Got a question for Steve?
We can't guarantee Steve will answer every email - but we'll certainly
attempt to address all your Frequently Asked Questions here!
Answers
#04:
Was there ever a Vai Album released under the title "Light Without
Heat"? Thanks,
Donna Webbon
"Light Without Heat" was the original name for the VAI band
(1993) and the "Sex & Religion" record. Both were originally
going to be called "Light Without Heat", but Steve has a couple
of companies by that name already (Light Without Heat Merchandising and
an equipment rental company) so it would have been a headache for accounting,
file keeping, etc etc. The VAI name added the recognition factor to the
band's name so that made sense, and as the record progressed, a theme
started to emerge and the "Sex & Religion" title became
the right one for the project. Collectors take note: advertisements for
"Light Without Heat", the band and the record, did actually
run in a few music magazines in early 1993 before things were changed.
Since I've seen the section of this site with all of Steve's guitars,
I figured I'd ask my question here. What is the best position in which
to keep your guitar when it's not being used? I have six guitars and regularly
play two of them. It seems that the others are always out of tune. I keep
them in their cases. Music stores hang them from the headstock. Is that
the best way to keep the neck from bending? Thanks,
Marc
p.s. Who was the opening guitarist at the G3 show in NYC, Mike Kin.....?
Hanging the guitar by the headstock will not hurt the guitar and is a
good way to store it, but not necessarily better than any other way. Provided
that there is no undue pressure on any part of the guitar and the humidity/temperature
is okay, you should be fine. Steve keeps some guitars hanging, and some
in cases stored either horizontally, vertically, sideways, inside out....
The humidity is probably the factor you want to worry about most, because
that can play havoc with your neck especially, and that means tuning problems,
intonation problems, and possibly even warping and serious damage. If
the room is normal room temperature and not too humid, you should be okay.
Avoid leaving guitars near windows where they're exposed to direct sunlight,
because that can warm up the guitar, and it will cool down at night --
you want to keep the temperatures pretty stable. Heat or cold is usually
okay but going back and forth between the two is bad. This might be part
of the problem you're having with keeping your other 4 guitars in tune.
You should get it checked by someone who knows these things, in case you
have some warpage. Maybe you just need it set up again or a simple adjustment.
Take them to a professional and neglect them no longer! (The guitarist
you speak of is none other Mike Keneally, whose band Beer For Dolphins
opened the US shows in Nov-Dec 1996, and who also played in Steve's band
each night. For info on our boy wonder, check out his magnificently magnificent
website at http://www.keneally.com)
Hey Steve, did you know that there is a tribe in West Africa with the
name Vai? Also, I was interviewing David Ocker over the internet for a
research paper on Zappa's instrumental music, and he mentioned that you
had written some orchestral music but nothing ever came of it. I'd love
to know if you've written any classical music, and I'd also be very grateful
if you'd "verify my suspicions."
Sincerely,
- Justin
Steve responds; "That's funny, there's a tribe of wild Vais
in my living room right now. Their names are Julian and Fire". Regarding
the orchestral music, Steve has written orchestral scores of several pieces
both familiar and unheard, including "For The Love Of God",
"Call It Sleep", "Little Green Men", "Lotus Feet",
"Memories Of A Silent Rose" and others. Steve, backed by 2/3
of his Fire Garden touring band and a 65-piece orchestra led by Joel Thome,
performed these arrangements for a live audience in Rochester, New York
in September of 1996. The show was dubbed Soundcurrent, but was not recorded
for release. Steve would very much like to do a tour like this, using
different orchestras in each city, but that's a HUGE undertaking
and it takes a LOT of time, and Steve is simply too busy juggling everything
else at this point. It's something close to his heart though, so
cross your fingers.
Hi there, my name is Shahriman Aziz, an I'm a Vai fan from Malaysia.
I have a few questions I'd like to ask... Is Steve Vai going to visit
Malaysia again sometime in the future? I read in the official homepage
that "Sex and Religion" is banned in my country. Why? (Anyway,
I have the CD...)
- Shahriman Aziz
We played in Malaysia in January 1997 and LOVED it there. It's a
beautiful country and we can't wait to play there again. Steve is
expected to tour again this summer, and Malaysia is one of many places
we hope to visit again. There are no tour dates or anything yet though,
but when we have some they will be posted on this site. Regarding S&R
being banned there, it's news to us, but some countries have strict
guidelines about objectionable content, and perhaps some of the references
to human sexuality and also to religion might have been censored by officials
there. It's obviously not something we're happy about, but those
are the things you deal with when you live on a planet as diverse as ours.
