! 🔥🎸

Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt is selling a collection of iconic guitars, basses, amps, clothing, and stage-worn gear through his official Reverb shop — and some of these pieces have serious Green Day history behind them!

🎸 Highlights from Mike Dirnt’s Collection:
🔥 Basses that were actually burned on stage during Green Day’s Nimrod and Warning tours
🎸 American Idiot-era Fender Mike Dirnt Signature Precision basses
💥 An “unintentionally smashed” Gibson Grabber bass
🎶 A signed Fender bass used on the Nimrod album
🔊 One of the first Ampeg SVT-810 cabinets Dirnt bought with his first Green Day paycheck — and used on the Dookie tour
🎛️ Mesa/Boogie amps and speaker cabinets with thousands of touring miles
🎸 A 1962 Fender P-Bass in Fiesta Red from Dirnt’s personal studio collection
📺 Clothing worn in Green Day videos including “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and “Oh Yeah”
👕 Tour outfits from the American Idiot, 21st Century Breakdown and ¡UNO! eras

Dirnt says he’s collected countless guitars, basses and amps over the years because each instrument can inspire a song. Now, after years of recording and touring, he’s ready to pass some of that history on to the next generation of players and Green Day fans.

🔥 The Mike Dirnt Reverb shop goes live September 9!

Would you buy a Green Day bass that was actually burned on stage? 🎸🔥

#GreenDay #MikeDirnt #BassGuitar #GuitarCollecting

On this episode of Exclusively Van Halen on Johnny Beane TV, we take a look at an incredible Van Halen moment from the Guitar Center Drum-Off finale at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles!

On Thursday, August 20, Michael Anthony, legendary bassist of Van Halen, joined powerhouse guitarist Phil X and drummer Kenny Aronoff for a live performance of Van Halen material. The chemistry between these three musicians was absolutely electric—and hearing Michael Anthony back on stage delivering that unmistakable Van Halen sound is something fans won’t want to miss!

🔥 Michael Anthony + Phil X + Kenny Aronoff
🎸 Van Halen material LIVE
📍 Fonda Theatre — Los Angeles
🥁 Guitar Center Drum-Off Finale — August 20, 2026

Watch the performance, share your thoughts, and let us know: Would you have wanted to see this lineup perform a full Van Halen set?

#VanHalen #MichaelAnthony #PhilX #KennyAronoff

Brad Gillis Recalls the Bizarre Scorpion Incident With ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons

On this episode of Talking Guitars on Johnny Beane TV, we dive into one of the strangest backstage stories from Night Ranger’s early days on the road with ZZ Top.

After briefly joining Ozzy Osbourne’s band following the tragic death of Randy Rhoads, guitarist Brad Gillis returned to Night Ranger and immediately found himself touring with some of rock’s biggest names, including KISS and ZZ Top.

Gillis remembers how warmly both legendary bands treated Night Ranger—but one ZZ Top tour produced an unforgettable backstage incident involving bassist Jack Blades and a tiny scorpion.

🦂 The Scorpion Incident
Night Ranger was touring with ZZ Top during the band’s early years.
Billy Gibbons frequently hung out backstage with the younger band.
During one show, reportedly in New Mexico, Jack Blades left his coat or shirt on a chair.
A baby scorpion apparently crawled inside the clothing.
After the show, Blades put the garment back on—and was stung by the scorpion.
When Gibbons heard what happened, he reportedly asked if it was a small scorpion.
When Blades said yes, Gibbons warned: “Those are the most poisonous.”
Blades was taken to the hospital and successfully treated.
The scorpion was captured and eventually preserved in a glass display.
Billy Gibbons reportedly turned it into a bizarre souvenir for Blades, complete with a message wishing him mercy!
🎸 From Backstage Pranks to Rock History

What makes the story even more memorable is the friendship between the bands. Gillis says ZZ Top essentially took Night Ranger under their wing when they were still a new group riding the success of “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me.”

More than 40 years later, Night Ranger and ZZ Top are still sharing stages, making Gillis’s memories of the band—and especially the late Frank Beard—even more meaningful.

It’s one of those incredible rock-and-roll stories that sounds completely made up… until you hear it from someone who was actually there.

What would YOU do if you put on your jacket and got stung by a scorpion backstage? 🦂😂

#TalkingGuitars #JohnnyBeaneTV #BradGillis #NightRanger #ZZTop #BillyGibbons #JackBlades #FrankBeard #ElectricGuitar #GuitarPlayers #RockAndRoll #ClassicRock #GuitarHistory #RockHistory #OzzyOsbourne #RandyRhoads #KISS

On this episode of Exclusively Van Halen on Johnny Beane TV, we’re talking about a very cool tribute to one of rock’s most legendary albums!

🔥 Billy Sheehan is celebrating the 40th anniversary of David Lee Roth’s Eat ’Em and Smile in a unique way:

🎸 Sheehan has reunited with Ray Luzier of Korn and other musicians to record 4–5 songs that were considered for the original album but never recorded.
🎶 The project is nearly finished and could be released within about a month.
🤘 Sheehan is also re-recording a couple of songs that appeared on the original Eat ’Em and Smile.
⭐ The original lineup featured David Lee Roth, Steve Vai, Billy Sheehan and Gregg Bissonette.
❤️ Sheehan describes his time with Roth as “the most amazing time of my life” and says the Eat ’Em and Smile tour was beyond anything they imagined.

Released in July 1986, Eat ’Em and Smile was Roth’s first solo album following his split from Van Halen—and it remains a landmark record for fans of guitar, bass and ’80s rock.

🎤 Would you like to hear Billy Sheehan’s new recordings of the unreleased Eat ’Em and Smile songs? Let us know!

#VanHalen #DavidLeeRoth #BillySheehan #EatEmAndSmile

On this episode of Exclusively Van Halen on Johnny Beane TV, we dive into the incredible story of how Eddie Van Halen encouraged Lita Ford to get back to work and launch her solo career after The Runaways.

After The Runaways broke up in 1979, Ford stepped away from the rock world and even took a job at a department store. But Eddie wasn’t about to let her stay there for long!

🔥 Here’s what happened:

Lita Ford started her professional career at just 16 years old with The Runaways.
After the band split, she went through a period of isolation and stepped away from music.
Ford eventually began working at a department store while wearing her old Runaways gear.
Eddie Van Halen came over and called her out for not doing anything!
Eddie’s encouragement helped push Ford back into rehearsing and pursuing music again.
After struggling to find the right singer, Lita decided to sing herself—despite not considering herself a vocalist.
Her 1983 debut album, Out for Blood, wasn't the production she wanted, but she refused to give up.
Ford went on to become one of rock's most respected female guitarists and performers.

Lita Ford's story is a great reminder of how much Eddie Van Halen encouraged and inspired other musicians—sometimes simply by pushing them to believe in themselves.

🎸 Did you know Eddie Van Halen played a role in getting Lita Ford back into music?

#VanHalen #EddieVanHalen #LitaFord #TheRunaways