Quotes About Inspiration

I got into rock music at thirteen, listening to Van Halen, learned how to play the electric guitar.

Flying Colors is more alternative pop with a prog edge. Think the Beatles meets U2 meets Muse and Foo Fighters. It is the opposite of Adrenaline Mob, which has more classic metal influences like Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Pantera, or Disturbed. They are completely different ends of spectrum.

I was more influenced by players like Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen than by the guys in southern rock bands.

As for the first guitar I actually bought, I believe it was a Cherry Red Kramer! I think I bought it because Eddie Van Halen played Kramer, and I remember it had a Rockinger tremolo on it.

I've been playing for aeons now, but way, way back, I remember Eddie Van Halen came out ,and I loved his playing. He was amazing. But then everyone started copying his guitars with Floyds, and I didn't.

I think if there's any one band that every member of Sons of Apollo has been influenced by, I think Van Halen is the common ground for all five of us.

I was such a big Kiss and Van Halen fan, Yngwie Malmsteen, Racer X... all that stuff. I loved everybody.

I was a huge 'Pyromania' fan. You would never expect it, but I was in love with Iron Maiden; I was such a huge fan. I went to a lot of rock stuff like Van Halen, too.

Van Halen was a huge influence on me, and 'Eruption' was the song that really leaped off that first Van Halen album.

If I had had a chance to tour with Van Halen before the record, I think it would have been a different record.

When I was 13, I was just figuring out how to play 'Eruption,' poorly, by Eddie Van Halen.

I do remember being a kid and hearing Van Halen. My dad was always playing Van Halen in the car.

In my world, before I knew about Eddie Van Halen, I was playing piano, and at that point in my teenage life, I thought he was just a guitar player.

Greg Ginn was certainly a huge influence on my guitar playing. I put him up there with people like Eddie Van Halen. Eddie Van Halen changed everything; I don't necessarily like everything he did, but he definitely changed everything.

Alex Van Halen... I loved his playing because he had so much energy; he made those songs exciting, along with everything else that went with him.

So everybody is trying to play like Eddie Van Halen. I think it's rubbish. I think Eddie's great, but everyone's trying to do what he does and it doesn't make for a lot of interesting music.

Punk was key to the early part of me playing guitar. I was really into melodic punk-rock. I related to punk more than Lynyrd Skynyrd or Yes or Van Halen.

I grew up in Vancouver, man. That's where more than half of my style comes from.

I was on a founding members of the Canadian theatre movement in the late 60's till the mid 70's and performed theatre from Halifax to Vancouver and all places in between.

In my job, I have many operations, so I tend to use time in my car to think. I get in the car after work and drive all night -11 hours, Vancouver to Banff.

My most memorable design-related encounter was also one of my most life-changing. I met Joyce Rutter Kaye, 'Print''s editor-in-chief from 1998-2008. It was at 6 A.M. on a cross-country flight from New York to Vancouver for the 2003 National AIGA conference.

The first We Day celebration I attended was in Vancouver, and it was the most incredible experience - there is nothing more invigorating than a buzzing room of young people who are excited to change the world.

The lifestyle of Vancouver does seem to really draw me towards there.

I love Vancouver.