Most guitarists are pleased if they can perfect the riff to Van Halen’s Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love, let alone tackle any of Eddie’s most famous solos. But a YouTube video that has racked up 14k views in two days shows a 16-year-old absolutely destroying Van Halen’s mythical Live Without a Net solo spot. And he did it all with a digital amp costing just $250.
YouTube user Flakeybiskits, whose seven other videos are about how to make electronic beats, performed the jaw-dropping shred feat at his school talent show.
Playing an EVH Striped guitar, the teenager blazes through Edward’s 1986 tour de force as though it were child’s play. Perhaps the most impressive aspect was how close he got to Eddie’s notoriously elusive tone.
In the comments, the young shredder reveals: “I used a Fender Mustang LT50 with my own preset.”
The response in the comments is universally rapturous. “Mate!!! OMFG! Absolutely sensational and exceptional playing! EVH WOULD BE SO PROUD!” raves one user. “The tone and phrasing is incredible!!” adds another.
The live audience reaction was muted at best though, with the biggest cheer reserved for the Eddie-style split jump at 1:03. “That audience has forgotten how to Rock!!” complains one YouTube commenter. “Sorry the people in attendance had NO idea what they were listening to,” another concurs.
Flakeybiskits reveals he wasn't intending to play for so long: “I noticed they weren't responding regardless so I decided to just do the whole thing so I could have a video to show people,” he commented.
In fact, he still went easy on the audience: his performance clocks in at 5:34, compared to the 12 minutes of Van Halen’s original. The solo is a kind of greatest hits of Eddie's instrumental performances, comprising parts of Eruption, 316, Spanish Fly, Mean Street, and Cathedral.
Despite his amazing performance, Flakeybiskit jokes that he didn’t take the talent show prize. “I would've won, but the kid that played Mary had a little lamb was just really good,” he quips.
Perhaps most astonishingly, it seems Flakeybiskits has achieved all this without a teacher. "He’s my cousin, and yall should know he’s completely self taught!" says one comment. Flakeybiskits has liked the comment, suggesting it is accurate.
All Flakeybiskits needs now is an Alex Van Halen. "If only he had a drummer to back him up at the beginning. Would’ve been the icing on the cake," comments one YouTuber. "I had someone that was gonna do it, but it would take too much effort to haul a whole drumset just for the intro," replies Flakeybiskits.
The 16-year-old is not the only one to have a go at replicating Eddie's techniques. CCR's John Fogerty recently dropped a video of himself practicing his tapping. Journey's Neal Schon also had a go, while Steve Lukather swears he never will.
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