Former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum has amassed no shortage of unbelievable stories through his life and long career in music, but he says one of his craziest experiences in music was auditioning for David Lee Roth's solo band.
Sorum tells Modern Drummer's Live From My Drum Room podcast that he showed up for the audition now knowing who it was for. Roth had yet to leave Van Halen officially, Sorum recalled, so his impending status as a solo artist was a closely guarded secret.
Guitarist Steve Vai ran the try-outs on Roth's behalf. Just a few years removed from Frank Zappa's band, Vai wanted to make sure his drummer was as musically flexible as possible.
"No one knew it was for David Lee Roth," Sorum said. "We all got a called by Steve Vai. And we were like, 'Steve Vai? That guy from Zappa?' ...It was very clinical. We were playing crazy time signatures. It was very Zappa school."
He continued: "Vai was running me through the mill. Like, 'Give me a 7/4.' And I'm like, 'Okay, Genesis, 'The Cinema Show.' I got that. Okay.' And then said something like, 'Play 26 over 8.' And I was kind of cocky, and I looked up and I went, 'Why?'"
Sorum noted that in addition to Vai, the rest of the eventual Roth solo band was in attendance, including bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Gregg BIssonette, but he never got to jam with them.
"I played by myself and it was probably the craziest audition I ever did. I've never had a situation where I had to stand there and Steve Vai was reciting all these notes and running me through this whole school ... and at that point in my life I prided myself on being a pretty pure rock and roll guy."
Sorum didn't get the Roth gig, but he found other work until landing a spot in The Cult in 1989 and then Guns N' Roses in 1990.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer chronicles his life and career in his memoir, Double Talkin' Jive, which is available now.
Check out the full Modern Drummer conversation here.