Mike McCready reacted to news of the death of Eddie Van Halen on Twitter and Instagram shortly after the guitarist’s son announced the legend’s passing yesterday.
Can’t believe Eddie Van Halen died.
I saw them on the VH2, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, and Diver Down tours. Also when they came back with Dave. I started playing guitar about a year after Van Halen I came out. It sounded like Eddie was from another planet and the energy from Van Halen was undeniable. Amazing songs too. Romeo Delight, On Fire, Unchained, Mean Street, DOA, Light Up The Sky, Ain’t Talkin’ bout Love, Eruption, Atomic Punk, Everybody Wants Some, on and on I can go…
Tim Dijulio and I would skip school and wait in line all day for Van Halen back in the day. Eddie was like Mozart for guitar. Changed everything and he played with Soul.
RIP EVH
– Mike McCready
Stone Gossard also commented on Eddie Van Halen on KISW: “Nobody knows how to really play like him. There’s so much joy and this sort of circus with smiles. They’re just amazing, an incredible band.”
Mike played many times Eruption live, while Pearl Jam played Ain’t Talkin’ bout Love live three times.
https://youtu.be/-QqKWo4zyJI
Born in Reggio Emilia in 1980. He created pearljamonline.it in 2001 and wrote the first edition of “Pearl Jam Evolution” in 2009 along with his wife Daria. Since 2022, he is behind 2 podcasts: “Pearl Jam dalla A alla Z” and “Fuori Orario Not Another Podcast”. He has collaborated with Barracuda Style, HvsR, Rolling Stone, Rockol and Il Fatto Quotidiano. He continues relentlessly to try to find “beautiful melodies that say terrible things”.
Favorite song: Present Tense
Favorite album: No Code
Favorite bands/artists other than PJ: Tom Waits, Soundgarden, Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital, Mark Lanegan, Cat Power, R.E.M.