Matt Sorum Says His ‘Craziest Audition’ Was for David Lee Roth

Matt Sorum appeared again on his audition for David Lee Roth’s solo band, noting that it was “in all probability the craziest audition I ever did.”

The previous Weapons N’ Roses member was lately a visitor on Reside From My Drum Room, a podcast for Fashionable Drummer hosted by Zildjian vp, John DeChristopher. In the midst of dialog, Sorum appeared again at varied factors from all through his lengthy profession, together with a tryout in 1985, not lengthy earlier than Roth would exit Van Halen.

“Nobody knew it was for David Lee Roth,” Sorum recalled, noting that fellow drummers Greg Bissonette and Mark Craney had been additionally available to audition.

“All of us bought referred to as by Steve Vai. And we had been, like, ‘Steve Vai? It is that man from [Frank] Zappa.’ So once I walked in… It was very scientific. We had been enjoying loopy time signatures. It was very Zappa faculty.”

Vai proceeded to run the audition, and as Sorum recalled, the guitarist didn’t maintain again. “He was operating me by means of the mill,” Sorum admitted. “Like, ‘Give me a 7/4.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay, Genesis, ‘The Cinema Present’.’ I bought that. Okay.’ After which he mentioned one thing, like, ‘Play 26 over 8.’ And I used to be type of cocky, and I appeared up and I went, ‘Why?’”

At one level, the drummer tried to steer issues in a distinct path. “I noticed Billy Sheehan sitting on the sofa. I’m going, ‘God, I might like to jam. Can we jam?’ We did not jam. I performed on my own. And it was in all probability the craziest audition I ever did. I by no means had a state of affairs the place I needed to stand there and Steve Vai was reciting all these notes and operating me by means of this entire faculty of [drumming].”

Bissonette ultimately secured the Roth gig. He’d go on to play on the albums Eat ‘Em and Smile (1986), Skyscraper (1988) and A Little Ain’t Sufficient (1991), in addition to their corresponding excursions.

Sorum, in the meantime, bounced round just a few extra bands earlier than becoming a member of the Cult in 1989, adopted by Weapons N’ Roses in 1990.