Matt Sorum took a trip down the memory lane as he looked back on his experience with David Lee Roth's solo band, saying it was the "craziest" audition he ever did.
According to US 103.1, the musician recently appeared on "Live From My Drum Room," a podcast for "Modern Drummer" hosted by John DeChristopher.
During the interview, the former Guns N' Roses member recalled his experiences in the music industry throughout his decades-long career, including an audition for Roth in 1985 before he left Van Halen.
Aside from him, drummers Greg Bissonette and Mark Craney were also present in the try-out. None of them knew that it was for David Lee Roth.
"We all got called by Steve Vai. And we were, like, 'Steve Vai? It's that guy from [Frank] Zappa.' So when I walked in... It was very clinical. We were playing crazy time signatures. It was very Zappa school," he said.
Vai ran the audition, and he didn't hold back. Sorum said the guitarist ran him through the mill and asked to give him a "7/4."
"'Okay, Genesis, 'The Cinema Show'.' I got that. Okay.' And then he said something, like, 'Play 26 over 8.' And I was kind of cocky, and I looked up and I went, 'Why?'" he added.
During his turn, he tried to go another direction, saying he saw Billy Sheehan sitting on the couch. The drummer said he would love to jam, but they never got the chance to play together, and he played by himself.
"It was probably the craziest audition I ever did," the musician said.
Sorum added that it was his first time experiencing that kind of situation where he had to stand there, and Vai recited all the notes and ran him through "this whole school of drumming."
Unfortunately, the drummer didn't get the gig as it went to Bissonette. He played on the albums "Eat 'Em and Smile," "Skyscraper," and "A Little Ain't Enough."
He also toured with the band following his success.
Despite not getting the job as a drummer for Roth, Sorum became successful on his own as he joined a few bands before landing a spot on the Cult in 1989 and Guns N' Roses in 1990.
He also tried having a solo career as he released his first solo album, "Hollywood Zen," in 2003.
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
