Nuno Bettencourt's devotion to Eddie Van Halen continues to be evident as Extreme add Van Halen’s "Mean Street" to the setlist of their current tour. The song replaces the group's previous EVH tribute, a cover of Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love."
The guitarist made a vow to keep Ed's memory alive last year when Extreme made their incendiary comeback with the single "Rise," the group's first new music in 15 years.
“I felt some responsibility to keep guitar playing alive,” Bettencourt said at the time. "When Eddie Van Halen passed, it really hit me. I’m not going to be the one who will take the throne, but I felt some responsibility to keep guitar playing alive. So you hear a lot of fire on the record.”
Interestingly, while "Rise" came three years after Eddie’s passing, its solo was a work in progress while he was still alive. As Bettencourt reveals, Eddie even swung by the studio while the song was being tracked — but Nuno didn’t let him hear the solo. In fact, Bettencourt wasn't even aware Ed was trying to get ahold of him, as the texts he received came from Extreme frontman — and onetime Van Halen lead singer — Gary Cherone.
“I never record with anybody in the room. I need to black out when I play,” Bettencourt told Total Guitar. “During recording the 'Rise' solo, my phone is blowing up, and it’s pissing me off because Gary knows not to bother me while I’m recording guitars.
“He keeps calling me then he’s texting me, ‘Come downstairs, I’m in the front.’ After the third time I’m like, ‘I’m gonna punch this dude out! Something must be going on.’ I go down, open the door and it’s Edward Van Halen.”
The solo would later become a de facto tribute to Eddie and has earned Bettencourt praise from the likes of Steve Lukather, Steve Vai and Brian May. But the band’s mean version of "Mean Street" sees him fanning Eddie’s fame in a far more literal sense.
Extreme gave "Mean Street" its first public presentation at their show in Montreal on September 28, having dished out "Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love" on earlier dates of their U.S. run. The guitarist donned his custom-made Bumblebee Washburn N4, an instrument he made as a tribute to the late great guitarist.
His playing, as you'd expect, features pinch harmonics and a purring high-gain tone filled with stylistic nuance. While Bettencourt's Van Halen impression is impressive, much of his signature, dazzling playing style remains his own. You can watch the performance below.
