Rihanna drives me nuts (as anybody of a certain age with teenage daughters will probably agree), but for better or for worse she's one of the biggest pop acts in the world right now. No shame in signing on for a massive world tour for any guitarist, I would have thought. Bettencourt still seems to be married to Suze DiMarchi (Aussie men -- again, of a certain age, perhaps -- remember her fondly as lead singer for Baby Animals) and they have a couple of kids... late last year Baby Animals were playing around Australia again... I guess he's just a gigging guitarist, making ends meet very nicely! If nothing else, he'll get some re-exposure to the demographic that made More Than Words such a hit back in the early '90s...

Extreme had a new album just last year (or so). The problem is they have a limited audience, that being seemingly one person ... just me. Being one person, I just can not find a way to pay my own mortgage AND buy Nuno and Gary a new Ferrari. Sorry guys ...

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

THAT WAS AWEFUL...I could not believe my eyes when I saw him. I was like "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Nuno sold his soul to the devil.

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Live guitars: 2009 LTD Truckster, 1989 Strat Plus, 2001 Am Standard Strat, 1996 MIJ Jaguar, 2007 Gibson Explorer 76 reissue, 1999 Ibanez RG7621, LTD MH-301, LTD FM400, 1999 Jackson Kelly, Mystery Les Paul, Hamer Chaparel, Fender FM 62SCE A/E Mandolin

Well first I would be shocked into a coma if Rhianon or however you spell her name,as it. is of little importance to me wrote her own songs.

Secondly if anyone remembers that show Remaking the Band I believe it was called where they tried to reunite bands that had broken up they tried to do it with Extreme and Nuno would not even let them film him as he stated later in a magazine he is still a relevant player and if he decided to reunite with Extreme it would not be like that.

I could see if it was a guest appearance but to be a member of her band is pretty degrading. It has actually come to the point where there are really hardly any serious musicians to make music with. He could easily do a G3 at the drop of a hat or get Extreme on one of those bills where you have like Ratt, Poison and Dokken playing across the country or then again there is always Japan.lol

What really bothered me was who he was playing with, just another one of those fabricated Disney charectars which I find really beneath him. I mean how bad off could he be as Extreme did have 3 hit singles besides a massive #1. Something Satch, Vai or Yngwie never had yet you dont see them lowering themselves.

I have never thought I would see the day where I am actually praying for some young cats with talent to come and save the music industry and to actually make great music again. But I can assure you sooner or later it will happen, but this has been the longest drought in history.

I really do agree with you, straycat113, but it's easy for guys of our vintage to dismiss the likes of Rihanna (if only I could..!). For younger concertgoers, this is like Jennifer Batten touring with Michael Jackson... I don't remember anybody thinking she was scraping the bottom of the barrel by doing so, and she's always been a serious player.

I hear you on the songwriting... I'm always arguing with the girls over this... if you check the liner notes on her albums, every composition is by a shadowy committee of (mostly) males. My girls went to see her when she was last in Australia, and they came back saying "ohmigod, she like totally fell over but it was O.K. because it was a really tough costume change.." I had just been to see the Adrian Belew Power Trio absolutely devastate everybody at the small club they were playing at, and still can't believe that anybody would be happy to pay exorbitant fees to watch an admittedly fairly attractive girl fail to sing in tune or even to stand upright when they could be in the presence of true musical greatness.

mondo I know where you are coming from, and though I detest Michael Jackson because I truly believe he was a pedophile I cant dismiss that the guy was a genius and one of the greatest performers to ever live though it does not sound like you feel that way.

I will admit I watch Idol and the thing that really confuses me is Simons rantings that it sounds old fashioned and not current. To be honest I would like to know what is the current sound. I have seen a bunch of guest performers who were a bunch of Tweens singing some of the worst songs I ever heard .Especially that song that went Blah, Blah, Blah in the Car, Car Car. Is this for real.

Gary cherone was actually in Van halen They did the van halen 3 album. Man to me that was the best van halen album ever. Don't get me wrong I respect the older stuff and what sammy did. But artistically I thought Van Halen 3 was their Best work.. But do to poor record sales cherone quit cause the pressure. It's really too bad cause they had good chemistry.. The thing I liked about 3 was the diversity of the songs..