Photos Courtesy of Getty Images and Glen LaFerman
“I think he was born 10 years too late,” Hawkins sighs in reference to Bettencourt. “Because he’d be competing with Eddie Van Halen if he were a bit younger.”
— Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, courtesy of Guitar World by way of the Rick Beato podcast
SAY IT ISN’T SO — In news you didn’t expect to read today, we’ll be sharing the latest from Justin Hawkins and him talking about Nitro!
Wait, what?
Correct, The Darkness frontman recently was a guest on the Rick Beato podcast and was talking about Eddie Van Halen, then subsequently gave props and shout-outs to a few 80’s guitarists.
Guitar World wrote about Hawkins guest spot on Beato‘s podcast with the following: “The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins has sung the praises of a contemporary electric guitar virtuoso who he feels, had he been born 10 years earlier, could have had the potential to be an equal to Eddie Van Halen.
Speaking to Rick Beato, Hawkins singled out Nuno Bettencourt for praise, saying the guitar hero was born a decade too late and missed out on competing with prime Van Halen in the 1980s.
“Rivalries are what got people excited about music. It seemed like the ’80s were this wonderfully tumultuous decade,” he says.
However, a Hawkin puts it, the extravagance of rock ’n’ roll killed itself off, meaning Bettencourt’s talents ultimately went under-appreciated in the early ’90s.
“No one is going to be able to sing higher than Jim Gillette, nobody’s going to play as fast or as ridiculous as Michael Angelo Batio, so [glam metal band] Nitro was the natural conclusion to that,” Hawkins attests. “Which meant the end for bands like [Bettencourt’s] Extreme.”
Beato points out that Extreme did have commercial success, but it was their ballads that won over the public.
“I think he was born 10 years too late,” Hawkins sighs in reference to Bettencourt. “Because he’d be competing with Eddie Van Halen if he were a bit younger.”
Read the full story at Guitar World or listen to the Rick Beato podcast with Justin Hawkins below.
Stay tuned to Metal Sludge for more Breaking News, Updates and Features along with both New Interviews and Classic 20 Questions.
