“He was like, ‘Come on down to rehearsals.’ I’ll never forget it. I was blown away”: John 5 on the time he got to watch Van Halen at an intimate reunion rehearsal – and played through Eddie Van Halen’s guitar rig

John 5 has reflected on the time he got to watch Van Halen at an intimate rehearsal as they prepared for their reunion tour with David Lee Roth.  

Fresh from getting a tour of Joe Satriani’s modded EVH Frankenstein, YouTuber Jeremy White sat down with John 5 to discuss his Mötley Crüe duties and upcoming solo tour.

The pair also spoke about Van Halen, with John 5 recalling the unforgettable experience of witnessing Eddie Van Halen and co during a behind-closed-doors rehearsal – during which he also got to play Eddie’s electric guitar rig.

“I would go to Van Halen rehearsals because I’ve known the guys for a long time,” the guitarist says. “This was a small room, it wasn’t massive and they were in there just playing and I was blown away. It was so loud and it was so great. I’ll never forget it. 

“It was right when they were getting back with Dave – we went down together,” he expands. “I worked with Dave a thousand years ago [as part of his solo band] but we’ve always been close.

“He was like, ‘Come on down to rehearsals.’ It was rad. I got on Eddie’s stuff and played a little bit. [It was] crazy. [Eddie was playing] a Wolfgang. Unbelievable.”

Parallels were also drawn between what Joe Satriani is currently doing with Eddie Van Halen’s riffs and solos on the Best of All Worlds tour, and what John 5 is now doing with Mick Mars’ material, having joined Mötley Crüe in 2022.

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Namely, both guitarists have had to tread the line between honoring the original material and making it their own.  

John 5 talks attending Van Halen rehearsals, Guitars, Motley Crue and Solo Tour | Interview 2024 – YouTube

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Simply, though, the former Rob Zombie guitarist is delighted that Eddie’s legacy is being honored and celebrated by Satriani.

“Joe is one of the greats,” John 5 says, “and I am so excited to go and see the show. I’m so happy that they are celebrating this catalog. You want to hear these songs. Music is about having a great time and forgetting about life for a while.”

And, according to Hagar, Satriani is the only player who could have stepped into Eddie’s shoes.   

(Image credit: Per Ole Hagen/Redferns)

Elsewhere in his conversation with Jeremy White, John 5 also teased a new signature release with Fender.

“The Ghost was such a success, it sold out in two hours,” he reflects. “They were so hard to make because the necks were all white, and to get the frets inside there without cracking the paint was really difficult for Fender. 

“But there’s going to be a new guitar coming out called the Phantom and it’s all black. It’s gonna be super black, like a shiny black. I’m super excited for it. I haven’t got to hold one yet but it’s coming!”  

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