I had a vinyl record from an issue of Guitar Player that had Steve
doing "Amazing Grace" on it. I don't remember what year or issue,
but I think it would have been in the mid 80's. I love the song and sing
it at church quite often, but the rendition Steve does on that record
is really awsome. Is there some way to get a copy of it, or is it on one
of Steve's other records? I would be grateful for any help you could give
me in locating that recording. Thanks,
- Brett Menke
This recording appeared on the original motion picture soundtrack "Dudes",
and an edit is heard in the movie, which stars Jon Cryer and is worth
getting. The soundtrack has long been out of print, but Steve has included
this track on the recently released "The Elusive Light and Sound,
Vol. 1" CD.
I have got to be Steve's biggest fan. Is it remotely possible that
an unknown guitarist such as myself would ever have the "dream come
true" chance to jam with Steve?
D. Ace McCloud
Yes. Steve's Make A Noise Foundation,
a nonprofit charity organization founded by Steve Vai & Rich Pike,
hopes to do a jam show (no details yet, we'll post them when we have them,
but it will be a while) during which fans who donate musical instruments
or other donations to the MANF can get a chance to jam with Steve onstage.
There would be other celebrity guests at these jams as well. We hope to
do one in Los Angeles to start, and who knows, maybe even a small tour
of similar shows in other major cities. Nothing has been carved in stone
yet though, so keep checking the Make A Noise
Foundation section of vai.com for info. If you'd like to send a donation
(monetary or otherwise) to the MANF, please send it to:
MANF
PO Box 360528
Los Angeles CA
90036-1092 USA.
I really want to buy a copy of the "Bad Squad" CD but I'm
not looking to spend 100 bucks on a wah pedal just to get it! Is there
any other way I can get it? Maybe it's available through GKS which I am
working on making some bucks to subscribe to (being a poor 17-year old
guitarist / Vai-idolizer is hard!).
- Matt Barrus
The "Bad Squad" CD is not a proper Steve Vai release, as many
fans appear to believe. It is a promo CD for Morley,
who in alliance with Guitar Center, are having a huge promotion for Morley's
Bad Horsie wah wah pedal. If you buy the pedal at a Guitar Center store
or at their website, you should be eligible for the CD while supplies
last (contact them for more info while placing your order). The CD features
the track "Bad Squad" and a second track which is the naked
tracks of the first, so you can jam along. Greasy
Kid's Stuff has been graciously given 5 of these discs to give away
to subscribers in GKS's Bad Horsie writing contest, but otherwise it is
available only through Guitar Centers when you buy the pedal.
Why can we not hear you playing in the jam at the end of the "G3
Live In Concert" video (last three songs)? We want G3, not G2! Johnson
and Satch are perfectly clear but we can't make out a note of Vai. What
the hell is going on here? Please oh please let there be a sane answer.
- Jimmy and Steve, Dublin
You're listening to it in mono. Joe is in the center, and Eric &
Steve are panned hard left and hard right. If you're not listening
in stereo, it means you'll hear either the left channel or the right
channel but not both. Some people complain that they can't hear Steve,
others can't hear Eric. You need to adjust your VCR & TV settings
from mono to stereo, or upgrade to a stereo TV or VCR instead of mono.
You'll be surprised how much you've been missing.
Don't you think that a few jars of Steve's Light Without Heat Honey
would make a great giveaway prize for a future GKS contest or random member
drawing type thing? Yours truly,
- Greg Rodgers, Loyal GKS member & Vai fan
Steve has just harvested some honey which he is bottling now, and though
most of this batch will go to friends & family, he will continue harvesting
more honey (he has several full hives happening now, it's getting
scary up there) that we will be calling Fire Garden Honey. We're
not sure what we're doing with it yet, but we're pretty sure
we're going to auction it off at this site and the proceeds will
go to the Make A Noise Foundation to help
provide musical instruments and music education to kids who can't
afford those things, and GKS will surely snag a few bottles to give away
in a Greasy Kid's Stuff fan club contest
of some kind. As long as you continue to be a "Loyal GKS member"(we
like you!), you'll get your chance. :)
Hello, I am Michael Pflügl from Germany, a great fan of Steve
Vai. Where can I get the picture discs and the other stuff in Germany?
The solo LPs and CDs I already have, but the picture discs and so on.
Yours faithfully
- Michael Pflügl
The picture discs (12" vinyl records with artwork printed on the
actual vinyl) are "Passion And Warfare", "Down Deep Into
The Pain" and "In My Dreams With You". They can be tough
to find these days, but check the better music collector magazines and
do internet searches. There is an internet auction site called ebay.com
and I sometimes see them listed there (but be wary of spending too much!).
Also, if you're in Greasy Kid's Stuff and
get the newsletter, you can advertise for free in the Passing Notes section
and will very likely locate them that way.
